2013-2014 Policy Awareness Orientation

1. 2013-2014Policy Awareness Orientation Millie L. Williams Interim Executive Director Office of Human Resources

2. Policy Awareness Orientation OBJECTIVES: ♦ Identify the purpose of Policy Awareness Orientation ♦ Identify and introduce employees to major EBRPSS policies ♦ Introduce the EBRPSS website as the most up-to-date source for personnel policies

3. Policy Awareness Orientation Purpose for Policy Awareness Orientation As members of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, we share responsibility to create an inclusive and respectful environment for all. This training session should provide you basic information regarding EBRPSS policies and procedures. If you have any further questions regarding these or other policies related to personnel, please contact the Office of Human Resources or check our website.

4. Policy Awareness Orientation Policies to be presented: • Sexual Harassment • Individuals with Disabilities • Complaints and Grievances • Employee Conduct • Employee Assistance Program • Drug Free Workplace • Family Medical Leave Act • Sick Leave Bank • Other Leaves

5. Policy Awareness Orientation Policy GAMDA Employee Assistance Program

6. Employee Assistance Program The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board maintains an Employee Assistance Program that is offered to all employees and their families who may be adversely affected by alcoholism/drug dependence or any other personal and/or family related issues.

7. Policy Awareness Orientation Policy GAEAA SEXUAL HARASSMENT

8. Policy Awareness Orientation Why have a sexual harassment policy? • To provide a uniform statement of expectations • To protect employee rights - Foster respect - Prohibit retaliation • To promote compliance and prevention

9. Policy Awareness Orientation What is sexual harassment? Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

10. Policy Awareness Orientation The definition has been further elaborated: • The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex. • The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, a subordinate or a non-employee. • The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.

11. Policy Awareness Orientation Examples of sexual conduct that may constitute sexual harassment: • Touching or gesturing, blocking, following (physical acts) • Requests for sexual favors, repeated requests for dates, lewd remarks, or sexual innuendo (verbal acts) • Visual displays of sexual photos, cartoons, posters, calendars, and drawings (visual acts)

12. Policy Awareness Orientation Who can experience sexual harassment? Direct targets of harassment • A student or employee that is subjected to unwelcome sexual advances is a direct target Bystanders or witnesses to harassment • A student or employee who witnesses sexual harassment that is directed towards another individual

13. Policy Awareness Orientation • Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim • The harasser’s conduct must be unwelcome

14. Policy Awareness Orientation There are two legally recognized types of sexual harassment: • Quid pro quo • Hostile environment

15. Policy Awareness Orientation QUID PRO QUO This form of sexual harassment is sometimes thought of in terms of “something for something” or “this for that.”

16. Policy Awareness Orientation HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT May include: • Severe or pervasive conduct • Unreasonable interference with an individual’s job performance • Offensive, intimidating, or abusive atmosphere

17. Policy Awareness Orientation REPORTING PROCEDURES Any employee who believes he or she has been the victim of sexual harassment by a student, an employee or non employee volunteer of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, or any third person with knowledge or belief of conduct which may constitute sexual harassment should report the alleged acts immediately to an appropriate School Board employee. If criminal activity is involved, a victim should also report the incident to the police.

18. Policy Awareness Orientation Each principal or other person in charge of a building or site owned or operated by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board shall conspicuously post in each building or site the names of the persons designated to receive complaints and the name of the Executive Director for Human Resources, including a mailing address and telephone number, together with a copy of this policy.

19. Reporting Procedures As a general rule, all complaints should be investigated, even when the complainant requests that nothing be done or when the complaint is anonymous.

20. Policy Awareness Orientation • Policy GAAB • INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

21. Policy Awareness Orientation The School Board will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for the known disabilities of its employees and/or applicants. A reasonable accommodation is defined as a modification to the job or work environment that will enable a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunity.

22. Policy Awareness Orientation In general, it is the responsibility of the applicant and/or employee with a disability to inform the School Board that an accommodation is necessary. This request need not specifically use the term “reasonable accommodation”, but need only let the School Board know that, because of a medical reason, some adjustment of change is needed in order for the employee to perform his/her job. If an employee requests an accommodation and the need for such is not obvious or if the School Board does not believe that the accommodation is needed, the School Board may request that the employee provide documentation from his/her physician regarding the employee’s functional limitations in order to support the request.

23. Policy Awareness Orientation Policy GAE COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES

24. Policy Awareness Orientation Any employee of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board shall have the right to grieve the violation of a policy and/or procedure affecting him/her. Complaints or grievances about any job action taken against an employee are excluded from this policy.

25. Policy Awareness Orientation The primary purpose of this procedure is to secure, at the most immediate level possible, an equitable solution to the claim of the aggrieved employee(s). If at any step of this procedure, the administration fails to comply with the timelines set forth therein, the complaint and/or grievance will immediately move to the next higher step in the process for review and decision.

26. Policy Awareness Orientation Step One • An employee shall submit a written complaint to the principal or for personnel not based at a school site to the immediate supervisor within ten (10) working days of the date of the alleged complaint. If the complaint is not submitted within the time prescribed, the employee has no further right with respect to the claim or grievance.

27. Policy Awareness Orientation B. Within five (5) working days of the receipt of a complaint, the principal and/or the immediate supervisor and the employee(s) shall meet to attempt to resolve the complaint. The principal or the immediate supervisor shall receive, investigate and consider information from all affected parties he/she feels necessary to resolve the complaint and to make a decision.

28. Policy Awareness Orientation C. Within five (5) working days following the meeting between the principal or the immediate supervisor and the employee(s), the principal or the immediate supervisor shall mail or deliver his/her decision in writing to the employee(s). The principal or immediate supervisor is required to document the date the employee receives the written decision.

29. Policy Awareness Orientation Step Two A. If the employee (or group of employees) is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance by the principal or the immediate supervisor, then within five (5) working days of receipt of the decision from the principal or the immediate supervisor, the employee(s) or the employee’s representative may submit to the Superintendent or designee a written request for a Step 2 review together with a copy of the written decision rendered in Step One. If the employee fails to request the review within the time limit set out above, the employee shall have no further right to proceed through the complaint/grievance process.

30. Policy Awareness Orientation The Superintendent or designee shall within five (5) working days provide a written notice to the employee(s) of the disposition of the grievance based upon the file presented to the Superintendent or designee. The date of receipt by the employee of the written notice of the disposition shall be documented in the file.

31. Policy Awareness Orientation Step Three A. If the employee is not satisfied with the written notice of disposition of the grievance by the Superintendent or designee, the employee(s) may, within five (5) working days of the date of receipt of the Superintendent's notice of disposition, request a full hearing, of the claim or grievance before the Superintendent or designee. If the employee fails to request a hearing within the time limit set out above, the employee shall have no further right to proceed through the complaint/grievance process.

32. Policy Awareness Orientation B. The Superintendent or designee shall schedule the full hearing with the employee(s) within twenty (20) working days of the request for a hearing. The Superintendent or designee may receive at the hearing written statements of witnesses, other written materials and/or interview witnesses, if relevant to the claim or complaint. The hearing is an informal meeting or hearing controlled by the Superintendent or designee. The purpose of any such fair hearing is to resolve the complaint. The Superintendent or designee shall provide for the recording of the hearing and will maintain a transcript of the proceedings. Following the hearing, the Superintendent or designee shall make a written recommendation regarding the disposition of the grievance. The recommendation of the Superintendent or the designee will be provided to the employee not more than thirty (30) working days following the hearing. The Superintendent or designee’s recommendation, together with a copy of the transcript of the hearing as well as the previous decisions, shall also be provided to the School Board within the same time frame set out above for disposition of the grievance.

33. Policy Awareness Orientation Step Four A. On the basis of the written recommendation and the transcript of the hearing before the Superintendent or designee provided to the School Board, the School Board shall dispose of the grievance. There shall be no hearing involving testimony, the receipt of evidence or additional matters before the School Board. An employee or their representative may comment on the School Board's proposed disposition of the grievance. The School Board may vote to affirm, reverse or modify the recommendation. Absent a motion and second to modify or reverse the recommendation, the Superintendent’s recommendation stands. Notice of the School Board's decision will be given to the employee(s) and to the individuals who rendered the Step One and Step Two decisions. The School Board's action is final.

34. Policy Awareness Orientation Policy GBRA EMPLOYEE CONDUCT

35. Policy Awareness Orientation All employees have the responsibility to be familiar with and abide by the laws of the state, the policies and decisions of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, and the administrative regulations and procedures designed to implement Board policies. Employees shall also comply with the standards of conduct set out in this policy and with any other policies, regulations, procedures, or guidelines that impose duties, requirements, or standards of conduct attendant to their status as School Board employees.

36. Policy Awareness Orientation Employees are cautioned that the appropriateness of certain action or behavior must necessarily be dictated by the nature of the position held by the employee and standards of common sense. By virtue of one's education and experience, an employee knows and understands that certain actions or conducts are unacceptable even in the absence of formal Board policy.

37. Policy Awareness Orientation NOTICE OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INVOLVING EMPLOYEES When an employee is arrested for committing a criminal offense (other than a minor traffic violation), that employee shall be required to notify the Executive Director of Human Resources of the arrest, in writing, within three (3) calendar days of the arrest.

38. Policy Awareness Orientation When a criminal prosecution is initiated in court against any employee by way of indictment, bill of information, or affidavit for committing any offense (other than a minor traffic violation), that employee shall provide the Executive Director of Human Resources with a copy of the indictment, bill of information, or affidavit within five (5) calendar days of his or her arrest or service of summons.

39. Policy Awareness Orientation Within five (5) calendar days of the scheduling of any court hearing or trial in connection with the criminal prosecution, the affected employee shall give written notice to the Executive Director of Human Resources of the nature or purpose of hearing or trial and the date and time the hearing or trial has been scheduled.

40. Policy Awareness Orientation Policy GAMD DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

41. Policy Awareness Orientation The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, recognizes its obligation to provide and maintain a drug-free workplace in order to remain eligible to receive federal grants and in support of local, state and national efforts to achieve drug-free schools and communities.

42. Policy Awareness Orientation Policy GBRIBA FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

43. Policy GBRIBA Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) was amended January 2008 to permit a spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness.

44. Policy Awareness Orientation The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board shall permit qualified employees to take up to twelve (12) work weeks of unpaid leave in a twelve (12) month period for family and medical reasons. Employees qualifying for family and temporary medical leave shall have been employed by the Board for the previous twelve (12) months prior to the date of the leave to be taken. For the purposes of this policy, the 12 month period shall be the same as the fiscal year, July 1 to June 30.

45. Policy Awareness Orientation FMLA will run concurrently with any leave granted an employee under extendedsick leave, sabbatical medical leave or maternity leave.

46. Policy Awareness Orientation Military Caregiver Leave If you are the spouse, parent, son, daughter, or next- of-kin of a covered service member and you are employed with the EBRPSS, you may be entitled to military caregiver leave. An employee is allowed to take up to 26 workweeks of unpaid leave during a single 12-month period to take care of your military relative if he or she has a qualifying serious injury or illness.

47. Policy Awareness Orientation OTHER LEAVES AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES: • Extended Sick Leave • Medical Sabbatical • Sabbatical for Professional Education • Maternity Leave • Leave Without Pay • Military Leave • Professional Leave • Personal Leave • Annual Leave

48. Sick Leave Bank • Prior to application of SLB, an employee must have exhausted all leave available i.e., sick/annual leave • Three separate accounts established: teachers, bus drivers and school employees • Donations will be made to the Sick Leave Bank –not to individual employees • The employee and the donor of sick leave must be employed with the district a minimum of 36 consecutive months before permission can be granted to donate to the bank • Employee(s) donating sick leave must have more than 50 days prior to making application for donation • Donations are irrevocably

49. Policy Awareness Orientation To review these or other policies as these relate to personnel, please review the EBRPSS website: www.ebrpss.k12.la.us Click on Human Resources Select Policy Directory This PowerPoint presentation is available through our website as well.

50. Policy Awareness Orientation QUESTIONS?