Assisting Employees in Need
- Employee Assistance Program
- Vacation Donation Program
- Special Assistance Fund
- Human Resources Development Center (HRDC)/Health Matters
Holidays
Weather Days
Policies, Safety, and U
Assisting Employees in Need
At any point in time employees may be dealing with a variety of issues including work stress, medical concerns, financial stresses, issues with children, caring for aging parents, and the list continues. The University offers a number of programs to help employees deal with such issues. Below is a brief summary of many of the programs available to University employees. If you need help identifying a source of help for an employee, please call the LHR office for guidance.
- Employee Assistance Program:
The University has an employee assistance program that provides confidential healthcare support and assistance to employees experiencing emotional distress, whether it be work-related, or otherwise. The service is provided by a third-party vendor, Health Advocate, with operators available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 1-866-799-2728. You may use their service in the following ways:
- Healthcare Help
- Call and speak to a Personal Health Advocate (PHA) for help with the following:
- Help with complex conditions, explaining conditions and answering questions about tests, treatments and medications
- Finding doctors and specialists and expediting appointments
- Assisting with transferring medical records
- Assisting with eldercare issues
- Help clarifying insurance coverage and resolving claims issues
- Helping negotiate medical bills
- You will be assigned a PHA and will work with that same person until the issue has been resolved. When you first contact Health Advocates to use these services, you will be required to complete a medical authorization release, which will allow the PHA to contact providers and insurance companies on your behalf. All information you provide will be kept confidential and private, in accordance with HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Work/Life
- Employees may contact Health Advocate confidentially for short-term counseling on work and personal issues, including stress, depression, marital or family conflicts, grief, and drug and alcohol abuse. You can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and speak with a Masters Level Clinician, and may be referred to a local provider. Between one and five sessions are covered, as determined by the clinician.
- In addition to the standard EAP services, Health Advocate provides unlimited telephone and web support for Work/Life concerns such as child/eldercare, financial and legal issues, identify theft, and relocation assistance. The website includes newsletters, webinars, and helpful information on a variety of topics.
- Who is Eligible?
- Benefits-eligible employees, the employee’s spouse/partner and dependent children, and the employee’s parents and parents-in-law are all eligible to use Health Advocate’s services.
- EAP brochures are available from Health Matters and can be provided to employees at time of hire, and at any time when you feel the employees may have a need. If you are uncomfortable discussing this with the employee, or feel that due to the issue, such as an FMLA-related illness, that you are not sure you should discuss it with the employee, then please call the LHR office for guidance or refer the staff member to our office.
- Vacation Donation Program:
There are times when, due to an extreme situation such as a serious illness or catastrophic personal event, an employee may have expended all sick and/or vacation time. To assist in these cases, the University has a Vacation Donation Program that allows coworkers in the individual's work unit to contribute a day of vacation to the employee. If you are aware of an employee who is encountering a situation like this, please contact the LHR office. We can guide you in providing information to the employee.
As the supervisor, you may make the employee aware of this program as a resource, but it is important to remember that the employee must request implementation of the program. If the employee asks for this for his/her situation, please call LHR and the Manager of Human Resources will determine if the reason falls within the intention of the program.
- Special Assistance Fund:
In 2003 the Special Assistance Fund was created by a private endowment to provide temporary financial assistance to University employees experiencing a catastrophic financial hardship. Examples of situations that may qualify are outlined in the link below, as well as additional information about the fund. If you have an employee you feel may need the Special Assistance Fund, please contact LHR for guidance.
Special Assistance Fund Information
- HRDC/Health Matters Programs:
Both the Human Resourced Development Center and Health Matters offer training sessions that address issues employees may be dealing with both at work and in their personal lives.
Most courses may be covered by the Libraries Training budget if funds are available. In addition, there are many health-related offerings through Health Matters, such as Yoga, Weight Watchers, and CPR, that would not be covered through the Libraries as professional development, but are reimburseable through Highmark. For more information on reimbursement, contact Health Matters.
As a supervisor, you may discuss courses that would suit an employee's Development Action Plan during the SRDP process, as you outline options for their professional development. Also, there may be a need to make an employee aware of these courses as options for dealing with personal issues as they arise. If you would like to make a recommendation to an employee and are not sure if it would be appropriate, or would like to find out if it would be covered as professional development, please contact LHR.
- Other Available Resources:
Penn State Work Life - Child/Elder Care
University Police - "Rape Aggression Defense" women's self-defense progam, Victim Advocacy programs, and Escort service.
Counseling and Psychological Services - Offer a variety of student services, as well as Outreach Programs with topics of general interest to the Penn State Community, such as sexual assault and depression. CAPS also offers information for assisting students, including an on-line version of the "Students in Distress" training.
Affirmative Action Access & Disability Issues
Holidays
A list of the established holidays can be found on the Office of Human Resources website.
In addition to the established holidays, employees in standing or fixed-term I positions receive 8 hours of personal holiday time every January 1, except new employees in their first year, who receive the time after completion of two months of work. This time is used in the same manner of vacation time. 8 hours of personal time may be carried over to the following year.
The following is more information from HR-34, including exceptions and how to handle employees who work on designated holidays:
- See HR88 for holiday provisions for less than 100% FTE appointments.
- A newly hired employee commencing employment in a standing or fixed-term I position during December shall receive only the December 25th holiday and the New Year's Day holiday, but shall not receive paid time off for the additional University holidays in December during that first December holiday period. If such employee is required to work on any of the additional University holidays occurring that December, the employee shall receive his or her regular pay for such day, but shall not be granted holiday compensatory time off for the number of hours worked on the day. However, such employee commencing employment in a standing or fixed-term I position who already had qualified for holiday pay as an employee in a wage payroll or fixed-term II position in accordance with HR5, shall receive pay for all of the University holidays, provided there is no break in service between the appointments.
- One personal holiday is earned each calendar year on January 1. A new employee in the first year of employment earns a personal holiday for that year after completing two months of employment. The personal holiday is scheduled in the same way in which vacation is scheduled.
- If not used, the personal holiday shall be carried over into the next calendar year but not thereafter.
- If a holiday occurs during the vacation or sick leave of an employee, it shall not be charged as a day of vacation or sick leave.
- An employee on no-pay status is not paid for holidays that occur during the absence.
- If a holiday listed above (other than December 25) occurs on a Sunday, the University shall observe it officially on the following Monday.
- During holiday periods, the Libraries may be closed on days that are not considered official University holidays. When this occurs, refer to UL-ADG01, Internal Guidelines for Library Closings for guidance.
Nonexempt staff:
A nonexempt staff employee required to work a regularly scheduled work day on an official University holiday shall receive his or her regular pay for the holiday and shall be granted holiday compensatory time off at the rate of double time for the number of hours worked on the holiday, up to the number of hours normally worked by the employee on that day. At the option of the employee, the employee may receive the cash equivalent of 1/2 of compensatory time off earned on a holiday. Such payment shall be calculated using the employee's regular rate of pay. The option to receive such payment must be made within one calendar week following the holiday or holiday period. Holiday compensatory time off not converted to the cash equivalent shall be used for absences where vacation accumulation would be used, before such absences are charged against vacation accumulation.
Time worked on a holiday in excess of the employee's normal daily hours shall be paid at two times the employee's regular rate of pay. Holiday compensatory time off shall not be earned for such additional hours worked.
If a holiday should fall on a day not normally scheduled as a work day for an employee:
- The employee shall be granted eight hours of holiday compensatory time (see HR88 for positions that are less than 100% FTE). Such equivalent time off shall be granted whether or not the employee works on the holiday and shall be used for absences where vacation accumulation would be used, before such absences are charged against vacation.
- If the employee is required to work on such day, the employee also shall be paid at the rate of two times the employee's regular rate of pay for the hours worked, but shall not be granted additional holiday compensatory time off for such hours worked.
Exempt Staff:
An exempt staff employee required to work on a regularly scheduled work day on an official University holiday shall receive his or her regular pay for the holiday and shall be granted holiday compensatory time off at the rate of double time for the number of hours worked on the holiday. At the option of the employee, the employee may receive the cash equivalent at the employee's regular rate of pay for 1/2 of the compensatory time off earned on a holiday, not to exceed a normal day's gross pay for the employee. The option to receive such payment must be made within one calendar week following the holiday or holiday period. Holiday compensatory time off not converted to the cash equivalent shall be used for absences where vacation accumulation would be used, before such absences are charged against vacation accumulation.
If a holiday should fall on a day not normally scheduled as a work day for an employee:
- The employee shall be granted eight hours of holiday compensatory time (see HR88 for positions that are less than 100% FTE). Such equivalent time off shall be granted whether or not the employee works on the holiday and shall be used for absences where vacation accumulation would be used, before such absences are charged against vacation accumulation.
- If the employee is required to work on such day, the employee also shall be granted additional holiday compensatory time off at the rate of double time for the number of hours worked on the holiday. At the option of the employee, the employee may receive the cash equivalent at the employee's regular rate of pay for 1/2 of such additional holiday compensatory time off earned, not to exceed a normal day's gross pay for the employee. The option to receive such payment must be made within one calendar week following the holiday or holiday period. Such holiday compensatory time off not converted to the cash equivalent shall be used for absences where vacation accumulation would be used, before such absences are charged against vacation accumulation.
Note: Dickinson School of Law Libraries and George T. Harrell Library employees are provided with this information as employees of the University Libraries; however, day-to-day operational practices are guided by their respective Colleges. Dickinson and College of Medicine Library employees should speak to their immediate supervisor or local HR Representative for guidance, as necessary. Conditions of employment for Technical-service employees are further described in the “Agreement between The Pennsylvania State University and Teamsters Local Union No. 8.” Technical-service employees should refer to the Agreement for information related to the above topics.
Weather Days
Occasionally the University Administration will declare an official close-down due to severe weather conditions. During these periods, only essential employees are allowed to work. All Libraries employees are considered non-essential, so during official close-down periods, Libraries employees may not choose to work and should not attempt to come in. Employees should not report to work until the end of the close-down period, in accordance with announced close-down information. Full-time or full-time-equivalent employees should account for the time missed during the official close-down period by indicating "Official Campus Closure" in the attendance system.
It is also understood that there may be times when weather conditions are questionable but an official close-down has not been declared. Employees are encouraged to make their own decisions regarding safe travel, including delaying travel from home to work until it can be determined if the University will be open for business, or leaving work early to return home if conditions worsen throughout the day. Employees who are concerned about the conditions may request, using proper reporting off procedures dictated by your areas , to apply vacation or personal holiday time to cover such absences that occur outside of official close-down periods. Supervisors are encouraged to be as supportive as possible of the wishes of employees.
- How will employees know if there is an official close-down?
If there is any question as to whether the University will be open for business, please check the following official sources:
- Penn State's web-site for weather delays (information regarding cancellations or delays is also usually displayed on the main www.psu.edu page)
- WPSU radio (91.5 in Central PA, 90.1 in Northern PA, and 106.7 in Altoona )
- Penn State 's Information line at 865-4000
- PSU TXT
Other radio and television stations may not be notified as quickly, and may not have up-to-the-minute information. In addition, each department should have a list of emergency contact phone numbers for their units and employees should be made aware of how to access the list.
- What if an employee comes to work despite an official close-down?
If an employee appears at work and claims to have either not heard about a close-down, or wishing to work despite the close-down, send him/her home if conditions permit. The supervisor can make the decision whether to allow the employee to work, but keep in mind that allowing them to work deems them "essential" for that period of close-down and they should be compensated accordingly. If permission has not been granted and the employee proceeds to work, disciplinary action should be taken against the employee . This also applies to employees who stay following a mid-shift closedown has begun. If permission is granted, the employee will be considered essential for that close-down period and will be compensated accordingly.
NOTE: If it determined by administrators that the Libraries will be open during a close-down, employees will be notified by their supervisors and given sufficient time to report to work. As severe weather and emergency conditions pass, the Libraries are sometimes asked to reopen to serve the students and community. In these instances, employees who are asked to work are considered essential for pay purposes.
- What happens if the weather is of concern over the weekend?
If severe weather threatens on a weekend and closedown information is not provided by the aforementioned radio and television sources, department heads and supervisors will be notified if the Libraries will be closing.
- What happens if an employee is off the day of an official close-down?
If an employee is on layoff or leave, the status would not change. However, if an employee is on a previously scheduled day off, using vacation, sick, or personal holiday time, the time would not be charged as such, but would be charged to reflect the close-down. Similarly, if an employee calls in the morning of a delay and requests to take the day off, the portion of the shift included in the official closed down will be charged as OP, in accordance with the closedown period.
- Do wage employees receive paid time for official close-downs?
Only wage employees who have reached Earned Time status receive pay for official close-downs. They would receive pay for the number of hours they are normally scheduled to work. Wage employees who have not reached Earned Time status do not receive pay for periods of close-down.
For further information on handling severe weather days, please refer to HRG-10, “Handling ‘Weather Day' Absences or Official University Closedowns due to Weather Conditions”.
