Paid Community Engagement Leave Policy

Policy Area: Human Resources

Policy Title: Paid Community Engagement Leave

Submitted Date: February 2021

Effective Date: Summer 2021

Submitted By: Human Resources

Approved By: President’s Cabinet February 2021

Policy Owner: Human Resources

Scope

Full-time salaried staff employees

Policy

Albion College is proud to support our employees through service to our community. The College provides up to 2 days of Paid Community Engagement Leave per fiscal year for approved absences to perform volunteer work for eligible service organizations in the Albion community. 

Purpose

The purpose of the Paid Community Engagement Leave is to support volunteer activities that enhance and serve the broader campus community. The intention of this program is to create community engagement opportunities for Albion College employees that are meaningful and purposeful. Albion College also recognizes that participation in those activities will enrich and inspire the lives of our employees. By encouraging employees to volunteer, Albion College continues to invest in its local communities and have a meaningful impact beyond the campus.

Eligibility

All full-time, salaried, benefit-eligible staff employees of Albion College are eligible to participate immediately upon hire. The employee must be in good standing (employees on a Performance Improvement Plan are not eligible for this paid leave). The service organization must be an approved College partner in GivePulse.  

Albion encourages employees to volunteer their time consistent with their interest in an organization or activity. While the College is happy to provide two days of paid time off to support this effort, that obviously does not limit the amount of time an employee volunteers. Employees may use vacation time for additional volunteer time, or may volunteer during non-scheduled work hours. Employees may volunteer at the organization of their choice during non-work hours or by using available paid time off (e.g. vacation days). Union members should refer to their collective bargaining agreement. Faculty members should refer to the Faculty Handbook.

Employees should document their volunteer activity directly on the GivePulse website so they are counted towards Albion’s goal of contributing a collective 10,000 hours of service annually.

Paid Community Engagement Leave should be used in the fiscal year in which it is granted. If time is not used, it is not paid out at time of separation from the College. Unused time may not be carried over into the next fiscal year.

Definitions

  • Paid Community Engagement Leave: Up to 2 days of paid time off available to eligible employees in addition to – and not charged to – an employee’s vacation leave balances.
  • Approved College Partner: To ensure consistency and impact in our immediate community, Albion College will provide Paid Community Engagement Leave for employees to serve at approved non-profit organizations. A list of eligible organizations will be provided on GivePulse.

Procedure

Requesting Leave

  • Employees will request leave through the same method as other paid time off requests. Time off should be requested in ½ or full day increments during regular scheduled work hours.
  • Employee requests should be made as far in advance of the desired leave as practicable
  • Requests should include the date, start and end time, and specific volunteer service organization’s name
  • Log service hours in GivePulse.

Supervisor’s Responsibilities

  • Respond to the request for leave within 5 business days to approve or deny based on business needs and remaining Paid Community Engagement Leave balance for the employee. All approvals are at the discretion of the supervisor based on the business and operational needs of the department.
  • May request the employee to provide written verification from the service organization (this step is not required) that this employee is scheduled for volunteer time and/or confirmation the employee participated
  • Confirm the service organization is an approved College partner

Volunteer Opportunities

Employees can search for local, approved College partner volunteer opportunities through GivePulse.

Albion College reserves the right to modify, amend, suspend, or discontinue this program at any time without prior notice. Albion College also reserves the right to revoke approval if it is felt that the employee is misusing the program.