POLICY
One of the major responsibilities of an organization is to provide a means of obtaining job satisfaction through growth opportunities and upward mobility. One method of providing information regarding growth opportunities is to offer opportunities for career development.
ODNR places a major emphasis on career development and job satisfaction. Employee access to educational opportunities, professional association membership and events, and travel to experience new technologies and changes in the way work is done are all keys to the success of the mission of ODNR.
It is also a paramount function of the Department to execute its mission in the most efficient manner possible. When state employees attend external professional development events on state time, it is imperative that they be held accountable for their time in a manner that the taxpayers of Ohio rightfully expect.
ODNR offers seminars and outside training, educational release time and tuition reimbursement to those employees interested in career development.
SEMINARS AND OUTSIDE TRAINING
All full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible to attend seminars or outside training and to have seminar or training fees paid by their division/office and receive release time for attendance. When seeking approval to attend an external professional development event, refer to ODNR’s Career Development Procedure.
EDUCATIONAL RELEASE TIME
Release time with full pay may be granted to full-time permanent employees for a period not to exceed five (5) hours per week. This applies to class hours only and may not be used for thesis research and writing. If an employee’s appointment changes from full-time to part-time during the quarter/semester, release time will be terminated. Release time may be requested for courses at colleges, universities, high schools, career centers, etc. for courses related to the employee’s position and career track.
PROCEDURE
Employees desiring to use career development programs must adhere to the following procedures and criteria.
SEMINARS AND OUTSIDE TRAINING
Following are the procedures to be used when an employee is interested in attending an external professional development event:
- Employee will complete a “Request for Approval of External Professional Development Activities Form” and submit to their supervisor with attached information covering agenda/curriculum and date(s) and time(s) from the sponsor’s or provider’s brochure or program.
- Employee’s supervisor shall evaluate the request based on the guidelines provided below and sign the form having checked either “recommended” or “not recommended” for approval.
- If state funds will be used to pay for the external event, the cost must be included on the request form and copies of cost-related information must be submitted for fiscal approval, followed by approval by the division Chief and Director’s Office.
- If no state funds are required, the employee’s supervisor should send the form directly to the division Chief followed by the Director’s Office.
- Employee will be notified of his/her ability to attend the external event by copy of the signed approval form.
- If the employee is attending an external professional development event out of state, he/she may use the existing out-of-state travel form to satisfy this requirement.
The Department expects that supervisors, when evaluating employee participation at external professional development events while on state time, ask questions that include, but are not limited to the following:
- Does the event have a structured and professional program agenda that will provide work related training?
- Does attendance at the event aid the Division/Department in its mission?
- Will the program be productive and fully occupy the employee’s time away from his/her job?
- Will the benefit the citizens of the State of Ohio gain outweigh the cost incurred by the Division/Department for employee attendance at the event?
The Department expects that a supervisor will remind an employee, whose attendance at such an external event while on state time has been approved, that he/she remains subject to all policies and procedures in effect as if the employee was at any normal workday function. Furthermore, a supervisor must exercise his/her normal review of an employee’s productivity and conduct and take corrective action if necessary. The Department will not accept a lower qualifying standard than has been stated above for employee attendance at external professional development events while on state time. If the above requirements are not met, attendance will not be permitted while on state time and alternative arrangements should be made.
EDUCATIONAL RELEASE TIME
The employee completes and signs "Educational Release Time Application Form" (DNR1235). The form is then submitted to the immediate supervisor with a memo requesting use of Educational Release Time.
In cases where the duties may affect the safety or well being of the public, or the operational effectiveness of the division/office, every effort will be made to establish an alternative plan that will be acceptable to all parties. However, the needs of the public and the operational effectiveness of the working unit must receive first priority.
In cases where more than one employee from a given unit or section desire release time, but due to job requirements or a hardship created on the unit or section, a situation may arise that both cannot be released simultaneously. The following priorities, in descending order, will be utilized to determine selection sequence:
The supervisor reviews the request and recommends approval or disapproval to the division/office Chief. The division/office Chief reviews the request with the supervisor’s recommendation and approves or disapproves the application. A memorandum requesting approval along with the DNR 1235 is then submitted to the Chief, Office of Human Resources.
The employee is notified of his/her approval/denial via U.S. Mail. The office/division Chief is notified through interoffice mail.
STANDARDS AND EVLAUATIONS
A letter grade of "C" or higher, or satisfactorily completion of the course if no letter grade is provided, is required. Should the employee fail to maintain at least a "C" average, he/she may be required to show good cause why he/she should not be terminated from the program.
Should an employee fail to attend classes as scheduled and agreed upon, he/she will be terminated from the program and disciplinary action may result in accordance with the appropriate department disciplinary procedure.
TIME ACCOUNTABILITY
Supervisors will be responsible for accurate time accountability of all employees enrolled in the release time program. If an employee is absent from the work site and/or requests leave in the form of compensatory time, vacation leave, personal leave, or sick leave on a day they are scheduled for educational release time, it is mandatory the employee takes the entire eight hours or the total amount of work time they are normally scheduled to work, as compensatory time, vacation leave, personal leave, or sick leave.
Overtime eligible employees who are receiving release time will not be permitted to receive overtime or compensatory time unless such time is in excess of release time. This should be determined by the supervisor on a pay period by pay period basis.
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