Policy
It is the policy of the Ohio Deparment of Natural Resources to offer a Voluntary Cost Savings Program (VCS) to its employees. The purpose of the VCS program is to provide eligible employees the opportunity to reduce their schedule and/or use leave without pay prior to exhausting applicable accrued leave balances to allow the reduction of employee salary costs for ODNR. The VCS program is made available primarily during periods of economic budgetary constraints as determined by ODNR.
General Provisions
Participation in the VCS program is on a strictly voluntary basis. ODNR shall not request or coerce any employees into reducing their schedule or taking leave.
ODNR employees shall maintain all employment rights when utilizing VCS leave; however, participation may affect numerous employment benefits such as leave accruals, holiday pay, flexible spending accounts and retirement contributions. The ODNR-HR Office shall provide any requesting employee with the relevant information regarding employment benefits affected by participation in the VCS program.
Since the VCS program is voluntary, employees are not eligible to receive unemployment benefits during unpaid leave and/or work reduction periods.
The VCS program is not to supplant or replace existing leave benefits available to state employees. Thus, the purpose of this leave is not to allow employees to choose participation in the VCS program instead of using more appropriate leaves in order to receive a greater benefit. When implementing the VCS program, ODNR shall remain in compliance with existing provisions of the collective bargaining agreements regarding bargaining unit work.
Eligibility
All ODNR OCSEA & Exempt employees are eligible to participate in the VCS program. Excluded from the aforementioned eligibility list are intermittent, seasonal employees, any other temporary non-union positions and OCSEA project employees.
VCS Plan Options
Eligible employees may choose from the following two (2) plan options and may utilize both plans during the same fiscal year; however, whether using one plan or a combination of both, leave usage under the VCS program is limited to five hundred twenty (520) hours in a fiscal year:
PLAN A: REDUCTION OF HOURS - FULL-TIME OCSEA OR EXEMPT ONLY
- Eligible Full-time OCSEA or Exempt staff who have completed their initial probationary period may reduce their number of hours worked by no less than eight (8) hours, but no more than forty (40) hours per pay period.
- Leave under this plan cannot exceed five hundred twenty (520) hours or six (6) months in a fiscal year, whichever comes first.
- Any insurance program in which the employee is currently enrolled at the time of entering into the VCS program is continued without change in coverage, benefits, or premiums.
- Leave taken under the VCS program places an employee in an inactive pay status; thus, vacation and sick leave accruals are pro-rated based upon hours actually worked. There will be no impact on an employee’s accrual of personal leave.
- Employees shall not incur a break in state service or seniority when utilizing the VCS program. State seniority and service credit is based on eighty (80) hours per pay period for computing retirement service credit, longevity compensation, and step increases.
- Employees shall not incur a break in state service or seniority when utilizing the VCS program. State seniority and service credit is based on eighty (80) hours per pay period for computing retirement service credit, longevity compensation, and step increases.
PLAN B: UNPAID LEAVE OF ABSENCE - FULL-TIME AND LESS THAN FULL-TIME
- Eligible Full-time or less than Full-time OCSEA or Exempt staff who have completed their initial probationary period may take unpaid leaves of absence in blocks of time no less than two (2) weeks and up to a maximum of thirteen (13) work weeks within a fiscal year.
- Employees shall not incur a break in state service and will be treated as their regular appointment type for the purposes of calculating retention points or seniority when participating in this option as long as the employee returns to employment.
- Employees participating in this plan are responsible for their share of insurance premiums for all insurance programs in which they are enrolled at the time of the leave. It is the employee’s responsibility to make payment arrangements with their division payroll officer prior to the leave commencing. The state shall maintain the employer’s share of the premium.
- Leave taken under the VCS program places an employee in an inactive pay status; thus, vacation and sick leave accruals are pro-rated based upon hours actually worked. There will be no impact on an employee’s accrual of personal leave.
- Leave usage under this option requires a minimum of two (2) weeks. An employee may request an extension of VCS leave from his/her supervisor if desired. Leave under this option shall not exceed beyond thirteen (13) workweeks in a fiscal year.
- Employees are responsible for any payroll deductions such as credit union, union dues, garnishments, etc. It is the employee’s responsibility to make payment arrangements with their division payroll officer prior to the leave commencing.
Leave Application and Approval Process
Employees who desire to participate in the VCS program must complete and submit a VCS Plan Agreement to their immediate supervisor thirty- (30) calendar days prior to the commencement of leave or a reduced schedule. The supervisor, upon making his/her recommendation, shall forward the VCS Plan Agreement to the Division/Office Chief or Designee. The Division/Office Chief or Designee will make his/her recommendation and shall forward to the Department VCS Plan Designee (Office of Human Resources) for final approval. The employer shall notify the employee of the status of their request no later than seven (7) calendar days before the effective date of the leave or reduced schedule. ODNR maintains the right to determine operational needs and work schedules for less than full-time employees pursuant to applicable collective bargaining agreements and civil service law.
ODNR shall not unreasonably deny an employee’s request for VCS leave. The denial of an employee’s participation in the VCS program is not grievable. It is ODNR’s responsibility to ensure any impact of such work arrangement to operations is minimal.
Specifically, the utilization of leave under the VCS program shall not:
- Minimize or impact the safety and security of the operation
- Result in any additional expense to the work unit (e.g., overtime to cover for the employee who is participating in the program)
- Adversely impact the service levels to both internal and external customers provided by the work unit
- Impact federal, state, or local program mandates
Early Termination
ODNR may terminate a VCS agreement upon providing ten (10) working day’s notice in writing to the employee. Such termination is not grievable. The employee may also terminate his/her VCS agreement upon ten (10) working day’s notice in writing unless mutually agreed to otherwise.
Cost Savings Tracking
ODNR shall track the utilization of the VCS program and the savings resulting from the program. ODNR shall provide this information to the Union upon their request. Supervisors may include an estimated salary savings of the employee’s request on the VCS Plan Agreement prior to submitting for final approval at the Division level.
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