Administrative Order 4 (2003)

For state employees to be leaders in their community as well as at work, and for our education system to be successful, state employees need to be able to constructively participate in the education of their children. This Administrative Order shall set the policy for this administration and outline procedures for state employees of any agency, department, bureau, board or commission subject to the control or direction of the Governor to take leave for participation in school activities of their children.

The purpose of this Administrative Order is to permit state employees under the Governor who are parents and guardians, and who are unable to meet with educators or participate in school functions of their children because of a work conflict, the ability to take an allotted time during the school year to attend school conferences, activities and functions of the school their children attend.

I. Policy

A state employee under the Governor may be granted up to 24 hours of unpaid leave during any school year, with no more than four (4) hours to be taken in any given day, to attend school conferences, classroom activities, school functions, field trips, and other school activities of their child or children enrolled in school.

II. Definitions

A state employee under the Governor is a state employee of any agency, department, bureau, board or commission subject to the control or direction of the Governor.

A child of a state employee under the Governor means a biological, adopted, foster child, stepchild, or legal ward of the state employee under the Governor, as defined by 820 ILCS 147/10(c).

A school is a primary or secondary public or private school in this state or a state which shares a common boundary with Illinois, as defined by 820 ILCS 147/10(d).

III. Conditions for Leave

The state employee under the Governor shall provide his or her supervisor with a written request for leave at least seven (7) days in advance of the time the employee is required to utilize the school leave. In emergency situations, no more than 24 hours notice shall be required. The state employee under the Governor must consult with his or her supervisor to schedule the leave. The supervisor is to make the best effort to accommodate the request of the state employee under the Governor. The request may be denied if it unduly disrupts the operations of the office.

In order to utilize the school leave, a state employee under the Governor is not required to exhaust all accrued vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory leave, or any other leave.

IV. Compensation

A state employee under the Governor who utilizes school leave may choose to make up the time so taken as guaranteed by this Administrative Order on a different day or shift as directed by his or her supervisor. A state employee under the Governor who does make up the time taken shall be paid at the same rate as paid for normal working time.

V. Verification

Upon completion of the school activity under the school leave, the state employee under the Governor shall obtain documentation of the school visitation or participation in the school activity from a school administrator, as defined by 820 ILCS 147/10(e). The state employee under the Governor shall submit such verification to his or her supervisor, as provided for under 820 ILCS 147/30. Failure of a state employee under the Governor to submit the verification from the school administrator to his or her supervisor within two (2) working days of the school visitation or participation subjects the employee to the standard disciplinary procedures imposed for unexcused absences from work.

Nothing in this Administrative Order shall be construed as diminishing the rights of employees under a collective bargaining agreement. Nothing in this Administrative Order shall be construed to affect the State’s obligation to comply with any collective bargaining agreement or employee benefit plan.