1. Overview

   This policy establishes guidelines for the use of emergency service leave pursuant to division (G) of section 4765.01 and section 124.1310 of the Revised Code.

   Ohio university will allow all full-time and part-time permanent employees paid emergency service leave. Bargaining unit employees covered under Local 3200 Ohio Council 8, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO should refer to their current contract for specifics of participation. 

   A university employee who volunteers as an emergency medical technician ("EMT") -- EMT-basic or EMT-1, first responder, paramedic, or volunteer firefighter, is to receive forty hours of leave with pay each calendar year to use during those hours when the employee is absent from work in order to provide emergency medical service or fire-fighting service. Part-time employees shall receive a prorated benefit (for example, a twenty-hour-a-week employee shall receive twenty hours of emergency service leave per year). If fewer than the allocated number of hours of emergency service leave is used in a calendar year, the remainder is  not accumulated for use in any later year.

   Compensation shall be at the employee's regular rate of pay for those regular work hours during which the employee is absent from work.

   The employee must meet the certification requirements for holding a position as an EMT-basic, EMT-1, first responder, paramedic, or volunteer firefighter, and must establish eligibility for emergency leave by providing university human resources with a valid certification, submitted in accordance with the procedure described in part  (B)  of this policy.

   Leave under this policy may be used to provide emergency medical service or fire-fighting service without regard to location, including service in response to a distant natural disaster or terrorist incident.

2. Verification of certification

   A university employee who is a volunteer firefighter or volunteer provider of emergency medical services shall notify the university of the employee's status as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer provider of emergency services upon employment, or not later than thirty days after receiving certification as a volunteer firefighter or a volunteer provider of emergency services. The employee must submit written notification to university human resources using the " Annual Certification of Emergency Medical Services Status " form, signed by the chief of volunteer fire department service, or the medical director or chief administrator or the cooperating physician advisory board of the emergency medical organization with which the employee serves. This form shall be re-submitted annually before January first of each year. New employee orientation sessions will include notification to the employees of the availability of emergency service leave under this policy and of the requirements to submit written notification.

3. Request for leave

   Employees requesting or verifying paid emergency service leave must use the " Request for Emergency Service Leave " form as soon as practicable. Whenever an employee is absent from work due to the employee providing emergency medical or firefighting service, and the employee wishes to use emergency service leave, the absence must be verified by providing the employee's supervisor with a completed " Request for Emergency Service Leave " form. The supervisor will submit the completed form to university human resources.

4. Department notification

   If the call to provide emergency medical or firefighting service occurs when the employee is already at work, he or she will notify his or her supervisor before leaving (or follow standard departmental notification procedures for early departure, if one exists). If the call to provide emergency medical or firefighting service occurs when the employee is not at work, he or she will notify his or her supervisor (or follow standard departmental notification procedures for late arrival or absence, if one exists) as soon as possible after it becomes evident that late arrival or absence from scheduled work may be required in order to provide the emergency service. The employee should discuss in advance with his or her supervisor how to deal with any situation where it is impossible to follow the usual notification procedure while responding to an emergency situation. Supervisors should make reasonable accommodations in such situations, provided that the employee does notify the department as soon as possible.

5. Leave substitution

   Employees who previously scheduled an absence using other types of leave such as vacation, should not be permitted to use emergency service leave instead of the planned leave.

6. Recovery of improperly paid benefits

   The university may use all necessary steps to recover emergency service leave benefits paid in error or paid as a result of fraud, including adjustments to an employee's pay. An employee who knowingly engages in fraud may be subject to civil or criminal charges, in addition to discipline under the employee disciplinary process appropriate to the category of employment relationship. For further information, see:

   1. AFSCME 3200 Collective Bargaining Agreement; 

   2. Policy  41.012 ; and

   3. Faculty Handbook,  Section II, Part D  (specifically the sub-parts on termination of appointment and loss of tenure).

Reviewers

Proposed revisions of this policy should be reviewed by:

1. Faculty Senate

2. Administrative Senate

Forms, References, and History

1. Forms

   The following forms are specific to this policy:

   1. The Annual Certification of Emergency Medical Services Status is available from University Human Resources.  https://www.ohio.edu/hr/resources/forms

   2. The Request for Emergency Service Leave is available from University Human Resources. https://www.ohio.edu/hr/resources/forms

2. References

   The following items are relevant to this policy:

   1. Policy  41.012 , "Termination of Administrative Appointments for Cause"; and

   2. Faculty Handbook,  Section II, Part D  (specifically the sub-parts on termination of appointment and loss of tenure).

3. History

   Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the password-protected Review site.

   Prior versions of this policy were approved on:

   1. June 27, 2016 (re-formatted)

   2. September 8, 2008