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Since its inception, Staff Council has championed
many worthwhile issues to benefit our constituency; but none,
in my opinion, has taken such a giant step or had such a wide
impact as the successful inauguration of the Shared Leave Plan
currently in place on a two-year trial basis.
The original Needs and Concerns Committee plan
explored a Shared Leave Pool, to which employees could donate
leave and others could apply for leave usage. Since many local,
state, and federal government agencies and large businesses around
the county had such plans in effect, the reasoning was that it
should certainly be possible for the University community. However,
it was a long, uphill battle here for several years, and it was
repeatedly shot down by administrators and staff alike with comments
such as "unworkable," "a budget nightmare," "would
require value judgments on which illnesses are serious enough," or "if
people know that's available they will just use all their leave
and rely on the system to bail them out." In point of fact,
several schools in the University System courageously initiated
their own versions and were summarily told to "cease and
desist" by the Board of Regents when it was publicized that
they had plans in place already.
Thanks must first go to Andy Brantley, current
AVP of Human Resources, who suggested during one discussion that
we should approach it as leave sharing, rather than a leave pool.
His feeling was that it would be much more likely to be well
received if the donor could choose who would get his/her leave.
Approximately two years ago, a committee was formed from all
areas of the university, and Staff Council was asked to provide
two members for that committee. Tony Hughey and I were the representatives
selected to represent Staff at large, along with other faculty
and staff members, including Human Resources staff. We reviewed
all sorts of plans, and ultimately decided that the shared leave
plan Andy had originally suggested was the most workable.
The plan was implemented on a trial basis beginning
on February 2, 2004, to be reviewed in two years. The plan is
available to all benefits-eligible employees who have completed
their probationary period and who satisfy the documentary evidence
required. Since beginning, the program has been an overwhelming
success. As of October 1, 2004, a whopping 10,000 hours of leave
have been shared amongst our fellow staff members. The process
is entirely confidential, and dependent on the generosity of
friends and coworkers to assist our fellow employees who have
need for more leave than they have accrued. Check it out at http://www.hr.uga.edu/shared_leave.html.
You never know when you might need this valuable "stepping
stone" yourself! |
