Policy

Supervisors shall ensure that there is adequate coverage of the workloads of all employees attending mandatory or voluntary training.

Definition

Workload Coverage means the responsibility to assure that the duties of the employee attending training are provided for.

Employee Responsibility

The employee shall inform his/her supervisor of any problems or potential problems with his/her workload prior to attending mandatory training.

The employee, while attending mandatory training, should not conduct work related activities, except in an emergency.

Definition

Emergency, for purposes of this policy, means a crisis in the employee's family; or, a situation involving the employee's workload which cannot be managed by other Department personnel and which would result in danger to a child if the staff person is not contacted immediately.

Supervisor Responsibility

Supervisory staff shall

• ensure that all employees scheduled for mandatory training are released from their regular duties
• assign employees of sufficient competency and authority to assure management of the workload, including emergency and court activity, without the assistance of the person being trained
• ensure that employees are not contacted, during training, by the regional offices except in the event of an emergency
• notify the Attorney General and appropriate regional staff regarding the anticipated unavailability of particular employees at least two (2) weeks in advance of the training
• provide notification to all employees assigned to provide workload coverage for an employee in training at least one (1) week in advance of such training
• be prepared to cover or have coverage for any unanticipated legal actions, including but not necessarily limited to, action to obtain an Order of Temporary Custody.