Bulletin 08-03 - Implementation Guidelines for Mentor Kansas Program
Bulletin No. 08-03
1.0 - SUBJECT: Implementation Guidelines for Participation in the Mentor Kansas Program
2.0 - EFFECTIVE DATE: August 24, 2008
3.0 - DISTRIBUTION: State HR Directors
4.0 - FROM: George Vega, Director DATE: August 19, 2008
5.0 - PURPOSE: To establish the procedures for employees to participate in the Mentor Kansas program, as authorized by Executive Order NO. 08-10.
6.0 - BACKGROUND:
Governor Kathleen Sebelius issued Executive Order NO. 08-10, which approves time away from the worksite for State employees for working with an approved mentoring program.
7.0 - PROCEDURES:
7.1 All full-time, classified and unclassified employees in the Executive Branch are eligible to spend up to 90 minutes of regularly scheduled work time per pay period working with an approved mentoring program.
7.2 For the purposes of this Bulletin, an “approved mentoring program” is one that is registered with the Mentor Kansas program and listed as a Mentor Kansas Gold Star Program at the following link: https://mentorkansas.org/Find-a-Program
a) Each agency is responsible for verifying that the mentoring program for which an employee is requesting time away from the worksite is an approved mentoring program.
7.3 Time spent working with an approved mentoring program pursuant to this Bulletin shall be considered time worked for FLSA purposes.
7.4 Employees may use up to 90 minutes of work time per pay period to work with an approved mentoring program. This time must fall within the employee’s regular work schedule and shall not be used during or result in overtime for non-exempt employees.
7.5 Requests to spend time away from the worksite pursuant to this Bulletin must be submitted and approved in accordance with applicable agency procedures.
7.6 Requests to spend time away from the worksite pursuant to this Bulletin may be denied for any of the following reasons:
a) The activity for which time away from the worksite is requested is not an approved mentoring program;
b) The request is not submitted and approved in accordance with agency procedures;
c) The most recent performance review rating of the employee requesting time away from work is unsatisfactory;
d) If, after considering reasonable alternatives and options, it is determined that the employee’s absence will unreasonably interfere with the business of the agency and the services provided by the agency; and/or
e) For any other reason for which the appointing authority deems that the employee’s absence would not be in the best interests of the State of Kansas.
7.7 Even while working with an approved mentoring program away from the worksite, State of Kansas employees are subject to the same expectations with respect to their conduct as they would be if they were performing their regular duties.
8.0 - SHARP TIME AND LEAVE PROCEDURES
8.1 Use the following earning code to record time spent away from the worksite pursuant to this Bulletin in the SHARP system:
a) KMP – Mentor Kansas Program
8.2 Enter the time spent working with the Mentor Kansas Program in .25 hour increments for both non-exempt and exempt employees.
8.3 Agencies are responsible for documenting and keeping track of time spent away from the worksite pursuant to this Bulletin, including insuring that employees do not use more than 90 minutes per pay period. The SHARP system does not store a balance of this code.
9.0 - REFERENCES: Executive Order NO 08-10:
http://kslib.info/DocumentCenter/View/560
10.0 - CONTACT PERSONS: Lois Ryan at Lois.Ryan@ks.gov or by phone at (785) 296-4274.
