Bulletin 17-01 - Administrative Leave

1.0 - SUBJECT: Administrative Leave

2.0 - EFFECTIVE DATE: January 6, 2017

3.0 - DISTRIBUTION: State of Kansas HR Directors & Managers

4.0 - FROM: Kraig Knowlton, Director of Personnel Services DATE: January 6, 2017

5.0 - PURPOSE: This Bulletin is being issued to provide consistency and clarification regarding the use of administrative leave pursuant to Kansas Administrative Regulation (K.A.R.) 1-2-74 following amendments to that regulation that take effect on January 6, 2017.

6.0 - BACKGROUND: During the public comment period for proposed amendments to K.A.R. 1-2-74 eliminating the language prohibiting the use of administrative leave as a reward, concerns were raised by members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations, employee organizations and employees regarding potential adverse effects of employees receiving administrative leave as a reward. This Bulletin is intended to address those concerns by establishing several key limitations to ensure both consistency in the use of administrative leave as a reward and that no employee is adversely impacted by receiving administrative leave as a reward.

7.0 - PROCEDURES:

7.1 During the public comment period for proposed amendments to K.A.R. 1-2-74 eliminating the language prohibiting the use of administrative leave as a reward, concerns were raised by members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations, employee organizations and employees regarding potential adverse effects of employees receiving administrative leave as a reward. This Bulletin is intended to address those concerns by establishing several key limitations to ensure both consistency in the use of administrative leave as a reward and that no employee is adversely impacted by receiving administrative leave as a reward.

7.2 For the purposes of this Bulletin, administrative leave should only be provided as a reward for an employee or group of employees whose actions furthered the mission of the agency in which they work, and were either:

1. Outside the scope of the employees’ regular duties; or
2. Completed in a time, manner or with a result that exceeded the normal expectations for the employees’ regular duties, as determined by the agency appointing authority.

7.3 Administrative leave shall not be provided as a reward in excess of the equivalent of three (3) of the recipient’s working days per situation being rewarded. If administrative leave is provided as a reward due to the efforts of more than one employee, all employees who contributed to the action being rewarded shall receive the same amount of administrative leave.

7.4 No agency should attempt to use administrative leave as a reward as a means to prevent an employee from earning overtime compensation or compensatory time, pursuant to K.A.R. 1-5-24.

7.5 Any employee may refuse the receipt of administrative leave as a reward. Such refusals should be recorded in writing and maintained in employees’ personnel files.

8.0 - REFERENCES: K.A.R.’s 1-2-74 and 1-5-24

9.0 - CONTACT PERSON:
Danelle Harsin, Deputy Director
Office of Personnel Services
Danelle.Harsin@ks.gov
(785) 296-4383