Lincoln Public Schools

Friday July 25, 2008 · 78° and cloudy in Lincoln

YOU ARE HERE »

SECTIONS »

Join the Joblist

Receive the weekly job listings in your email box! Simply enter your full email address here and hit "subscribe".

SUBFINDER »

Certificated Personnel Handbook

| Handbooks | Welcome / Table of Contents | Section: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Appendices |

III. COMPENSATION AND LEAVES

Compensation for all employee classifications is established by the adoption of salary schedules by action of the Board of Education.

A. Salary Schedules

Separate salary schedules are maintained for administrators and teachers.

    1. Placement on Schedule

    The placement of all employees on a salary schedule is a function of the Human Resources Division. (See Professional Agreement, Article 9, Section 4)

    2. Changing Lanes on Salary Schedule

    (See Professional Agreement, Article 9, Section 2 and 3)

    3. Granting Salary Advancement Credit for Lincoln Public Schools Courses

    (See Professional Agreement, Article 9, Section 3)

B. Horizontal Advancement on the Salary Schedule

These instructions describe the current procedure to apply for horizontal advancement on the salary schedule. The current Professional Agreement between the Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) and the Lincoln Education Association contains the approved language regarding horizontal advancement.

1. Summary of Process

  • You may advance horizontally on the salary schedule by receiving a masters degree, a doctoral degree or by acquiring required hours for a specific column on salary schedule.

  • You may use any combination of graduate semester college hours and LPS staff development credits to qualify for salary schedule advancement.

  • You may advance at any time during the contract year and advancement will be effective on the contract day when all documentation is received by Human Resources. Salary adjustment will appear on the next appropriate paycheck (September if documentation comes in during the summer).

  • Please submit all documentation to Human Resources, Box 33, LPSDO.

2. Documentation Required

  • Verifying documentation must be received by Human Resources. It is the obligation of the applicant to provide documentation.

  • Documentation includes: 1) the completed application form (the form should be available at your school office), 2) official (not a photocopy) graduate transcript(s) and/or 3) staff development transcript from LPS Staff Development Office.

  • The completed application and the graduate transcript(s) will be date stamped by Human Resources indicating the date received. The LPS staff development transcript will contain a completion date for each course.

3. Graduate Hours

  • Transcript from college or university other than UNL, UNO or UNK must have explanation of course numbering system. Only graduate hours will count toward advancement.

  • Upper division undergraduate hours may count if in major teaching area and approved in advance by principal, curriculum specialist and Human Resources.

  • Only graduate hours conferred after masters degree will count toward MA+18 and MA+36.

4. Staff Development Credits

  • Maximum of thirty (30) hours of credit may be used.

  • No credit is given for courses taken more than ten (10) years prior to being proposed for salary advancement.

  • Applicant must be a contracted certificated employee when course is taken in order for course to count toward schedule advancement. However, courses taken during the summer immediately prior to first year of LPS employment may be used.

  • Staff development courses may be used only if applicant paid the appropriate tuition at the time of enrollment in the course.

  • Once hours have been used they cannot be reassigned if and when a degree is conferred.

5. Who to Call for More Information

  • Please call Human Resources at 436-1572 with specific questions or concerns.

C. Additional Salary Payments

1. Overtime and FLSA (Policy Regulation 4600.2)

Lincoln Public Schools complies with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to determine eligibility for overtime. Human Resources classifies all employees as either exempt or non-exempt based upon the job description. Certificated employees are professional employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and are, therefore, exempt from minimum wage and overtime provisions.

The District's policy is to not permit improper deductions from the salary of exempt employees due to absences from work. An employee who feels an improper deductions affecting exemption status has occurred may submit a complaint to the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources or designee, who shall promptly investigate the complaint. Reimbursement shall be made and a good faith commitment to comply in the future will be given in the event it is determined that an improper deduction affecting overtime exemption has been made.

The District's policy is to authorize unpaid disciplinary suspensions of a full day or more for infractions of workplace conduct rules and to apply such policy uniformly to all similarly situated employees, including all exempt employees. Unpaid disciplinary suspensions of a partial day or of a full day or more may be implemented for infractions of safety rules of major significance. Deductions of pay of a partial day or of a full day or more may be made for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leaves and in the first and last weeks of employment.

In addition, based on principles of public accountancy, deduction from pay of a partial day or of a full day or more will be made for absences for illness, injury or personal reasons when accrued leave is not used or not available, and for absences due to any budget-required furlough.

2. Incentive Pay (Policy Regulation 4600.4)

(See Professional Agreement, Article 10)

Extra assignments for which employees are to be compensated are determined by the Board of Education upon recommendation of the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources or designee.

Specific assignments are recommended by the building principal/supervisor to Human Resources for approval.

Extra-standard pay positions exist only as authorized by the Board of Education. Employees assigned and performing authorized extra-standard pay will be paid in accordance with provisions of the certificated negotiated agreement.

Certificated employees shall be notified in writing of the extra-standard assignment by the 20th student day of the school year.

3. National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification

(See Professional Agreement, Article 9, Section 9)

D. Extended Contracts

(See Professional Agreement, Article 5, Section 11)

E. Procedures For Salary Payments

1. Paychecks

(See Professional Agreement, Article 5, Section 1)

2. Advancement of Pay (New Employees Only)

(See Professional Agreement, Article 5, Section 1a)

3. When Paid

(See Professional Agreement, Article 5, Section 1)

4. Payment When Separated from District

In the event that any employee is separated from the district or if there are any irregularities of service during the contract period, the amount of salary due in full shall be based on actual days of service performed as compared to the total number of days required to be performed under the contract.

Certificated employees, when terminating their service at the end of the contract period, may elect the option of receiving their final pay in one lump sum or in three equal installments.

5. Payment Upon Retirement

Certificated employees who retire at the end of a school year shall normally be paid in full at the next payroll date so that retirement benefits can start on July 1. The estate of employees who die during their term of service shall be paid in full for the services of that employee up to the time of death. Certificated employees who resign at the end of their contract period may choose to be paid in full at the effective date of resignation or may continue to be paid monthly until September 1.

6. Direct Payroll Deposit

Certificated employees have automatic deposit of their payroll check to financial institutions that will accept Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposits. Direct Deposit Authorization forms are available in every school office and from the Payroll Department (436-1710).

F. 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Paydates

(See Professional Agreement, Article 5, Section 1)

G. Temporary Absence From Official Duties

1. Application for Leave for Temporary Absence - Paid Leave (Policy 4640)

Regular attendance is an essential function of every position in Lincoln Public Schools. Employees are expected to be at work on a regular basis. However, there are legitimate reasons for being absent from work and several types of leaves are provided to employees to accommodate these needs. Employees are expected to be at work or use appropriate leave.

Leaves will be provided in accordance with state and federal laws, and the Professional Agreement.

Employees are required to utilize the appropriate notification and approval procedures for all leaves.

In the case of communicable disease outbreak, other public health emergency or any situation in which one or more schools must be closed, the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources will determine what applicable paid leaves, if any, may be utilized by staff.

Lesson plans, along with other information which a substitute teacher would need to effectively provide instruction as required by the principal or supervisor should be maintained and kept in a place where it will be readily available in the event of your absence.

A teacher who becomes ill prior to the work day and is unable to work should use the SubFinder System. The SubFinder System may be called at any time. When calling the SubFinder System (436-1870), please enter your pin # (social security number) and follow directions. You can also access the SubFinder System on the LPS Web Page (www.lps.org). Click on Human Resources, the SubFinder.

For illnesses or medical situations where the need for the leave can be determined in advance, the teacher is to give as much advance notice of the leave as possible.

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, and the Teacher Absence Procedures Handbook.)

2. Annual Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 1)

a. Time of Cumulation

Employees' cumulative annual leave shall be credited with any unused portion of their current annual leave as of August 31 of each year.

b. Holidays as Annual Leave

Holidays occurring within the period that the employee is absent shall not be charged against current or cumulative annual leave.

c. Absence When Annual Leave Exhausted

Persons absent due to illness, and using time beyond current annual leave, are required to file with the Human Resources Division a physician's statement setting forth the nature of the illness and the request for continued absence.

Under certain circumstances, an employee may be eligible for twelve weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). A FMLA application form and a FMLA physician’s certification form will be required to be submitted, where appropriate, for this purpose. A similar physician's statement may be required periodically after thirty (30) days of absence until the individual returns to work or all of the cumulative annual leave has been used.

Please refer to Appendix C for important information concerning FMLA leave.

d. Deduction When Annual Leave Is Exhausted

After the total annual leave for the current year is used, pay for absences not covered by accumulated time shall be deductible at the daily rate of pay as computed in accord with the terms of the contract of each employee.

3. Return to Work (Policy Regulation 4640.1)

Upon return from leave, teachers are to review information supplied by the substitute teacher as to progress made in the class and any student behavior concerns. The substitute should be contacted directly if the written information supplied is not adequate.

Paid leave for personal illness will not be authorized after five days without presenting a statement from the treating physician for approval by Human Resources.

Employees who have an accident (regardless of where or when) resulting in injury or treatment; have a major health issue such as loss of consciousness, heart attack, stroke, etc.; or a major illness must have a release to return to work that details dates of treatment, diagnosis, and whether or not there are any physical restrictions. The release must be presented to Human Resources for approval to return to work.

All health-related absences of five or more days require a written statement from the treating physician stating that the employee is physically able to return to duty. Supervisors may request a release to return to work at any time they deem circumstances warrant. The release must be presented to Human Resources for approval to return to work.

Employees released to return to work with restrictions must provide written documentation to the supervisor in advance of the designated return date. The supervisor will confer with Human Resources to determine if and when the employee is able to return to work.

4. Clarification of Option B Leave Procedures

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify procedures as they relate to the use of Option B Leave. The District and the Lincoln Education Association agree that the procedures to implement the Option B language in the Professional Agreement shall be as follows:

  1. The 11 annual leave days may be used at the employee’s discretion. There are no additional rules or regulations governing the use of these days. To utilize the days, employees should call in using the normal District procedures for calling in absences on a daily basis. No additional information shall be required of the employee beyond the fact that they will not be at work that day. Leave can be used on an hourly basis.
  2. The employee may prearrange the use of annual leave. The procedure for prearranging shall be the same as the procedure for Option A Special Leave. The limitation on Option A Special Leave shall apply to prearranged Option B days. Those limitations are as follows:
    • Availability of substitutes
    • No more than five percent of a building staff needing subs may use prearranged days on a given day
    • May not be used on the first 10 nor last 15 student contact days. This requirement may be waived by Human Resources on a case-by-case basis.
  3. In order for certificated employees to have used all eleven (11) current leave days for the purposes of dipping into accumulated leave, the eleven days must have actually been utilized and an absence taken place.
  4. In the event the employee cancels the prearranged leave, said leave shall again become available as an Option B Annual Leave Day. Cancellations or rescheduling must take place at least five working days prior to the scheduled leave day.
  5. Option B Annual Leave which is not utilized in a given year shall be rolled over as accumulated sick leave in the following year.

PROCOM Recommendations

A. It is suggested that staff limit prearranging to no more than four (4) days, for the purpose of saving those days, because more than four (4) days prevents other staff from prearranging due to substitute ceilings. The four (4) day recommendation is based upon a match with the two (2) Emergency and two (2) Special Leave Days available to Option A staff. In addition, employees are encouraged not to prearrange all 11 days in order to just ensure access to accumulated leave.

B. In September 1998, discussion took place regarding the purpose of annual leave, why Option B Leave was created, the "Code of Ethics" for educators created by the NEA and adopted by the Nebraska Professional Practices Commission, and how to curb any potential abuses of the policy which might put into jeopardy the entire plan for all educators. ProCom came to agreement on the following points:

The Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Education Association are committed to delivering a quality education to Lincoln's students. We believe a critical element in quality education is the presence of the professional teacher in the classroom delivering instruction. With a goal of treating Lincoln educators as professionals and reducing the number of times staff are absent, we established the Option B leave plan.

Option B leave days are intended to be used in a manner consistent with the Code of Ethics of the Teaching Profession as established by the Nebraska Professional Practices Commission. The Code of Ethics provides that teachers "shall not use institutional privileges for private gain." The Code also provides that teachers "shall, with reasonable diligence, attend to the duties of his or her professional position," and "shall use time on duty and leave time for the purpose for which intended." Though it reflects no change in past practice nor the negotiated agreement, the District may (and has been able to in the past) raise concerns and take disciplinary action when leave is used by individuals in ways inconsistent with the Professional Code of Ethics.

Possible District concerns include, but are not limited to:
1. Use of leave to conduct another business for profit. 2. Repeated use of leave to extend holidays or weekends, within the same school year. 3. Extensive absences or a pattern of leave usage (not related to illness) which may be affecting job performance in the classroom. 4. Repeated use of leave during the first ten or last fifteen days of the student year for reasons other than medical or emergency purposes.

District or building supervisors who have a concern in this regard shall discuss it with the employee and may take appropriate disciplinary action.

5. Catastrophic Illness Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 12)

6. Bereavement Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 6)

7. Adoption Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 2)

8. Professional Leave for Short Periods

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 9)

Professional leave is defined as time away from an employee's normal work assignment to participate in work-related activities, including, but not limited to professional meetings, staff development, curriculum writing, or supervision at student activities.

Employees may request paid professional leave for the purpose of attending local, state and national professional meetings, activities or conferences. Paid professional leave may be granted if the district or supervisor determines that the attendance at such meeting or conference will directly benefit the district.

Requests by individual staff members for professional leave and related expenses will be submitted to the staff member's immediate supervisori and/or the person responsible for the budget from which expenses, if allowed, will be paid. The request should be submitted with sufficient time to make appropriate arrangements and to secure a substitute where necessary. Reimbursements of expenses will be provided in accordance with procedures provided by the Business Office.

When no substitute is required and arrangements for the absence can be taken care of within the building, short periods of professional leave may be allowed.

Travel expense may be received by an employee absent on professional leave; but if, in addition, a special fee is paid for professional service, deduction will be made by the Board of education for such absence.

Great care should be taken that absence on professional leave does not adversely affect the assigned work of the employee.

9. Certificated Employee Visitation

(See Professional Agreement, Article 5, Section 10)

10. Jury Duty

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 4)

11. Assault and/or Battery Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 7)

12. Voluntary Leave Transfer for Catastrophic Illness

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 14)

H. Extensive Absence From Official Duties (Policy Regulation 4640.6)

Under certain circumstances, leaves of absence may be granted. These leaves of absence will be in compliance with state and federal statutes and any applicable employee agreements.

Certificated employees returning to work from a part-time or full-time leave of absence of one school year or less will generally return to their former position. If the employee's absences extend beyond one school year, the employee must meet with the appropriate Human Resources supervisor to determine the date of return and assignment. The assignment and date of return will be determined by Human Resources upon consideration of the classroom/work environment and in accordance with state and federal lawas and agreements with employee groups.

School year is defined by the calendar established for each position or employee group. Certificated employees anticipating an extended absence from work for health or maternity reasons are encouraged to schedule a conference with the Benefits Specialist in Human Resources to discuss continuation of insurance benefits, financial implications and other matters related to their absence from work.

1. Unpaid Leaves

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 10)

2. Exchange Teachers

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 8)

3. Sabbatical Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 5)

4. Military Leave (Policy Regulation 4640.2)

Military leave will be granted to the extent required by state and federal law. Employees must notify Human Resources as soon as they receive notification of activation.

Employees will attach a copy of their orders to a district leave request form when they prepare the request for military leave.

5. Leave for Health Reasons (Policy Regulation 4640.1)

Leave for health reasons will be provided in compliance with state and federal laws, including Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and employee agreeements. Employees must follow the normal absence reporting procedures.

Paid leave for personal illness will not be authorized after 5 days without presenting a statement from the treating physician for approval by Human Resources.

6. Civic Leave (Policy Regulation 4640.4)

  1. Paid Civic Leave

A certificated employee appointed to an unpaid position with a city, county or state committee, board or commission, or who is serving as an officer or on a board, excluding advisory or adjunct, in a community organization, may request civic leave with pay on the appropriate form provided by the Human Resources Division. Human Resources reviews the request and forwards those recommended for approval to the Board of Education. The maximum time approved for paid civic leave will not exceed the equivalent of two (2) work days or fourteen (14) hours per month. Civic leave under this paragraph may be without pay if the certificated employee is being paid by the community organization while on such civic leave.

A certificated employee requesting or taking leave under this regulation with pay shall be required to keep the school district informed and disclose to the school district any pay or funds received while on civic leave. Failure to comply with this regulation may be considered cause for disciplinary action, including ending employment. A certificated employee on paid civic leave who is paid by another source while on such leave agrees the leave should be unpaid, agrees to reimburse any district pay during such period and agrees the district may deduct from future wages all amounts necessary to fully reimburse any district pay during such period.

  1. Unpaid Civic Leave

Any certificated employee elected, appointed or otherwise, to a paid public office contained in Chapter 32 of the Nebraska Statutes, or serving in any other paid civic, political or public office or position may be granted civic leave without pay and may be eligible for participation in group insurance programs in accordance with the contract provisions of the carrier. Depending on the public office, leave may be half-time, one semester, or other arrangement as developed between the employee and Human Resources.

Prior to submitting their name for public office, certificated employees shall notify the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources in writing of their intent allowing sufficient time for the Board of Education to be notified.

a. If the certificated employee wishes to campaign during working hours, a personal leave may be requested.

b. A certificated employee who is elected to a state legislature or congress shall be entitled to an unpaid leave of absence for the length of term of office.

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 3)

7. Part-time Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 13)

I. Workers’ Compensation Procedures (Policy Regulation 4670.2)

Employees are required to immediately report any work-related injury and/or work-related medical condition to their supervisor and complete all appropriate paperwork. The health office staff will assist them in completing the necessary paperwork and give them information on the process and procedures. In addition, staff can contact the Risk Management Office at 436-1760 at any time with questions.

J. Fringe Benefits

(See Professional Agreement, Article 12)

K. Guidelines and Procedures for $225 Teacher Allotment

(See Professional Agreement, Article 9, Section 11)

L. Guidelines for Additional Conference Time

  1. Parent/teacher conferences will be defined as the period of time designated twice yearly by each building staff.

  2. Additional compensatory time will be for the number of conference hours beyond the contractual time of six hours of conference time and one hour of planning time.

  3. Time will be accrued before or after regular duty hours. (Regular duty hours are 7.5 hours including a 30-minute duty-free lunch as outlined in Article 5, Section 3 of the Professional Agreement.)

  4. Time accrued will include:

    • Additional face-to-face conferences
    • Telephone conferences in lieu of personal conferences
    • Duplicate conferences as requested by families
    • Any additional parent contacts for conference purposes with prior approval of building administrators
    • For kindergarten teachers, conference time in excess of comp time already received (3 1/2 or 7 hours)
  5. Additional conferences will take place two weeks before or two weeks after designated conference dates.
  6. Conference leave will be granted on a one-for-one basis up to a maximum of 3.5 hours per semester for full-time certificated staff and prorated for staff less than full time. Conference leave may be used in accordance with the negotiated agreement and board policy as special leave by Option A teachers and as annual leave by Option B teachers.
  7. Time accrued will be rounded to the nearest half hour.
  8. Any unused conference leave will be rolled over at the end of the contract year as accumulated leave
  9. Any previously approved variance will continue.
  10. Reporting of additional hours will be completed on the time log distributed to each certificated staff member, signed by the teacher, and turned in to the building administrator. The administrator will complete an NCR Hourly Time Report designated in the comment section, "Additional Conference Time to Conference Time." The Hourly Time Report and the time log should be sent to Marilyn Moore, Box 22, LPSDO.
  11. Conference leave time may be used as soon as it appears on an individual’s monthly payment statement.

M. Payment For Unused Annual Leave

(See Professional Agreement, Article 8, Section 1, A, 4 and Section 1, B, 4 and 5)

N. Death Benefit

Each certificated employee having an employment contract is eligible for a $10,000 death benefit, in effect from the first day of eligibility to the last day of employment. Coverage shall begin the first day of employment and terminate with the last day of employment as long as the contract is in force. Employees are required to complete a beneficiary form when they are hired and are encouraged to review their beneficiary choice should their family status change.

O. Retirement Benefits

Certificated employees who are considering retirement are encouraged to schedule a conference with Human Resources early in their planning process. Call Human Resources, 436-1593, for information or to make an appointment. Also, Human Resources schedules a retirement planning orientation session for certificated employees each year during February or March. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information about the retirement process and to answer questions. Employees are not obligated in any way by attending the session.

To begin the retirement process, the employee must first complete a "Request for Change of Status Form."

    1. Social Security

    All employees are covered by provisions of the national Social Security Act.

    2. Nebraska School Employees’ Retirement System

    The Nebraska School Employees’ Retirement System is a cooperative program with all public school employees and the State of Nebraska to provide funds for granting retirement benefits to those who become members of the system and who continue in service (or school employment) for five (5) years or longer. New employees must complete a Membership Registration form.

    To become familiar with the provisions of the School Retirement program, you should obtain a copy of the latest brochure from the School Retirement Office, 471-2053, or call Human Resources, 436-1593. Another good source of updated information is the School Retirement Office web site: http://www.npers.ne.gov/home.jsp

    Applications for withdrawing retirement funds may be obtained by writing to Nebraska Retirement Systems, PO Box 94816, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68509, or call 471-2053.

    If you had employment with another Nebraska governmental entity prior to being employed with Lincoln Public Schools, you have 30 days from your date of employment with LPS to make application for vesting credit. It is your responsibility to have the applicaiton for vesting form properly completed and filed. Vesting credit is not included in the calculation of your benefits, and it is not a buy back. Contact Human Resources at 436-1593 for an application for vesting credit. You may also contact the Nebraska Public Employees' Retirement System, 471-2053 for an application for vesting credit or if you have any questions.

    3. Temporary Incentive Program (2006-07 Only)

    (See Professional Agreement, Article 9, Section 5)

P. Tax-Sheltered Annuities

An employee-funded tax-sheltered annuity program, 403(b), is available to all employees. Under this program, income is deferred until a certain age (generally 65). Usually at retirement age the deferred income is reported for income tax purposes. Employees may refer to Business Affairs Bulletin #2 (BA #2) for more information or call the Accounting Department, 436-1703.

Q. Employee Assistance Program (Policy Regulation 4630.1)

Lincoln Public Schools recognizes that a wide variety of problems including those not directly associated with one's job function can have an effect on an employee's job performance. In most instances, the employee will overcome such problems independently and the adverse effect on job performance will be negligible. However, for some employees professional assistance will be necessary.

The Lincoln Public Schools, in cooperation with the Continuum Employee Assistance Program, has training programs for supervisory and other appropriate personnel. The training will help supervisors with early recognition of behavior or medical problems affecting job performance and provide supervisory techniques and strategies to assist proper usage of the Employee Assistance Program.

No employee's job security or promotion opportunities will be jeopardized by requesting or receiving assistance or treatment.

Types of Referrals

Referrals to the Continuum Employee Assistance Program will be either by (1) a self-referral by the employee or (2) a supervisory referral.

Mandatory Supervisory Referrals

When an employee's performance at work is negatively impacted by events in their life or the lives of their families, supervisors may refer the employee to Continuum after consultation with the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources.

The employee must comply with any mandatory supervisory referrals for diagnosis and cooperate with prescribed counseling or therapy.

Unacceptable job performance will continue to be addressed regardless of the employee's participation in the employee assistance program.

Leave

Employees may utilize applicable leave for treatment or rehabilitation. The district will not be obligated to pay referral agencies fees.

Dependents

Since employee work performance can be affected adversely by the problems of his/her spouse or other dependents, the program is available to the families of the employee.

Confidentiality

All records of employees seeking assistance either through self-referral or supervisory referral shall be kept strictly confidential. Self-referrals will not be noted in any official records or in the employee's personnel file.

R. Fitness for Duty (Policy 4910)

Employees must be physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of their assignment with or without reasonable accommodations. The school district complies with all federal and state laws regarding the collection of health and medical information.

Employees shall be required upon request of the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources or designee to respond or submit to medical inquiries or examinations which are related and necessary, where there is evidence of a job performance or safety problem, and when required or otherwise permitted by law.

Employees are required to disclose any medical restrictions that limit their ability to perform the essential functions of the assigned job to their supervisor or Human Resources and to request a meeting with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator to discuss the provision of reasonable accommodations. Supervisors are required to notify Human Resources of any employees with medical restrictions that limit their ability to perform the essential functions of their assignment.