X-Change Meeting Minutes for November 21, 2005

X-Change Meeting Minutes

Date: November 21st, 2005

Location: Downtown Library

Those in Attendance:

Ann Aliotta, Karen Bays, Kay Bauman, Barbara Beasley, Susie Beasley, Janet Brooks, Denise Courts, Rosemary Czarski, Denyvetta Davis, Priscilla Doss, Tim Fisher, Heidi Johnson, Jack Kinzie, Lloyd Lovely, Karen Marriott, Dana Morrow, Mary Patton, Katrina Prince, Todd Olberding, Ric Rea, Anita Roesler, Debbie Robertus, Stacy Schrank, Eddie Terry, Kim Terry, Phillip Tolbert, Randy Wayland, Jimmy Welch, Fariba Williams, and Deb Willis

Welcome

Kay Bauman called the meeting to order at 2:00 pm. Kay welcomed the supervisors to the November X-Change meeting.

Changes in Recording leave under Family and Medical Leave Act

Ric Rea and Denise Courts from Human Resources gave a presentation over changes in recording leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Denise Courts dispersed a handout which addressed the changes to MLS HRPay to help comply with the changes in the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Effective November 28th, 2005, changes will take place on MLS HRPay to help Human Resources and employees with Family and Medical Leave Act (FAMLA) compliance. These changes included:

1. Employers have two business days to notify staff their leave is tentatively approved pending receipt of the FAMILY and MEDICAL LEAVE ACT CERTIFICATION of HEALTH CARE PROVIDER form. Once Human Resources receives the needed form, they will have two business days to notify employees of his or her leave approval.
2. Employee’s that use FAMLA leave will no longer receive an approval or tentative approval memo when they print their leave slip.
3. The Human Resources Office will now send the memos directly to the employee with the leave date(s) listed on the Memo. (Once an employee’s leave is entered, the leave is flagged and will be on a report the Human Resources office prints out daily)
4. When an Employee has a chronic condition already on file and uses FAMLA leave, HRPay will issue a pop-up box asking them if the leave is for a chronic condition already on file. If the employee chooses yes, it will notify the Human Resources Office to send them an approval letter. If the employee chooses no, it will notify the Human Resources Office to send a tentative approval letter to request that the employee provide another certification form from their Health Care Provider. Upon receipt of the certification Human Resources will then send a final approval letter just like all other employees that use FAMLA leave.

Other points were addressed:

1. The Metropolitan Library System as the employer has the right to enforce FAMLA leave usage and if a supervisor or Human Resources knows the employee’s leave is eligible they need to require the FAMILY and MEDICAL LEAVE ACT CERTIFICATION of HEALTH CARE PROVIDER form and have the employee enter the leave as FAMLA on HRPay. This form can be found listed under the forms page on the Intranet. Please remember that Policy & Procedures state: As a part of the 12-week leave, any accumulated annual vacation leave in excess of 10 days and any accumulated sick leave in excess of 10 days must be used by the employee. The employee may use all or a portion of the remaining accumulated annual leave or sick leave or may use floating holidays as part of the 12-week leave. (Employees will not loose their bonus days if they use FAMLA leave along with their sick leave)
2. Employees must enter their leave daily or once they return to work, not when time sheets are due. (Human Resources only has two business days to notify them of approval and this is a critical step that cannot be overlooked).
3. If an employee is on extended FAMLA leave the supervisor must enter the leave for them. Please then notify Human Resources so they will know to mail the employee notices to their home address instead of their place of employment.
4. If an employee decides, once they return to work, that the leave should have been FAMLA, Human Resources can only apply FAMLA leave retroactively within two days of the employees return to work. It is important that FAMLA leave be assigned before or during the leave even if the leave is only tentatively approved.
5. Human Resources will be sending notices of new procedures and changes to all employees eligible for FAMLA leave.
6. To be eligible for FAMLA leave an employee must have worked for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of the FAMLA leave.

Six Thinking Hats, Stacy Schrank

Stacy Schrank, Employee Development Coordinator was introduced by Kay Bauman. Schrank began discussing the importance behind collaboration within organizational settings. Stacy gave a PowerPoint presentation covering the “Six Thinking Hats.” Those hats included:

• White Hat – Focus on Information (facts & figures) Neutral & Objective
• Red Hat – Request for Feelings, Intuition, & Emotions
• Black Hat – Discuss Cautions / Possible Difficulties / Play Devil’s Advocate
• Yellow Hat – Request for Positive Thinking – Hope, Benefits & Values
• Green Hat – Request for Creativity & New Ideas – Focus on Fertile Growth
• Blue Hat – The Organizing Hat – Permanent Role of the leader

Those attending the meeting worked in groups and were asked to discuss a “problem” using the Six Thinking hats. The object of this activity was to address the problem using one of the six hats at one time.

Announcements

Kay Bauman encouraged the supervisors to share activities, accomplishments, and events happening at his or her library or department. The group enjoyed taking part in sharing upcoming events and library/department accomplishments.

Adjournment

After no further business the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m