Employee Rights Review

Have you called out due to a personal circumstance and later have found that you have been charged AWOL for that day. Perhaps some may have been warned in advanced that everyone that "calls off" on a certain day will be charged with AWOL. We may see this happen more often than not, specially when your absence is related to a weather condition, so let's explore a little more about what AWOL, what to do if you receive AWOL and what not to do if you have been threatened with AWOL.

What is AWOL?

AWOL means "Absence Without Leave". Although AWOL is not considered a dicsiplinary action, it may be used for disciplinary reasons if an employee receives too many. Although supervisors will argue that AWOL itself is not a disciplinary acition, it is a tool for superisors to set a path forth for discipline in the future. AWOL is…

In our agency there is always a chance to get hurt on the job. As your Union, we want to make sure that your claims have the best chance of success, as opposed to the agency where, historically, it has been the case that they do not have your best interest in mind. Filing claims can be frustrating, intimidating and, without proper guidance, small errors can equal to rejection in claims. Many claims are rejected due to errors in the filing process, utilize your resources to lessen the chance that you end up on this demographic. Although we never plan for an accident to happen, we should always be prepared, that’s why we want to share these few tips to help you prepare and along the way:

1. If you ever suffer from a work related injury, don’t rush to file your claim first, notify your supervisor as soon as it…

Sometimes we find ourselfs being late to our work areas. Wether it's due to traffic or personal matters, nobody is impervious to being late. Although this may be your case, it;s important to understand the rules of tardiness.

Contrary to popular belief, the "7 minute rule" does not exist. There has been an increment of questions regarding to this "7 minute rule", so let's explore what the rules are regarding tardiness. Article 35 Section 3 of the Master Agreement states that "Supervisors should excuse, without charge to leave, tardiness/absences which are brief, infrequent, and for a good cause". Let's dissect what this means:

1. Supervisors have the ability to excuse tardiness as long as employees meet the criteria.

2. Supervisors are not obligated to excuse tardiness, this article gives them the ability to excuse tardiness when they deem appropriate.

3. Time is allotted in 15 minute increments, a 7 minute tardiness may incurr…