For Employees Affected by Wildfires

State employees who live or work in a county where the Governor has declared a state of emergency due to the wildfires may be eligible for a paid leave of absence up to 5 work days if any of the conditions listed below apply. Departments may extend this paid "administrative time off," for up to a total of 30 calendar days. (Additional extensions are permitted only with DPA approval.) Employees who need to use this benefit should contact their employer as soon as possible.

Conditions

• The employee's normal place of business is temporarily closed during the employee's normal shift due to the fire emergency;
• The fire emergency prevents the employee from using reasonable routes to and from work;
• The fire emergency presents an immediate and grave peril to the employee's safety, that of an immediate family member, or the employee's primary residence;
• The employee is actively involved in a formal, organized effort (such as an auxiliary fire or police department) to protect public health and safety;
• The employee needs the time off to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA and is unable to do so before or after his or her normal work shift.

"State of emergency" counties as of 10-21-07

Los Angeles

Orange

Riverside

San Bernardino

San Diego

Santa Barbara

Ventura

Time off for volunteers

A State employee may also be granted a paid leave of absence for up to 5 days if he or she is already signed up to provide volunteer service on behalf of a State agency whose responsibilities include dealing with this fire emergency, and the employee is asked to volunteer in the current emergency. Departments should release such employees to provide volunteer service unless there are critical operational reasons not to do so.

Using leave credits

State employees who don't meet any of the conditions listed above but who wish to take time off due to the current fires should request to use their leave credits. Departments should grant such requests to the extent feasible, using normal procedures for requesting and granting time off.

Catastrophic leave banks

Departments may set up Catastrophic Leave banks for employees who have exhausted all leave credits (except sick leave) if both the following conditions apply:

• The employee faces financial hardship due to the effect of the current fire disaster on the employee's principal residence; and
• The residence is located in a county where the Governor has declared a State of Emergency.

Rank-and-file employees should consult their bargaining unit contract for specifics on how such leave banks apply. Employees who are not part of a bargaining unit should refer to DPA Rule 599.925.1 ("Catastrophic Leave for Natural Disaster-Nonrepresented Employees") or ask their Personnel Office for assistance.

Updated October 23, 2007 at 9:26 AM.