State of California
   
   M E M O R A N D U M
   
   REFERENCE CODE:
   PML 97-005
   
   DATE:
   February 10, 1997
   
   TO:
   Personnel Officers
   Personnel Transaction Supervisors
   Labor Relations Officers
   
   FROM:
   Department of Personnel Administration
   Policy Development Office
   
   SUBJECT:
   Personal Leave Program Buyback
   Managers and Supervisors
   
   
   CONTACT:
   Jerri Judd
   (916) 324-0439, CALNET 454-0439
   OfficeVision:  DPA(JLJUDD)
   INTERNET:  JLJUDD@SMTP.DPA.CA.GOV
   
   Management Memo 96-27 provides State departments with the
   discretion of buying back Personal Leave Program (PLP)
   credits from employees, subject to conditions specified in
   the memo.  It has recently been brought to our attention
   that some departments have encouraged their managers and
   supervisors to exhaust their PLP leave while maintaining
   annual leave and vacation balances in excess of the limit
   authorized in regulation.  This has resulted in some
   managers and supervisors being unable to participate in
   the PLP "buyback" program, while at the same time, being
   required by Department of Personnel Administration (DPA)
   Memo dated July 25, 1996 to exhaust all "excess" vacation
   and annual leave as soon as possible but no later than
   December 31, 1998.  To provide for equitable treatment on
   the PLP buyback while continuing to encourage the
   reduction of excessive leave, this memo provides
   departments with an option for managers and supervisors
   (see notation at end of document) to substitute excess
   vacation/annual leave for PLP credits under certain
   conditions.  Departments may or may not provide for the
   substitution and must first decide if they will
   participate in the buyback program and second, if their
   budget and conditions allow them to provide for the
   substitution.  Departments can participate in the buyback
   program without providing for the substitution option. 
   Once a determination is made to allow for the
   substitution, the following provisions and criteria apply:
   
   
   1.  Managers and supervisors who have exhausted their PLP
   credits by taking time off and who are above the
   regulatory cap for vacation or annual leave, may request a
   substitution of excess leave to replace used PLP leave for
   the sole purpose of participating in the PLP buyback
   program.  Departments will decide on the number of
   hours/days they will allow for the substitution.  However
   this amount can not exceed the number of hours/days
   approved or allowed by each department for all other
   employees.  For example, if a department decides to allow
   up to three days of PLP buyback, a designated manager or
   supervisor who has totally exhausted his/her PLP credits
   may request to substitute three days of leave exceeding
   the regulatory cap in lieu of three days of PLP for the
   sole purpose of participating in the buyback program.  In
   another example, if the individual has one day of PLP,
   he/she can request to substitute two days of leave
   exceeding the regulatory cap to provide for a total of
   three days buyback.  
   
   2.  Once a department has decided to allow for the
   substitution option, each manager and supervisor must be
   given the same opportunity to substitute excessive leave
   for PLP credits.  Departments may not offer the
   substitution to some managers and/or supervisors and not
   others.
   
   3.  Managers and supervisors who have already participated
   in or were provided the option of participating in the
   Personal Leave Cash Out Program (at any level) offered as
   a result of Management Memo 92-24 (July 28, 1992) or
   subsequent memos will not be allowed to substitute excess
   leave for PLP.  
   
   4.  Departments who participate in the buyback program
   will be required to maintain the following records for
   each manager or supervisor who elects to substitute excess
   vacation or annual leave.  
   
       .  Manager or supervisor's annual leave/vacation hours 
          at time of substitution.
   
       .  Number of hours substituted and date of             
          substitution.
   
   Departments who are on the State Controller's Office (SCO)
   Leave Accounting System will receive instructions from SCO
   as to the proper coding procedure for the substitution.
   
   5.  As noted in Management Memo 96-27, departments are
   required to report PLP buyback to DPA.  Please include in
   this report:
   
       .  Number of PLP buyback hours offered to each         
          employee.
   
       .  Number of employees participating in PLP buyback.
   
       .  Total number and cost of PLP hours cashed out .
   
       .  If applicable, total hours of excessive leave       
          substituted for PLP.
   
   Employees with questions should contact their departmental
   personnel office.  Personnel offices should address
   questions to Jerri Judd at (916) 324-0439, CALNET 454-
   0439.
   
   
   
   
   Joe H. Gonzales
   Program Manager
   
   
   
   
   Note:  This option applies only to current managers and
   supervisors or employees receiving supervisory or
   managerial benefits as indicated by the following
   collective bargaining identifier (CBID) codes:  E99, E79,
   E98, E78, E68, E77, E67, M01-21, E59, S01-21, E58, E48,
   E01-21.