During negotiations for our contract with the State of Maryland, AFSCME raised issues with leave usage as a result of the novel pandemic. In response, management suggested carrying over leave related to the pandemic. Despite not agreeing to language specific to this topic and not agreeing to the State’s unacceptable and unguaranteed financial offer, recently AFSCME learned that DBM announced a new pandemic carryover policy. Unfortunately, these actions are all too characteristic of the Hogan administration to act in poor faith and claim credit where it isn’t due.
Read the Memo to HR Directors outlining the policy here: https://www.afscmemd.org/system/files/memo_to_hr_directors_re_comp_time_expiration_and_pandemic_carryover_01072021.pdf
Pandemic Carryover is a new time off category to allow employees to keep/use annual and compensatory leave that would have expired or been forfeited at the end of 2020. You will see this new time off category and the balance along with the other time off balances under the Time Off icon in Workday.
DBM announced that retroactive to January 1, 2020, the expiration date for compensatory time for FLSA-exempt employees will be extended from one year from the date the compensatory time is earned to two years.
Additionally, beginning in calendar year (CY) 2021, certain compensatory time and annual leave that otherwise would have been lost will be made available to employees. We are calling this category of leave “Pandemic Carryover.” This category will include:
- All compensatory time earned in CY 2019 and lost in CY 2020;
- All compensatory time earned in CY 2020 and not used;
- Any additional compensatory time earned beginning in CY 2021 and not used through the end of the pay period 6 months beyond the end of the emergency period; and
- All annual leave forfeited at the end of CY 2020 and at the end of each calendar year thereafter until the end of the pay period 6 months beyond the end of the emergency period.
Leave in this category will not expire but is not subject to cash out. This leave may be used for any reason and at any time after obtaining approval from the employee’s supervisor. Compensatory time earned in lieu of cash overtime will not be eligible to be placed in the Pandemic Carryover category since it does not expire.
