Mentoring Information from the CAPS MOU

California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS)
Mentoring Leave Information from the 2015-2018 CAPS MOU

CAPS Members,

Thank you for volunteering for the CAPS Mentoring Program! We appreciate your dedication to scientific education and support of your community. CAPS is a proud and dedicated sponsor of science, especially when it comes to encouraging students in California to pursue their dreams of a career in a scientific field.

As a CAPS member, you are eligible for “Mentoring Leave” under the CAPS MOU. This document, produced with the help of CAPS staff, is meant to assist CAPS members who have questions about Mentoring Leave.

Please review the information below regarding Mentoring Leave. At the end of the document, see the Mentoring Leave Form with CAPS’ information for your supervisor.

Here are the key points from Article 3.16, Mentoring Leave of the CAPS MOU: 

  • Mentoring Leave, Article 3.16 states that eligible employees (full-time permanent employees) “may receive up to forty (40) hours of mentoring leave per calendar year to participate in mentoring activities once they have used an equal amount of their personal time for these activities.”
  • “Mentoring leave may not be used for travel to and from the mentoring location.” CAPS will reimburse your travel mileage up to 200 miles per year; do not submit this to the State.
  • An example: “if an employee requests two (2) hours of mentoring leave, he/she must have used two (2) verified hours of his/her personal time prior to receiving approval for the mentoring leave.”
  • “Mentoring leave does not have to be requested in the same week or month as the personal time was used. It does, however, have to be requested and used before the end of the calendar year.”
  • “Prior to requesting mentoring leave and in accordance with departmental policy, an employee shall provide his/her supervisor with verification of personal time spent mentoring from the mentoring organization.”
  • “Permanent part-time and permanent intermittent employees may receive a pro-rated amount of mentoring leave based upon their time base. For example, a halftime employee is eligible for twenty (20) hours.”

Please contact Bianca Petzold at CAPS with any questions or issues regarding Mentoring Leave at (916) 441-2629 or at bpetzold@capsscientists.org.

CAPS would like to thank you once again for your support and dedication!