Bargaining. Your CAPS Bargaining Team met last week and will meet again this week to continue planning discussions. We’ve discussed member engagement ideas and items for development including a forthcoming Bargaining Survey. Please stay tuned! Our next few meetings will likely continue to be planning and scheduling, as well as developing our strategy for when we’re back at the table and internal coordination efforts with different CAPS committees, as well as our legal and legislative efforts.
Alternate Work Week Schedules are Voluntary. Section 7.2 of the CAPS MOU (https://capsscientists.org/2018-2020-mou/article-7-hours-of-work-and-overtime/#7.2) provides that all requests for Alternate Work Week Schedules (AWWSs) shall be considered and not unreasonably denied. The CalHR Manual expands on the information for Work Week Group 2 employees (https://hrmanual.calhr.ca.gov/Home/ManualItem/1/1503). Most importantly, the CalHR Manual 1503 clarifies that “Participation in AWWS is voluntary and is subject to management approval.” If you are on a schedule other than a standard 5/8/80, and you have questions, please reach out to CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org)!
Earn Mentoring Leave while you Select This Year’s Science Achievement Award Winners! The California Association of Professional Scientists sponsors a special award at 15 regional STEM Fairs (that’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics!) that are held in the State of California. The CAPS Special Award is called the Science Achievement Award. Students chosen for the award receive a $100 prize, and the members who volunteer to attend the fairs and select the winners on behalf of CAPS can earn mentoring leave pursuant to CAPS MOU, Section 3.17. Up to 40 hours of Mentoring Leave can be earned per calendar year. Members use their own leave credits, and then are provided an equal number of hours as Mentoring Leave. If you’re interested in judging the CAPS Special Award at a regional fair (Fairs may be held in-person or virtual this year, depending on location), contact CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org).
In Review.
February 7, 2023. Safety Footwear Reimbursements are Not Taxable Income. CAPS has filed several grievances at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, after members noticed their safety footwear reimbursements came back with additional taxes taken out, and won! We’ve released a call for members to reach out if they have noticed taxes taken out of their safety footwear last year, but would like to do so once again, as a reminder. Please contact CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org) if you have received a footwear reimbursement in 2022 or 2023 that was inappropriately taxed so that we can review it. We want to be certain that these reimbursements are correctly applied.
Members’ footwear reimbursement at the Department requires the submission of a receipt, and is given for the amount paid, not automatically provided each reimbursement period (i.e. members must first spend money, and must meet or exceed the limit of the Safety Footwear Reimbursement amount from the CAPS MOU to be reimbursed at the maximum amount, $275 every two years). If you notice any reimbursement or payment that just seems “off” please contact CAPS!
Read the rest of the entries, or see what else you may have missed on the CAPS Website here: http://capsscientists.org/members/caps-member-updates/ The password is ChooseCAPS! – it is case-sensitive.