2021 Mileage Reimbursement Rate Released. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the 2021 Federal Mileage Reimbursement Rate: 56 cents per mile. State Scientists are reimbursed by CalHR at the Federal Rate per CAPS MOU Section 6.1 which points to CalHR Manual Section 2202. CalHR updated the HR Manual to reflect the updates.
It’s the new year. Have you checked your OPF? Your Official Personnel File (OPF) contains documents that describe your employment with the State of California. Personnel documents that may be included in your OPF can be routine, such as your original application, copies of Notices of Personnel Actions (NOPAs), insurance forms, training certificates, and so on. Occasionally, however, the OPF may contain items that can be interpreted as negative in nature, such as copies of Adverse Actions or Counseling Memos. As a State Scientist, you have the right to have materials of a negative nature removed from your file every three years, at your request (CAPS MOU, Section 19.3, Subsection G). If you encounter any issues with reviewing your OPF, or removing materials, contact CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org). You may have a representative present for review of your OPF and CAPS has successfully scheduled remote, virtual OPF reviews throughout the Shelter in Place orders.
2021 Sacramento Regional STEM Fair Calls for Judges. CAPS is proud to count ourselves among several longtime sponsors of the 2021 Sacramento Regional STEM Fair (Sac STEM Fair). CAPS members volunteer to judge projects at this annual Fair, and earn Mentoring Leave, pursuant to CAPS MOU Sections 3.16 and 3.17, for doing so. This year, the Fair will be held virtually from March 15-21, with expected judging hours to take up to 8 hours for volunteer credit. 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. Judges will receive a commemorative Judges’ T-shirt. If you can help, please complete the online judging registration here. You can also email sacSTEMfair@sacSTEMfair.org with any questions. If you encounter an issue or need help determining how to obtain your Mentoring Leave after you’ve participated as a judge in a Science or STEM Fair, as always, contact CAPS!
State Offices Remain Closed. Last week, CalHR notified CAPS that due to the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in California, State offices will remain closed until further notice, consistent with the regional stay at home orders that are still in effect. You can read the message here.
News Briefs.
CDFW Fall Trawl Survey yields no Delta smelt for third year – Stockton Record / Associated Press For the third year in a row, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife found zero Delta smelt in the agency’s 2020 Fall Midwater Trawl Survey throughout the Delta.
Here’s How Newsom’s Proposing to Spend $4.1 Billion on the Climate and Environment – KQED The $227 billion budget proposed on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom includes $4.1 billion in spending on a suite of environmental initiatives meant to fight climate change, gird California against devastating wildfires, reduce smog, and bolster the adoption of clean vehicles on the state’s roads.
In Review. Check out what you may have missed from past CAPS Updates here:
January 12, 2021. New Month Adds 16 hours of PLP 2020, Increases Vacation/Annual Leave Cap. Unit 10 State Scientists have been subject to PLP 2020 for seven months. As of January 1, 2021, all full-time State Scientists were credited with another 16 hours of PLP 2020, which can be requested and taken in the same manner as vacation, and can be used in place of sick leave, at the member’s discretion. State Scientists have thus far been credited with a total of 112 hours of PLP 2020. At the same time, State Scientists’ vacation/annual leave cap increases, commensurate with the number of hours of PLP 2020 that have been credited, meaning for January, the cap increases by a total of 112 hours, to 752 hours. The vacation/annual leave cap increase lasts until 2025 for Unit 10.
Read other past messages on the CAPS Website here: http://capsscientists.org/members/caps-member-updates/. The password is Winter2020 – it IS case-sensitive.
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