NEW EMPLOYEE

ORIENTATION We go out
on a limb
for our
Human Resources and customers
Organizational
Management Branch

Employee Management
Advisory Services
Section (EMAS)

AR Division, HQMC

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 WHAT WE’LL COVER
 Benefits  Leave Policies
 Performance Appraisal  Hours of Duty
 Standards of Conduct  Injury Compensation
 Employee Rights  Civilian Employee
 A Little Labor Relations Assistance Program
 Grievance Procedure  Drug Free Workplace
 Awards  Resources (human and
paper)

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 FEDERAL BENEFITS
 Federal Employee’s Health Benefits (FEHB)
 Federal Employee’s Dental and Vision Insurance
Program (FEDVIP)
 Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
 Federal Employee’s Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
 Federal Long Term Care Insurance (FLTC)
 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and TSP Catch-up
• Retirement Plans:
• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS/CSRS
OFFSET)
• Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)

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BENEFIT OPEN SEASON
 For 2011: 14 November thru 12 December
 Eligible employees may change their FEHB,
FEDVIP:
 from one plan or option to another

 from self only to self and family

 may cancel enrollment

 FSA – must reenroll annually

 Open Season elections are generally effective
first day of the first full pay period in January

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 DO YOU HAVE BENEFIT
QUESTIONS or NEED HELP?
 Two main sources of information and ways to
make changes to benefits:
 Employee Benefits Information System (EBIS)
 https://www.civilianbenefits.hroc.navy.mil/

 Great Resources!

 The Benefits Line

 1-888-320-2917

BENEFITS CHANGES
SICK LEAVE CREDIT FOR THOSE UNDER FERS
ABILITY TO KEEP DEPENDENT CHILDREN ON HEALTH
INSURANCE UNTIL AGE 26
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 STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
 All employees expected to adhere to acceptable standards of
conduct
 Some things are obvious
 Follow proper orders of your supervisor

 Don’t sleep on duty

 Arrive at work on time

 Other things are not so obvious

 Policy on use of government equipment for personal use

 Rules on using a government vehicle

CHECK WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR WHENEVER

YOU DO NOT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND
A WORKPLACE RULE OR POLICY
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 HATCH ACT
 Governs what federal
employees can and cannot do
with respect to political
activities – examples:
 May wear political buttons
while on duty
 May not engage in political
activity while on duty
 Penalties are very severe for a
Hatch Act violation
 More info at www.osc.gov

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 LABOR RELATIONS
 If you are part of a bargaining unit, you are
covered by the negotiated agreement
between the union and management
 Clinic has a negotiated agreement
 MCB, MCCDC, MCAF have a negotiated agreement
 Will address some provisions as we go
through slides
 Union President will provide more info

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 SO, HOW DO YOU KOW IF YOU
ARE IN A BARGAINING UNIT?
 Check your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel
Action)
 If block 37 shows any number other than “8888”
or a “7777” you are in the bargaining unit
 If you are a supervisor, a management
official, a confidential employee, or an
employee engaged in intelligence or
investigative work you are excluded from the
bargaining unit

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 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
 Two-level appraisal system
 Applies to all General Schedule (GS)
employees
BUT, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT
TWO-LEVEL APPRAISAL SYSTEMS:

One system applies to employees who are

in the bargaining unit
The other system applies to everyone else
converting from NSPS to GS
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 BARGAINING UNIT
TWO-LEVEL APPRAISAL SYSTEM
 Critical elements & related performance
standards
 Elements rated as Acceptable or Unacceptable
 Supervisors establish individual elements and
standards
 Overall rating of Acceptable or Unacceptable
 Rating of Unacceptable on one or more critical
elements results in an overall rating of
Unacceptable
 Rating period may vary from command to
command

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 NON-BARGAINING UNIT
TWO-LEVEL APPRAISAL SYSTEM
 Critical elements & related performance
standards
 Elements rated as Acceptable or Unacceptable
 Acceptable performance rated at one of three
levels (1, 2, or 3)
 Average of levels used to determine awards eligibility
 Overall rating of Acceptable or Unacceptable
 If one or more elements rated Unacceptable,
overall performance is rated Unacceptable

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 NON-BARGAINING UNIT
TWO-LEVEL APPRAISAL SYSTEM
 Supervisors establish critical elements
 Navy-wide pre-established standards will be
used to evaluate performance on each
element and will be based on the “career
stage” of the employee:
 Entry
 Journey
 Expert
 Standardized rating period throughout Navy
 1 Oct – 30 Sep

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 BOTH TWO-LEVEL
APPRAISAL SYSTEMS
 If performance is Unacceptable:
 Reasonable opportunity to improve
performance will be provided
 If performance remains Unacceptable
after the opportunity period, the
employee will be removed from the
position

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 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
 You have the right to file a grievance to
resolve disputes over working conditions
within the control of the agency
 Administrative grievance procedure
 Negotiated grievance procedure
 You have the right to be represented in
certain situations such as during grievance
proceedings and during adverse action
proceedings

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 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
 You have the right to reply to proposed
adverse actions
 You have the right to review the material
relied upon in adverse actions
 You have the right to appeal to the Merit
Systems Protection Board significant adverse
actions
 Employees covered by the union may elect file a
grievance instead

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 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
 In many cases, you have the right to
advance notice of an adverse decision
(e.g., a suspension without pay, a
termination)
 The amount of advance notice you get
depends on the severity of the action

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 BUT, IF YOU ARE IN
PROBATION…
 Your rights are really, really, really
limited
 You may be given a letter terminating you
the same day as the letter is issued
 Narrow appeal rights apply

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 PROVISIONS FOR EMPLOYEES
COVERED BY A LABOR AGREEMENT
 Right to union representation during all
grievance meetings
 Right to representation during
investigative examinations if you
reasonably believe the examination will
result in you being disciplined
 Union representative is your exclusive
representative

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 ADMINISTRATIVE
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
 Formal grievances must be in writing and
must:
 Identify the issues being grieved
 Identify the personal relief requested
 The decision on the grievance will be made
by an official at a higher level than any
individual having a direct interest in the
issues being grieved
 Grievance decisions are final and are not
subject to further review or appeal

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 NEGOTIATED GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURE
 Provisions set forth in the applicable
labor agreement
 Usually a 2 or 3 step process with the
final step being arbitration
 Only the union can invoke arbitration

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 AWARDS
 Performance based cash awards
 Quality step increases
 Special act or service awards
 Time off awards
 Letters or certificates of
appreciation or commendation
 Informal Recognition and Honorary awards

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LEAVE POLICIES &
PROCEDURES
 General rules
 You should schedule leave in advance
 Unscheduled leave should be limited to emergency
situations only
 Unscheduled leave
 Time limits for reporting unscheduled absences
 Supervisor has authority to
approve/disapprove
 Within certain limitations

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 MAIN TYPES
OF LEAVE

 Annual leave
 Sick leave
 Leave without pay
 Excused absence/administrative leave

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 ANNUAL LEAVE
 Use of annual leave may be denied if you
have no annual leave to use or if your
services are needed at work
 The amount of annual leave you may be
advanced is what you will earn in the
remainder of the leave year
 You may carry over a maximum of 240 hours
of annual leave to the next leave year

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 SICK LEAVE
 Personal medical conditions/medical
appointments, adoption
 May use up 104 hours for general family care
and bereavement purposes
 May use up to 12 weeks to care for family
member with serious health condition
 No limit on how much sick leave can be
accumulated and carried over
 May be advanced up to 240 hours

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 LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
 Generally, approval of LWOP is discretionary
 Family and Medical Leave Act
 Up to 12 weeks of LWOP in any 12 month period
 Birth and care of employee’s child
 Placement of child with employee for adoption/foster care
 Care of spouse, son/daughter, parent of employee with serious
health condition
 Serious health condition of the employee
 Up to 90 days will be granted to employees whose
family member is transferring when the employee
intends to seek federal employment in the new
location

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 HOURS OF DUTY
 Consult with your supervisor
 Various options may be available
 Standard 8 hour fixed tours of duty
 Alternative Work Schedules
 Flexible Schedules
 Compressed Schedules
 Telework schedules
 Telecommuting center or home office

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 EXCUSED ABSENCE
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
 Time off from duty without a charge to
leave and without a loss of pay
 Most common situations
 “59 minute” rule
 Blood donations
 Voting
 Closures and early dismissals due to
weather or other emergency conditions

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 INJURY
COMPENSATION
 Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA)

 Provides benefits to employees for disability due

to injury or disease sustained in the performance
of duty
 The Office of Worker’s Compensation at the Department
of Labor makes all decisions regarding entitlement to
FECA benefits

 Payments to dependents if injury or disease

causes death

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 TYPES OF FECA CLAIMS
 Traumatic Injury
 Break leg, cut finger, strain back
 Continuation of Pay (COP) for 45 days
 Must have medical documentation for COP
 Occupational Illness or disease
 Stress, lung disease, carpel tunnel
 No COP

AS WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE,

THERE ARE FORMS YOU WILL HAVE TO
COMPLETE TO SUBMIT A FECA CLAIM

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 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CEAP)
 Assistance to employees who have:
 Alcohol or drug problems
 Personal or family problems which have,
or may have, an adverse effect on job
performance or adherence to acceptable
standards of conduct
 Assistance to family members of
employees

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 DRUG FREE
WORKPLACE
 Policy
 Eliminate illegal use of drugs by civilians
by:
 Required random testing of employees

in certain positions
 Test Designated Positions (TDPs)
 Testing of any civilian based on
“reasonable suspicion” of illegal drug use
or unsafe practices/accidents

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 TEST DESIGNATED
POSITIONS (TDPs)
 Department of Navy identifies the TDPs
Navy wide. A few examples:
 Firefighters
 Motor Vehicle Operators
 Civilians with certain security clearance
levels
 Nurses
 Air Traffic Controllers

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POSITIVE DRUG
TEST RESULT

 A positive test result

is bad news
 Employees have a right to explain why the
test was positive
 Severe penalties, to include removal

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SAFE HARBOR

One time opportunity to self-identify

 Insulates for self-admitted past acts of illegal drug
use
 Not drug trafficking, not future use
 Agree to CEAP, follow up testing
 Cannot enter after drug test notification
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 Test Your Knowledge

How much leave can I take? Do

I have to come to work? What
are my rights?

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 JUST IN CASE
I DON’T GET THE JOB

You have requested 120 days of leave

without pay so that you can look for a job
in the private sector that pays more.

Is your supervisor required

to approve your request?

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 A FEW HOURS OR
THE WHOLE DAY?

You have requested a day of sick leave to

take your child to the eye doctor. The appointment
is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. You have 267 hours of
sick leave available to use.

May you use sick leave for the entire day?

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 BUT I HAVEN’T SEE AUNT
AGNES IN 57 YEARS!
Your supervisor tells the entire section that in two weeks,
on a Saturday, there will be 8 hours of mandatory
overtime for everyone in the section. You have a family
reunion planned for the same day. You believe your
supervisor cannot tell you what to do on your own
personal time and you make a decision that you will
simply not report to work.

On a scale of 1 to 10,
how smart is this decision?
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 IT SURE WAS NICE SEEING
AUNT AGNES
You have just been issued a notice that
your supervisor proposes to suspend you for
3 days because you failed to show up for a
mandatory overtime assignment.

True or False: You have the right to

file a grievance on the proposal to suspend you.

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FEVERS, ACHES, AND PAINS
What is the maximum amount of sick leave you
can use for general family care and
bereavement purposes?

What is the maximum amount of sick leave

you can use to care for a family member with a
serious medical condition?

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 LOVE THAT SNOW!
You are at home on Friday on your regular day off
under a compressed work schedule. You hear on TV
the base is closed because there is 18 inches of snow
on the ground and more on the way. Non-essential &
non-emergency employees are excused from work
without a charge to leave and still get paid for the day

You are in a non-essential/non-emergency

position. Do you get any time off because of
the closure or are you just out of luck?
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 I WANT MY UNION REP AT THIS
MEETING, WAH, WAH, WAH

Your supervisor is meeting with you tomorrow to

talk about your performance appraisal. You think
the discussion is not going to be a good one because you and
your supervisor don’t see eye to eye on how things should be
done. You tell your supervisor that unless you can have a
union rep at the meeting, you won’t attend it.

Do you have a right to union

representation at this meeting?
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 SPILLING THE BEANS
You were a witness to a fight between two employees.
You are being questioned about what you
witnessed. You want a union rep present
while you are being questioned.

Do you have a Do you have the right

right to a to refuse to answer
union rep? questions?
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 I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!
You have filed a negotiated grievance and don’t want
the union at the grievance meeting. You think
you can get better results on your own, plus you
want to keep your problems private. When you show
up for the grievance meeting, a union representative is
present. You are taken aback as you specifically said in
your grievance you were representing yourself. You want
the union rep to leave.

Can you force this to happen?

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 HELPFUL
WEBSITES
 www.hrom.usmc.mil (local HROM site; info on
job announcements; training; benefits; labor
relations; drug free workplace; and much more)
 www.opm.gov (info on government-wide HR
personnel policies and programs)
 www.donhr.navy.mil (info on general Navy HR
personnel policies and programs)
 www.cpms.osd.mil/ (info on general DoD HR
personnel policies and programs, NSPS)

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 POINTS OF CONTACT FOR
KEY EMAS AREAS
 Performance management, discipline,
awards, leave, benefits, hours of duty,
labor relations
 HQMC, MCRC, C4, MCNOSC, IGMC, 8th & I:
 Nikki Davis (supervisor), 571-256-8205
 Lauren LaFaye, 571-256-9535
 ALL OTHERS:
 Susan Galloway (supervisor), 784-3120
 Stephanie McLeod, 784-0564
 Shavona Wright, 784-0561
 Elaine Brown, 784-1305
 Elvin Nazario, 784-1314

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 POINTS OF CONTACT FOR
KEY EMAS AREAS
 Civilian Employee Assistance Program
 Pentagon Employee Referral Services, 703-692-
8917
 Injury Compensation
 Stephanie McLeod, 703-784-0564
 Elvin Nazario, 703-784-1314
 Drug Free Workplace
 Sam Butler, 703-614-2027
 Leave Transfer Program
 Lauren Lafaye, 571-256-9535
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