Fire danger: Extreme
Guidelines developed by Human Resources to assist managers of employees affected by fire
The Human Resources (HR) Division has developed guidelines to assist managers in dealing with employees who suffered losses in last month's Cerro Grande Fire.
The guidelines were discussed at a recent all-managers meeting.
Heidi Hahn of Staff Relations (HR-8) said the guidelines apply primarily to University of California Laboratory employees. They focus on four general areas of relief: paid time off to deal with fire-related matters; flexibility in determining work schedules and work locations; relaxation of restrictions on use of Lab equipment; and financial assistance to UC employees with substantial, verifiable losses.
Staff Relations has set up a World Wide Web site, which includes a chart, describing the Lab-provided relief efforts, when they are available and when they end. The site also provides more detailed information about the various initiatives. It can be found online at http://www.hr.lanl.gov/Announce/Item3.stm#Item3.
Among other things, the guidelines note that Lab employees were paid in full for the time the Lab was closed because of the fire, whether they worked or not. Employees who experienced fire-related losses or other issues will be given paid time off to deal with those issues. The amount of time off that is granted depends on whether or not the loss was catastrophic.
The guidelines call a catastrophic loss as the loss of a home or damage to a home sufficient to render it uninhabitable. The loss could be experienced by a UC employee or his or her immediate family member, such as spouse, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, step-relatives and in-laws.
The guidelines also detail flexible work schedules and work locations, noting that some employees lost their offices in the fire.
The guidelines allow employees who wish to engage in fire-related volunteer work to temporarily change their work schedules. Employees will have to sign a form stating that the Lab isn't responsible for any personal injury, loss or liability associated with their volunteer activity.
The guidelines allow employees who suffered fire-related losses to use Lab equipment, such as copying and fax machines and telephones to deal with fire-related claims and issues. All other restrictions of government equipment for personal use remain in place.
Beginning Monday, employees who suffered substantial, verifiable losses in the fire can, if they wish, convert unused vacation leave to cash. And beginning July 10, employees may donate some of their vacation time to employees who suffered substantial, verifiable losses. Employees can't donate future vacation leave time.
Employees can donate vacation leave to an individual employee or to a leave-bank set up to distribute donated vacation leave. The HR Division Office will administer this program, which ends Dec. 31.
Upon request, the Lab also will replace Laboratory service pins or awards lost in the fire of those employees who didn't have insurance or were underinsured. Retirement certificates and UC services pins lost in the fire also will be replaced upon request.
--Steve Sandoval
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Beginning today, Newsbulletin story summaries will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Otowi Cafeteria, S-Site cafeteria, the TA-55 lunch room, the Material Science Laboratory's Gathering Place, the Study Center, the Wellness Center and the Community Relations Office (CRO). In Tuesdays' editions, stories that appeared in the previous Thursday, Friday and Monday will be summarized. In the Thursday editions, stories from Tuesday and Wednesday will be featured. |
Notice issued concerning compression fitting testing and acceptance
The Facilities and Waste Operations (FWO) Division has issued
a notice describing required testing and acceptance processes
designed to minimize hazards associated with incorrectly installed
compression fittings and misapplied Teflon sealing materials.
Additional information is available in the online notice at
http://labreq.lanl.gov/pdfs/ops/alerts/Notice0048.pdf
(Adobe Acrobat required).
Employees leaving Lab must attend termination presentation
Laboratory employees who are leaving the Lab or going on casual status must attend a termination presentation held by Compensation and Benefits (HR-1).
The termination presentations are held every Laboratory pay day for University of California Lab employees, said Angela Jaramillo HR-1.
The presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. at HR-1 on the second floor of the Otowi Building. Employees should check in at the Benefits Express Desk, said Jaramillo.
At the presentations, employees can learn about options pertaining to benefits coverages, retirement and or savings plans, she said.
In anticipation of termination or casual status, employees must call the New Hires and Termination Office in Staffing (HR-5) at 7-8622 to obtain a checkout list. Employees also must call HR-1 at 7-8282 within one or two weeks of their termination date or date when they go to casual status to sign up for a termination presentation. Employees must bring the checkout list to the presentation, Jaramillo said.
Employees who require a sign language interpreter should write to benefits@lanl.gov by e-mail three days in advance of the presentation they plan to attend. Or call the benefits office at 5-3842 (TDD).
Because of limited parking, employees should plan to arrive early and/or make alternative transportation arrangements, such as using Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico's ride service.
--Steve Sandoval
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Safety Days A six-year-old Northern saw-whet owl, named Reese, watches the Safety Days activities from his perch. He was one of several wild birds displayed by the Española Wildlife Center on Thursday in Los Alamos. Safety Days is an annual event, which was held this year in the Community Relations Office (CRO) parking lot. Below: Melanie Chapman, fitness director at the YMCA, checks the blood pressure of Mike Marquez at Safety Days. Photos by Michael Carlson |
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Protect Laboratory facilities and infrastructure
Minimize movement of contamination off Laboratory property
Projected BMP Implementation Schedule
The following table shows the number of PRSs, their locations by technical area, start and completion dates for the implementation of BMPs and the number completed:
| No. of PRSs | PRS locations | Start date | Completion Date |
No. of PRSs Completed |
| 10 | TA-11 | 5/21/00 | 5/24/00 | 10 |
| 29 | TA-6, 14, 15, 22, 36, 40, 49 | 6/14/00 | 7/15/00 | 1 |
| 34 | TA-16, 46, 15 | 5/29/00 | 7/15/00 | 3 |
| 18 | TA-4, 5, 42, 48 | 6/27/00 | 7/15/00 | 0 |
| Total: 91 PRSs | Total: 14 PRSs |
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On today's bulletin board |
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Commuter's Corner | Parking areas around TA-3 | Parking shuttle routes (pdf) or jpeg |
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