All,
I found out that if you reply to this email it goes to my spam folder so my bad if I missed your reply. Email me directly at drew.stewart@natca.net to ensure I get it. That being said, I appreciate the replies I did get indicating the last email was helpful. I also got some additional tips from members that I figured would be good to pass along as well. When you are filing your CA-1 your case worker might have an arbitrary number of days that they approve based on the information they have. If you have communication from the RFS indicating when you were incapacitated and when you were cleared to come back, make sure you share that with your caseworker so that they can get you the correct number of days returned to you if you had to burn leave.
Additionally, the Agency seems to be mishandling the application of COP (Continuation of Pay). Shocking, I know, but it’s true. Local management is inconsistently deciding whether or not to place someone on COP and this is causing some people to take no leave (as it should be) and some people to take leave and then get it restored once the CA-1 is approved. The end result is the same but it causes a major short term inconvenience to us as we try to keep track of what they took and gave back or for those that run low balances, trying to decide what type of leave to take. On that note, if the RFS incapacitates you, you do not have to take SL, you can take annual as well. If that is something you would rather do, make sure you let your supe know that. But just to clarify, no one should be taking any leave after they notify the agency they filed a CA-1. If your CA-1 is denied then that is something you would have to sort out with the agency later.
So that brings me to my next issue. Please, please, please, stop coming to work with COVID symptoms. There is no reason for it. The agency has indicated to me that they are aware of a few people who came into the building with symptoms and subsequently tested positive. I do not know if they intend to pursue anything on this issue but I want to let you know that it is absolutely something they are watching. I know that low leave balances can cause us to do foolish things but in these pandemic times we have so many tools at our disposal to prevent us from having to burn leave that there is no excuse for coming to work with symptoms.
If you have symptoms, there is EA for testing. If you have COVID and got it at work, you can your leave restored (or hopefully place on COP). If you follow the process correctly (and the agency does too), you should be out absolutely zero days of leave if you contract COVID at work. The regulation requiring the agency to place you on COP is contained in 20 CFR Part 10 Subpart C if they ask. If you run into any issues with this, please forward them to your reps.
Drew
drew.stewart@natca.net
503.593.8178