Policies and Procedures

Policies

Trust and respect are diminished when those in positions of authority abuse or appear to abuse their power. It is ethically wrong for members of the faculty or staff to use their positions to exploit students. Voluntary consent by a student to a sexual relationship with a member of the faculty or staff is suspect, given the imbalance of power inherent in such a relationship. Students involved in such relationships are at risk of exploitation. Faculty or staff members involved in such relationships are creating potential conflicts of interest and personal liability to charges of sexual harassment and interference with the welfare and academic or work performance of others. It is the position of the president and Purchase College that no such relationships can be consensual, and any such relationship will be investigated and appropriate action taken.

In light of staffing needs resulting from the State’s response to COVID-19, New York State and CSEA agree to the following:

CSEA employees who might normally lose vacation accruals (since they may have accrued over 320 hours on April 1, 2020) because they are engaged in the response efforts will be given until the close of business on December 31, 2020 to use their excess vacation credits. Nothing herein shall affect vacation credits accrued by eligible employees after April 1, 2020.

Employees who have any unused excess vacation accruals (more than 320 hours) as of the close of business on December 31, 2020 will lose them. It is the employee’s responsibility to monitor their accruals

For questions, please contact Time and Attendance at (914) 251-6057.

________________________________________________________________

Asunto: Acuerdo relativo a la extensión del uso de las acumulaciones de vacaciones

A la luz de las necesidades de personal resultantes de la respuesta del Estado a COVID-19, el Estado de Nueva York y CSEA están de acuerdo con lo siguiente:

Los empleados de CSEA que normalmente podrían perder las acumulaciones de vacaciones (ya que pueden haber acumulado más de 320 horas el 1 de Abril de 2020) porque están involucrados en los esfuerzos de respuesta se darán hasta el cierre del negocio el 31 de Diciembre de 2020 para utilizar sus créditos de vacaciones en exceso. Nada de lo presente afectará a los créditos de vacaciones acumulados por los empleados elegibles después del 1 de Abril de 2020.

Los empleados que tengan cualquier acumulación de vacaciones en exceso no utilizada (más de 320 horas) al cierre del negocio el 31 de Diciembre de 2020 los perderán. Es responsabilidad del empleado monitorear sus devengos.

Para preguntas, comuníquese con Time and Attendance al (914) 251-6057.

CSEA Classified Service Administrative Policies – Facilities Management Department

Essential Personnel

All classified employees assigned to Grounds, Custodial, Heating/Plumbing, Electrical, Automotive, Residential Facilities and Maintenance Trades Departments are deemed by the College as part of its essential services. Essential personnel provide support to the campus community as part of their job responsibilities and are required to report to work as scheduled in an emergency. Essential personnel may be required to work mandatory overtime as part of an emergency and you may be directed to remain at work or be called in early based on the operational needs of the College. Emergencies may include, but are not limited to, weather related events such as snowstorms or hurricanes; power outages; campus operational incidents; or other emergency, including a governmentally declared emergency. Failure to comply with essential personnel requirements, as well as directives from management, may result in lost pay and could also result in disciplinary action.

Sign-In / Sign-Out / Daily Meal and Break Periods

CSEA Facilities employees must sign in immediately upon their arrival at work. When signing in or out, use the next available line on the sign in/out sheet and accurately record the time. Do not leave lines blank. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and/or the department head to establish the scheduled times during which meal and break periods can be taken. CSEA Facilities employees are not to leave their assigned work area prior to the meal or break period times and are to return to their assigned work post promptly at the end of each time period. These meal and break period times are to be followed daily unless you are directed otherwise or receive permission for a change in times from senior management of the Facilities Management department. The daily meal period for an employee who is working six (6) hours or more must be of at least one-half hour duration.

Breaks, when granted, should be of a reasonable duration. As a guide, more than two 15-minute breaks per 7.5 or 8 hour workday would be considered excessive. Employees who do not take meal and/or breaks are not permitted to either shorten the workday or to receive any form of overtime compensation or compensatory time off. Also, break periods are not to be taken in conjunction with meal periods. Breaks during periods of overtime are subject to the discretion of management.

Absences – (Definitions)

Scheduled Absence: Time off requested in advance and approved by your supervisor using appropriate leave credits.
Unscheduled Absence: An absence not requested and not approved in advance, such as sick day, inclement weather, transportation, personal, their or family emergency, etc.
Unauthorized Absence: Failure of an employee to appear for a regularly scheduled work assignment or to notify a supervisor/designee of the employee’s inability to work (no call/no show, late call-in) within the established time frames. This type of absence may result in lost pay and may also result in disciplinary action.

Time Off Requests

When requesting any time off, including a partial day, CSEA Facilities employees are required to complete a Time-Off Request form and submit it to their supervisor. If your immediate supervisor is not available at the time of submission, the form must be submitted to the next available supervisor/unit head. If you are not sure who your next available supervisor/unit head is, you should ask your current supervisor upon receipt of this document. Requests to use accrued vacation, personal, or banked holiday time, must be submitted with as much advance notice as possible but no less than 1 day in advance. Time-Off Requests are subject to the operational needs of the facility and must be approved by the supervisor in advance of taking the time off.

While efforts are made to accommodate time off requests, there are certain times of the year when adequate staffing must be ensured in order to meet the increased operational needs of the college and campus community. Requests for time off during these times require a higher level of scrutiny and will be approved only to the extent practicable in light of the needs of the department to provide required services. These times include:

On or around the start of the Fall Semester
On or around the start of the Spring Semester

All Time Off Request forms submitted by the employee will be answered within five (5) working days (preferably sooner) of receipt by your supervisor. Please do not make or purchase any transportation arrangements such as airline tickets, etc. and/or book hotel accommodations until you have received approval of your time off request.

Unscheduled Absences

Employees absent due to an unexpected and unavoidable emergency situation must make every effort to notify their supervisor prior to the start of the shift but no later than two hours after the start of the scheduled workday. If you are unable to speak to your supervisor, you must leave a voicemail message on the supervisor’s phone. Shift workers may be required to call prior to the beginning of the shift unless other arrangements have been made with the supervisor. Calling in provides your supervisor with the information necessary to schedule the workday but does not automatically create an approval to charge leave accruals.

Tardiness / Requests to Leave Early

Employees are expected to be at their workstation and ready to work at the time their shift begins. If you are going to be late, you must call (914) 251-6920 before the start of your shift, but no later than two hours after the start of your scheduled workday, and advise your supervisor why you will be late (excluding medical information) and when you expect to be in.

If you need to leave work before the end of your shift for other than a medical emergency, you must receive advance permission from your supervisor to do so. As with lateness, it will be at the discretion of your supervisor as to how the missed time is charged (accrued vacation time, personal time, holiday time, or non-paid).

Time missed due to tardiness or early departure cannot be made up by working through breaks, meal breaks, or beyond the scheduled end of the shift.

Personal Calls

Personal calls during work time are not permitted except for urgent situations. Use of personal cell phones is limited to scheduled breaks and/or lunch periods. College-owned cell phones assigned to Department employees are only to be used to conduct official College business when the employee is away from their desk without access to a desktop phone. Employees with College-owned cell phones are required to reimburse the College for personal calls made on the cell phone and desktop phone assigned to the employee.

Updated January 23, 2020

PURCHASE COLLEGE

Domestic Violence and the Workplace Policy

Policy Statement

Domestic violence permeates the lives and compromises the safety of thousands of New York State employees each day, with tragic, destructive, and often fatal results. Domestic violence occurs within a wide spectrum of relationships, including married and formerly married couples, couples with children in common, couples who live together or have lived together, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples, and couples who are dating or who have dated in the past.

Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of coercive tactics which can include physical, psychological, sexual, economic and emotional abuse perpetrated by one person against an adult intimate partner, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control over the victim. In addition to exacting a tremendous toll from the individuals it directly affects, domestic violence often spills over into the workplace, compromising the safety of both victims and co-workers and resulting in lost productivity, increased health care costs, increased absenteeism, and increased employee turnover.

Purchase College to the fullest extent possible without violating any existing rules, regulations, statutory requirements, contractual obligations or collective bargaining agreements, will take all appropriate actions to promote safety in the workplace and respond effectively to the needs of victims of domestic violence.

Definitions

For purposes of this policy, the following terms will be defined as follows.

Domestic Violence: A pattern of coercive tactics, which can include physical, psychological, sexual, economic and emotional abuse, perpetrated by one person against an adult intimate partner, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control over the victim.

Intimate Partner: Includes persons legally married to one another; persons formerly married to one another; persons who have a child in common, regardless of whether such persons are married or have lived together at any time, couple who are in an “intimate relationship” including but not limited to, couples who live together or have lived together, or persons who are dating or who have dated in the past, including same sex couples.

Abuser: A person who perpetrates a pattern of coercive tactics which can include physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and emotional abuse against an adult intimate partner, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control over the victim.

Victim: The person against whom an abuser directs coercive and/or violent acts.

Guidelines

I. Employee Awareness

Purchase College shall take all reasonable actions to educate employees regarding the effects of domestic violence, ways to prevent and curtail violence, and methods to report such violence to authorities.

It is the policy of Purchase College that information on domestic violence and available resources shall be posted and, if necessary, replaced or reposted annually in areas where other employment policies and information are traditionally posted. This information shall include the topics addressed in the appendix.

II. Non-Discriminatory and Responsive Personnel Policies for Victimized Employees

Purchase College shall ensure that personnel policies and procedures do not discriminate against victims of domestic violence and are responsive to the needs of victims of domestic violence.

a. New York State law makes it a crime for employers to penalize an employee who, as a victim or witness of a criminal offense, is appearing as a witness, consulting with a district attorney, or exercising his/her rights as provided in the Criminal Procedure Law, the Family Court Act, and the Executive Law. This law requires employers, with prior day notification, to allow time off for victims or subpoenaed witnesses to exercise his/her rights as provided in the Criminal Procedure Law, the Family Court Act, and the Executive Law [Penal Law §215.14]. If there are any questions or concerns regarding the leave that must be granted to victims or subpoenaed witnesses, contact the Director of Human Resources or the Attendance and Leave Unit at the Department of Civil Service.

b. Purchase College, upon request, will assist the employee in determining the best use of his/her attendance and leave benefits when an employee needs to be absent as a result of being a victim of domestic violence. If an employee requests time off to care for and/or assist a family member who has been a victim of domestic violence, Purchase College will evaluate the employee’s request for leave for eligibility under existing law and collective bargaining agreements applicable to the employee and the attendance rules.

c. Purchase College understands that victims of domestic violence may lack the required documentation or have difficulty obtaining the required documentation to justify absences without compromising their safety. Therefore, the Director of Human Resources will consult with the employee to identify what documentation she/he might have, or be able to obtain, that will not compromise his/her safety-related needs and will satisfactorily meet the documentation requirement of the employer. Because there are confidentiality issues associated with the submission of documentation in these instances, Purchase College may choose to consult with the Attendance and Leave Unit at the Department of Civil Service when questions arise.

d. Employees who are victims of domestic violence and who separate from a spouse (or terminate a relationship with a domestic partner, if covered), shall be allowed to make reasonable changes in benefits at any time during the calendar year where possible, in accordance with statute, regulation, contract and policy.

e.New York State has established that victims of domestic violence are now a protected class in the employment provisions of the NYS human rights law. This law prevents an employer from firing or refusing to hire an individual based on their status as a victim of domestic violence and prevents discrimination in compensation or in the terms, conditions or privileges of employment. Purchase College will not make inquiries about a job applicant’s current or past domestic violence victimization, and employment decisions will not be based on any assumptions about or knowledge of such exposure.

f. In cases in which it is identified that an employee’s work performance difficulties are a result of being a victim of domestic violence, said employee shall be afforded all of the proactive measures outlined in this policy, and shall be provided clear information about performance expectations, priorities, and performance evaluation. If a disciplinary process is initiated, special care will be taken to consider all aspects of the victimized employee’s situation. Purchase College shall utilize all reasonable available options to resolve work-related performance problems, and may make a referral to the Employee Assistance Program, consistent with existing collective bargaining unit agreements, statute, regulations and agency policy.

g. If reasonable measures have been taken to resolve domestic violence-related work performance problems of victimized employees, but the performance problems persist and the employee is terminated or voluntarily separates from employment due to these domestic violence related issues, and the employee conveys to Purchase College that the separation is due to these domestic violence issues, Purchase College shall inform the employee of his or her potential eligibility for unemployment insurance and respond quickly to any requests for information that may be needed in the claims process. New York State law provides that a victim of domestic violence who voluntarily separates from employment may, under certain circumstances, be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. [§593 of NYS Labor Law.]

Additional information may be found on the New York State Department of Labor website.

III. Workplace Safety Plans

By means of a domestic violence workplace safety response plan, Purchase College shall make employees aware of their options and available resources and help employees safeguard each other and report domestic violence to designated officials.

a. The designated liaisons between Purchase College and SUNY System Administration are Odile Delgado, Employee Assistance Program Coordinator and Cindy Markus-Jones, University Police Inspector. These liaisons will ensure campus wide implementation of this policy, and serve as the primary liaison with System Administration regarding this policy. The System Administration designated liaison will communicate with the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) on behalf of campuses as it relates to reporting.

b. Additionally, the following individuals/offices are designated as available to support those in need of assistance concerning domestic violence: Kathleen Farrell, Director of Human Resources.

c. Purchase College shall comply and assist with enforcement of all known court Orders of Protection (OP) [1], particularly orders in which the abuser has been ordered to stay away from the work site. If requested by the victim of domestic violence or law enforcement, the College shall provide information in its possession concerning an alleged violation of an order of protection.

Employees are encouraged to bring their Orders of Protection (OP) to the attention of either the Chief of Police from UPD or the Director of Human Resources. Once the OP has been brought forward, detail where the document will be kept and who will have access to it, for example, in a locked file cabinet in the HR office, accessible only to the person who initially received it from the employee. In the case of a workplace emergency requiring the presentation of the OP to law enforcement, if the Chief of Police is unavailable to obtain the document, the Director of Human Resources will have access to the cabinet where the document is locked.

The Chief of Police will discuss with the employee a plan on how to best proceed to ensure the safest possible work environment for the employee and the rest of the staff. With the permission of the employee, this may include: detail options that may be available in your workplace, for example, providing a copy of the OP and/or photo of perpetrator to security or front desk personnel; discussion of who should be told if there is not security or front desk staff, such as identifying supervisor/colleagues who will be able to assist with the identification of the perpetrator; blocking the subject, perpetrator, of the OP from being entered into the Visitor Management System (VMS); and creating a personal workplace safety plan (see Model Policy Section III f.). The employee is responsible to notify the Chief of Police if there are any changes to the OP.

d. Purchase College maintains an emergency security response plan, which includes procedures for contacting University Police and possibly other appropriate law enforcement agencies, and which provides employees with clear instructions about what to do and who to contact if they observe anyone engaging in threatening behavior.

e. Purchase College will discuss with a known victim of domestic violence the limitations on confidentiality under New York State Law (See Section VII [h]; NYS Agencies Responsibility d – g).

f. As part of an emergency security response plan,Purchase College shall take actions to assist in mitigating reoccurrence of domestic violence in an effort to protect all employees including the victim. These actions may include, but are not limited to, advising co-workers and, upon request, the employee’s bargaining representative, of the situation; setting up procedures for alerting University Police; temporary relocation of the victim to a secure area; options for voluntary transfer or permanent relocation to a new work site; change of work schedule, reassignment of parking space; escort for entry to and exit from the building; responding to telephone, fax, e-mail or mail harassment; and keeping a photograph of the abuser and/or a copy of any existing court orders of protection in a confidential on-site location and providing copies to University Police. Purchase College will address any additional concerns raised by a situation in which both the victim and offender are employed by Purchase College.

g. This policy shall be reviewed annually. Any substantive policy revisions and updates shall be forwarded to OPDV.

IV. Accountability for Employees Who Are Offenders

Purchase College will hold employees accountable for engaging in the following behavior: (1) using state resources to commit an act of domestic violence; (2) committing an act of domestic violence from or at the workplace or from any other location while on official state business; or (3) using their job- related authority and/or state resources in order to negatively affect victims and/or assist perpetrators in locating a victim and/or in perpetrating an act of domestic violence.

a. In cases in which Purchase College has found that an employee has threatened, harassed, or abused an intimate partner at the workplace using state resources such as work time, workplace telephones, FAX machines, mail, e-mail or other means, said employee may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action in accordance with existing collective bargaining unit agreements, statutes and regulations.

b. In cases in which Purchase College has verification that an employee is responsible for a domestic violence-related offense, or is the subject of any order of protection, including temporary, final or out-of-state order, as a result of domestic violence, and said employee has job functions that include the authority to take actions that directly impact victims of domestic violence and/or actions that may protect abusers from appropriate consequences for their behavior, Purchase College shall determine if corrective action is warranted, in accordance with existing collective bargaining unit agreements, statutes and regulations.

c. In cases in which any employee intentionally uses his/her job-related authority and/or intentionally uses state resources in order to negatively impact a victim of domestic violence, assist an abuser in locating a victim, assist an abuser in perpetrating acts of domestic violence, or protect an abuser from appropriate consequences for his behavior, said employee may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action, in accordance with existing collective bargaining unit agreements, statutes and regulations.

V. Firearms

Pursuant to New York State and federal law, a person convicted of a domestic violence-related crime or subject to an order of protection, under certain circumstances, forfeits the right to legally possess a firearm or long gun. Additionally, federal law contains prohibitions relating to shipping, transportation, or receiving firearms or ammunition.

a. In addition to complying with the law, employees who are authorized to carry a firearm as part of their job responsibilities are required to notify the campus if they are arrested on a domestic violence- related offense and/or served with an order of protection. Under certain circumstances, such employees are responsible for surrendering their firearms to the firearm-issuing agency or to the appropriate police agency.

b. Should an employee fail to comply with the requirements set forth in section “V(a)”, said employee may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action, in accordance with existing collective bargaining unit agreements, statute or regulations. In addition, the appropriate law enforcement agency shall be notified for possible criminal action.

VI. Training

Odile Delgado, Employee Assistance Program Coordinator and Cindy Markus-Jones, University Police Inspector, and all personnel designated to provide support for those in need of assistance shall complete OPDV’s one-day training on Domestic Violence and the Workplace. All appropriate managers, supervisors, employee assistance professionals, human resources personnel, union and labor representatives and security staff will be encouraged to attend OPDV’s training on Domestic Violence and the Workplace. Additionally, Purchase College shall make available for staff training on domestic violence and its impact on the workplace using materials provided by OPDV through the campus, OPDV and/or a local domestic violence service provider when scheduling permits.

VII. Purchase College Responsibility

a. Purchase College believes that domestic violence is behavior that cannot be tolerated and, to that end will, actively provide information and support to employees who are victims of such abuse.

b. Purchase College will disseminate copies of this Domestic Violence and the Workplace Policy to all employees upon implementation and to all new employees upon hiring or appointment.

c. Purchase College encourages all employees to review and follow this policy and the procedures set forth herein.

d. Purchase College will, consistent with applicable law and campus policy, document all incidents of domestic violence that happen in the workplace. Such documents should be provided to the designated liaison to System Administration as soon as practicable. Such documents shall be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law and campus policy and the provisions of section “g” detailed below.

e. All Purchase College employees providing domestic violence information and support services shall document, consistent with applicable law and agency policy, the number of employees who report domestic violence, the number of employees that request information/services, and the number of referrals made to domestic violence service providers. All information about employees who seek assistance shall be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law and campus policy and the provisions of section g detailed below, and documentation should not include any personal information. The number of employees seeking assistance as outlined above shall be reported to the designated liaison to System Administration.

f. The designated liaison to System Administration shall, consistent with applicable law and Purchase College policy, provide information about the number and general nature of domestic violence incidents that happen in the workplace, the number of employees who report domestic violence, the number of employees that request information/services, and the number of referrals made to domestic violence service providers, with no personally identifying information, to OPDV at the time and in a manner determined by OPDV.

g. Information related to an employee being a victim of domestic violence shall be kept confidential, to the extent permitted by law and campus policy, and shall not be divulged without the written consent of the victimized employee, unless the campus determines that maintaining said confidentiality puts the victim or other employees at risk of physical harm, is required by law, or is deemed necessary to enforce an order of protection. In such circumstances where a determination has been made that maintaining confidentiality puts the victim or other employees at risk of physical harm, only those individuals deemed necessary by the campus to protect the safety of the victim and/or other employees or to enforce an order of protection shall be given such information. Purchase College shall disclose only the minimum amount of information necessary to protect the safety of the victim and/or other employees or enforce an order of protection. Where possible, Purchase College will provide to the victim of domestic violence notice of the intent to provide information to other employees and/or safety personnel. Nothing herein shall prevent Purchase College from investigating an act or acts of domestic violence occurring in the workplace. Some examples of situations where confidentiality cannot be maintained include the following:

Supervisors/managers may be informed about a domestic violence incident that happens in the workplace, or a report of domestic violence, if it is necessary to protect the safety of the employee or the employee’s co-workers.
First aid and safety personnel may be informed about a domestic violence incident that happens in the workplace or a report of domestic violence, if it is necessary to protect the safety of the employee or the employee’s co-workers.
Government officials investigating a domestic violence incident that occurs in the workplace, or a report of domestic violence, shall be provided relevant information upon request and in accordance with legal requirements.

h. While reported information is kept private to the greatest extent possible by Federal law, State law, and campus policy, New York State law includes clear limitations on legal confidentiality. Information reported to anyone not in a position listed below may have to be disclosed pursuant to a subpoena, where otherwise required by law or in accordance with Section VII, paragraph g above. Such confidentiality exists in certain (but not all) instances for certain medical personnel and counselors, social workers, clergy, attorneys, and rape crisis counselors and may in fact be required to be turned over in these cases through a subpoena or court order. Please note that where medical information is received from an employee who is the victim of domestic violence, such medical information shall be kept confidential to the extent required by and permitted by New York State and Federal laws including, but not limited to, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, if they apply to the employee’s situation.

APPENDIX

Information to be Included in Campus Posting Regarding Domestic Violence and the Workplace

At a minimum, the following information shall be provided to current employees and new employees and included in poster posted in areas where employment information is ordinarily posted:

a. Information regarding domestic violence and available resources in the work site. Such information shall include available sources of assistance such as Employee Assistance Program, local domestic violence service providers, the NYS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault hotline, and/or human resources personnel who are trained and available to serve as confidential sources of information, support, and referral. Additionally, the poster may include information regarding domestic violence programs located on the OPDV website.

b. A statement informing employees that New York State law prohibits insurance companies and health maintenance organizations from discriminating against domestic violence victims or designation of domestic violence as a pre-existing condition [§2612 of the Insurance Law].

Additionally, Purchase College shall integrate information on domestic violence and this domestic violence and the workplace policy into existing materials and literature, policies, protocols, and procedures, including the Public Employer Workplace Violence Prevention Programs [2] as appropriate.

Available Resources Regarding Domestic Violence:

NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline – 24 hour Hotline
English, Spanish and Multi-language 1-800-942-6906, Dial 711 for deaf or hard of hearing
In New York City: 1-800-621-HOPE (4673) or Dial 311, TTY: 1-866-604-5350

You can also send a text to (844) 997-2121, or Chat privately with a DV/SA Advocate on a secure website - Click here to access the Chat Portal.

New York State Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-342-3720, TDD/TTY - 1-800-638-5163

National Domestic Violence Abuse Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233), TTY: 1-800-787-3224

Westchester County Resources

My Sisters’ Place
1-800-298-SAFE (7233) – 24 hour Hotline
914-683-1333 (White Plains)
914-358-0333 (Yonkers)

Hope’s Door
1-888-438-8700 – Shelter 24 hour Hotline

Westchester County Office for Women (Mon – Fri 9am-5pm)
914-995-5972, 914-995-6581 – Spanish (White Plains)
914-231-2882 – Spanish (Yonkers)
After hours / weekends - 914-995-2099

Family Justice Center
For help with child care & child support
914-995-3100

Victims Assistance Services
914-345-3113

Victims Justice Center (Mon – Fri 9am-5pm)
Victim advocate to accompany to court
914-995-3300, Spanish: 914-995-3447
Identity Theft: 914-995-0002

NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 South Swan Street, 11^th floor, rm.1157
Albany, NY 12210
518-457-5800
1-800-942-6906 – English, Spanish and Multi-language

Rev. SUNY Model Domestic Violence and the Workplace Policy: October 2017

[1] Purchase College shall comply and assist with enforcement of all known court Orders of Protection, particularly orders in which abusers have been ordered to stay away from the work site. If requested by the victim of domestic violence or law enforcement, the agency shall provide information in its possession concerning an alleged violation of an order of protection.

[2] 1 12 NYCRR pt.800.16 Public Employer Workplace Violence Prevention Programs

Revised 10-2018

Extra Service and Also Receives Compensation Policy

Extra Service Compensation

Extra service for professional staff, both academic and non-academic, at Purchase College is defined in two ways:

Work performed by academic and professional staff in a State payroll agency other than the one to which the employee is regularly assigned.
Special assignment performed by academic and professional staff at his or her own campus which is substantially different from an individual’s professional responsibilities. Extra service assignments may be performed on the home campus but must be in addition to and must not interfere with the individual’s regular responsibilities. These assignments may involve, but are not limited to, teaching, research, and public service. Extra service must be closely monitored. It must be clearly demonstrated that any extra service exceeds that which is normally performed under the employee’s regular obligation.

Extra service compensation must not be used in lieu of overtime for employees deemed non-exempt under The Fair Labor Standards Act. Overtime is a continuation of an employee’s normal job responsibilities.

All extra service assignments at Purchase College may only be offered subject to the advance approval of the individual’s immediate supervisor and the appropriate senior College Officer. Written approval for extra service assignments must be obtained prior to the commencement of additional responsibilities. Extra service performed in advance of such approval will not be compensated. The Board of Trustees granted authority for approval of extra service to the Chancellor, who in turn delegated responsibility for action on individual requests for other than M/C employees to the Chief Administrative Officer of each campus. Extra service for M/C employees requires approval of the Chancellor or his designee.

SUNY compensation for extra service is not to exceed an amount equal to 20 percent of base annual salary in any academic or calendar year. For example, a professional staff member earning a salary of $25,000 may not be paid more than $5,000 for extra service during the course of his or her annual professional obligation. Depending upon the employee’s primary State employment status and the nature of the extra service assignment to be performed, certain approvals must be obtained before this campus, or other State payroll agencies are able to pay individuals for extra service. Contact the Human Resources Office for forms and guidance.

Sponsored research performed during the academic year may compensate a participating faculty or staff member with an adjustment in the professional obligation, but should not normally lead to extra compensation. However, sponsored activities with contractually-obligated end products, conducted during the academic year, may compensate a participating faculty or staff member either with an adjustment in the professional obligation or with extra compensation. Any extra compensation, however, must be approved in advance by the Dean and the Provost, and should be built into the contract and specifically approved by the sponsor, with the appropriate Senior College Officer’s notified of such provision at the time the project is submitted.

For nine and ten-month academic staff, service with compensation may be performed during the summer. Summer session compensation and professional obligation are spelled out in the normal summer session contract. Other assignments and compensation supported either by college, Research Foundation, or Purchase College Foundation funds may be negotiated and must have the approval of a Dean, where appropriate, and the Provost.

Extra Service - Professional Staff

The following policy is applicable to performance of service beyond that normally required by the professional obligation as defined by the individual’s performance program. Extra service for professional staff performed on campus is defined in two ways:

Teaching a course may be considered beyond the normal professional responsibility, and thus “extra service” for both part-time and full-time employees when it is:

Performed entirely outside of their normal work obligation; and
Performed with the departmental approval normally accorded to part-time or adjunct teaching appointments; and
Has the approval of the appropriate Senior College Officer or, in the case of M/C staff, of the President in advance of the start of the obligation.
M/C staff holding continuing academic appointments may occasionally wish to teach as an extension of their professional responsibilities. Such teaching will normally not be considered “extra service” for the purpose of additional compensation.

Additional assignments may be considered substantially different from or in addition to an individual’s full-time professional responsibilities when it is:

Performed entirely outside of their normal work day; and
An assignment that is separate and apart from the employee’s normal obligation and not merely an extension of that normal obligation; and
An assignment that goes beyond meeting the normal operational needs of the department, and
An assignment that is part-time; and
An assignment that is temporary; and
Has the approval of the appropriate Officer or, in the case of M/C staff, of the President in advance of the start of the obligation.

Additional assignments may be considered substantially different from or in addition to an individual’s part-time professional responsibilities when it is for a period of time longer than six (6) months. In these cases, the terms of appointment (contract) must be adjusted.

Extra Service - Faculty

The following policy is applicable to performance of service beyond that normally required by the professional obligation. Extra service for faculty performed on campus is defined in two ways:

A course may be considered beyond the usual professional responsibility and thus “extra service” when it is:

a non-credit course, taught in addition to the regular departmental assignment of credit courses; or
beyond the six course equivalent in teaching duties in an academic year for full-time faculty; or
less than a full-semester course or part of a full-semester course, taught in addition to the originally contracted responsibilities of a part-time faculty member; or
taught by a part-time term faculty and is beyond that faculty member’s established, typical workload. For a part-time temp faculty, a revised contract is required; or
private or ensemble music lessons, or
summer teaching.

Additional non-teaching administrative assignments may be considered extra service when it is:

Performed beyond the scope of normal full-time faculty workload obligation of teaching, advising, professional and scholarly development, and campus and community participation; and
Has the approval of the appropriate senior College Officer or, in the case of M/C staff, of the President in advance of the start of the obligation.
Specific, part-time administrative duties assigned to, and voluntarily assumed by instructional faculty during the course of the academic year should be compensated first, by an adjustment in the professional obligation, and second, by extra compensation normally not to exceed the prevailing stipend for department chairs.

Also Receives Compensation

Also Receives Compensation should be used when the work to be performed by the employee is:

less than one year
substantially different and in addition to an individual’s professional work obligation, and
performed during an employee’s normal work shift.

For an assignment expected to be greater than one year, contact Human Resources to review the assignment. Additionally, Also Receives compensation may not be used for employees who are paid on an hourly, fixed rate or biweekly basis. As with Extra Service, employees may only earn up to twenty percent (20%) of their base annual salary within the calendar or academic year as appropriate.

All requests for Also Receives compensation must include an Also Receives Letter of Justification. Also Receives compensation awards for M/C employees require additional approval by SUNY and therefore may result in a payment delay.

Extra Service Funded Via a Research Foundation Grant

As with state funded Extra Service, an employee’s Extra Service compensation funded via a Research Foundation grant is subject to the SUNY Policy that states that compensation for Extra Service is not to exceed an amount equal to twenty (20) percent of an employee’s base annual salary in a fiscal (calendar) year beginning July 1 or academic year beginning September 1, as appropriate.

Changes in an Employees Extra Service or Also Receives Assignment

It is the responsibility of the department that processed the Extra Service request to immediately notify Human Resources of any changes to an employee’s assignment (i.e. change in days, hours, work assignment location/area), or if the assignment ceases before the effective end date listed on the PAF. All notifications must be sent via email to: Ricardo.espinales@purchase.edu and Paula-rankine.belgrave@purchase.edu

These amendments were made to insure our continued compliance with SUNY’s Extra Service and Also Receives Policy and Procedures and the policies outlined by the Office of the State Comptroller and SUNY System Administration.

Extra Service and Also Receives Compensation Processing Procedures

1. EXTRA SERVICE COMPENSATION

All requests for Extra Service (ES) compensation must include the following documentation:

Letter of Justification for Extra Service
UP-8 Form - Request for Approval of Extra Service for SUNY Professional Service Unit Employees (NU08), or
UP-6 Form* – Request for Approval of Extra Service for M/C Employees

*Extra Service compensation awards for M/C employees require additional approval by SUNY and therefore may result in a payment delay.

All forms may be downloaded from the Purchase College HR Forms website.

Extra Service should only be used for an employee when the work to be performed by the employee is; 1) performed entirely outside an employee’s normal work day/shift, 2) substantially different from an individual’s professional work obligation as defined by the employee’s performance program, and 3) must not interfere with the employee’s regular responsibilities. Additionally, SUNY Policy states that compensation for Extra Service is not to exceed an amount equal to twenty (20) percent of an employee’s base annual salary in a fiscal (calendar) year beginning July 1 or academic year beginning September 1, as appropriate.

Note: In those situations where the work to be performed will be performed during an employee’s normal work day/shift, please refer to the “Also Receives” section of this memo.

Letter of Justification

A standardized Letter of Justification has been created for your convenience. The letter of justification should include the following information:

A brief description of the current duties performed by the employee to fulfill their state paid professional obligation, including identification of their regular work schedule (days and hours worked) and current teaching obligation (course # and title, scheduled contact hours/week and credits) (if applicable)
A brief description of the duties to be performed as part of the proposed ES assignment, including identification of the Extra Service work schedule (days and hours to be worked). The description must clearly show that the Extra Service assignment is separate and distinct from the work performed as part of the employee’s normal professional obligation.
The department head/supervisor requesting the ES/AR assignment (not the employee performing the ES/AR assignment) must initiate and sign (at the top) the letter of justification.
The letter of justification must be endorsed (at the bottom) by the employee’s immediate supervisor (not the employee performing the ES/AR assignment).

Personnel Action Form (PAF)

The PAF must indicate the total budgeted amount of Extra Service anticipated to be spent for the entire extra service period as well as the per hour rate. Note: The total budgeted amount must correspond with the submitted schedule for Extra Service work hours to be performed as described in the Letter of Justification. If the employee will be performing new or additional teaching responsibilities, the teaching workload must be identified in the PAF/Courses section.

Extra Service Processing Procedures

Requests for Extra Service compensation should be initiated by the requesting department at least four (4) weeks prior to the performance of Extra Service. However, it is recognized that it is not always possible to submit the Extra Service request within the four week timeframe. In emergent situations where an employee is required to begin an Extra Service assignment sooner, please contact Human Resources for assistance in expediting the approval process.

It should be noted that professional staff cannot receive extra service compensation during their normal professional work obligation period. For example, an employee working during the College’s normal operating hours, Monday through Friday may not receive extra service to teach a course or perform another job function during those days and hours. If the employee were to teach a course or perform another job function during those days and hours, it would be deemed to be double pay for the same hours.

Please note that an employee may only begin working their Extra Service assignment once the PAF has received final approval. Subsequently, in accordance with SUNY Policy, Purchase College may not compensate employees for Extra Service performed prior to departments receiving approval from Human Resources.

Extra Service Payroll Voucher

Faculty/Staff Paid a Predetermined Amount of Compensation

Faculty and staff assigned additional teaching/instructional or non-teaching administrative responsibilities during the academic or calendar year, who are to receive a predetermined amount of compensation during the semester, will not have to submit an Extra Service Payroll Voucher to Human Resources for payment of services rendered under Extra Service.

It is strongly advised that the department submitting a request for Extra Service use and maintain the Extra Service Payroll Voucher as a work-log and supporting documentation for the extra service assignment. The voucher should include the days and times worked and employee’s and supervisor’s signature. The Extra Service Payroll Voucher should be attached to a copy of the Extra Service request (PAF, UP-8 or UP-6, Letter of Justification) and filed in a central departmental file. Since the college is subject to audits by SUNY and OSC, the college may be asked to provide additional evidence that an employee’s extra service assignment was completed, such as a work log, supervisor attestation, or similar supporting documentation. It is the responsibility of the department overseeing the Extra Service work to maintain this supporting documentation

Faculty and Staff paid on an Hourly Basis

Faculty and Staff assigned additional teaching/instructional or non-teaching administrative responsibilities during the academic or calendar year, who are to be paid on an hourly basis, are required to submit an Extra Service Payroll Voucher to Human Resources on a biweekly basis for payment of services rendered under Extra Service.

Extra Service compensation awards will not be made unless Human Resources has received the Extra Service Payroll Voucher

Submission of an Extra Service Payroll Voucher

Extra Service Payroll Vouchers will only be accepted after the request for Extra Service has been approved by Human Resources. All vouchers must include the following information:

• Name of Employee

• Social Security Number

• Department Authorizing Extra Service Claim

• Extra Service Position Title

• Extra Service Begin and End Date

• All actual hours and days worked for the month

• Grand Total of Hours worked for the month

• Encumbrance Summary section

2. Also Receives Compensation

Also Receives Compensation should be used when the work to be performed by the employee is:

less than one year
substantially different and in addition to an individual’s professional work obligation, and
performed during an employee’s normal work shift.

All requests for Also Receives compensation must include the following documentation:

 Letter of Justification for Also Receives

*Also Receives compensation awards for M/C employees require additional approval by SUNY and therefore may result in a payment delay.

Letter of Justification

The Also Receives letter of justification should include the following information:

A brief description of the current duties performed by the employee to fulfill their state paid professional obligation, including identification of their regular work schedule (days and hours worked) and current teaching obligation (course # and title, scheduled contact hours/week and credits) (if applicable), and
A brief description of the duties to be performed as part of the proposed Also Receives assignment. The description must clearly delineate that the proposed Also Receives assignment is a temporary assignment (state period of assignment) and is in addition to the work performed as part of the employee’s normal professional obligation.
The department head/supervisor requesting the ES/AR assignment (not the employee performing the ES/AR assignment) must initiate and sign (at the top) the letter of justification.
The letter of justification must be endorsed (at the bottom) by the employee’s immediate supervisor (not the employee performing the ES/AR assignment).

Personnel Action Form (PAF)

The PAF must indicate the total budgeted amount of Also Receives anticipated to be spent for the entire period and the effective dates of service. If the employee will be performing new or additional teaching responsibilities, the teaching workload must be identified in the PAF/Courses section.

Also Receives Processing Procedures

Requests for Also Receives compensation should be initiated by the requesting department at least four (4) weeks prior to the performance of services. However, it is recognized that it is not always possible to submit the Also Receives request within the four week timeframe. In emergent situations where an employee is required to begin performing services sooner, please contact Human Resources for assistance in expediting the approval process.

Compensation for Also Receives services performed prior to departments receiving notification from Human Resources will not be processed.

Payment of Also Receives

Once an Also Receives request has been endorsed by Human Resources, payment will be set up that corresponds to the effective dates of service.

3. Extra Service Funded Via a Research Foundation Grant

4. Changes in an Employee’s Extra Service or Also Receives Assignment

Family Medical Leave Act

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows employees up to twelve (12) weeks job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons. Employees are eligible if they:

work for a covered employer;
have worked for the employer for a total of 12 months;
have worked at least 1,250 hours over the previous twelve (12) months; and
work at a location in the United States or in any territory or possession of the United States where at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles.

Leave may be requested under the Family Medical Leave Act for the following reasons:

to care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
to care for the employee’s spouse, child or parent who has a serious health condition;
for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform their job;
for qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter or parent is on active duty or call to active duty as a member of the National Guard in support of a contingency operation.

FMLA Military Family Leave Entitlements allows an eligible employee who is a spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin of current member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, with a serious injury or illness up to a total of 26 work weeks of unpaid leave during a “single 12-month period” to care for a service member.

An employee is required to provide at least thirty (30) days advance notice and medical documentation for foreseeable leave including planned medical treatment for a serious injury or illness of a covered service member unless not practical.

If you have any questions, please contact Noemi Spaziante, Benefits Coordinator at (914) 251-6448.

Professional Staff Salary Increases & Promotions

Definitions:

Promotion shall mean an increase in a professional staff member’s basic annual salary accompanied by movement to a higher salary level with a change in title. The two distinct routes for such promotions are:

Vacancy Promotions: Movement to another position, either within the Department or on the campus, of greater scope and complexity resulting in a permanent and significant increase or change in the employee’s duties and responsibilities; or
Reclassification Promotions: Reclassification of the employee’s existing title to a higher grade as a result of a permanent increase in the scope and complexity of function of the employee’s position.

Salary increases are increases in a professional staff member’s base annual salary associated with such employee’s defined period of professional obligation. Six types of salary increases are common for professional staff within SUNY. They include:

Across-the-board increases negotiated for all employees in the professional services negotiating unit that are usually calculated as a percentage of the employee’s current salary.
Discretionary increases from a pool of monies provided by the Chancellor/System Administration for management titles, or as a result of negotiations between the State and the professional services negotiating unit, for other professional staff titles, awarded (usually on the basis of merit and traditionally, also on the basis of inequity) in accordance with locally developed discretionary salary increase guidelines (see page 8 of this report, Specific DSI Guidelines).
Promotional increases funded out of the College’s operating budget for promotions as defined and approved in accordance with these procedures.
Market value based increases, funded out of the College’s operating budget for employees in critical fields where demand has caused significant increases in the market value of their specialization to the extent that we need to meet that demand to maintain their services and morale.
Expanding workload increases, funded out of the College’s operating budget for employees who, over time, have had their duties and responsibilities increased significantly enough to be recognized by an “in title” salary adjustment.
Inequity increases, funded out of the College’s operating budget, for employees whose performance evaluations are consistently high and whose salaries are below an average range paid to peers having comparable performance requirements and years of service at Purchase College, within SUNY, and/or at other comparable institutions of higher education as reflected in College, SUNY, and/or national salary surveys.

Procedures for Vacancy Promotions:

Hiring departments that have vacancies as a result of turnover, promotion or a newly created position must adhere to the following hiring procedures:

Hiring departments will prepare and submit a Recruitment Authorization Form (RAF) to begin the recruitment process. Once the RAF has been approved by all signatories, the vacancy will be posted on the College’s job vacancy website for thirty (30) days. During the 30 day posting period all applicants (internal and external) have the opportunity to apply online for the vacancy. At the end of the 30 day posting period the Affirmative Action Officer will provide electronic access to the Search Committee to all the online applications that have been submitted for the specific vacancy. The search committee is encouraged to interview all qualified internal applicants who meet the qualifications for the job posting.

If at the end of the search committees interview process an internal applicant is chosen and approved to be hired against the job vacancy, the hiring department will prepare a Personnel Action Form (PAF) to effect the hire.

Procedures for Reclassification Promotions and Salary Increases:

In the cases of promotional reclassifications and salary increases, the following procedures will be followed. Proposals requesting reclassification promotions or salary increases may by submitted by employees or their supervisors for review by the appropriate senior College Officer. Those recommendations receiving approval from the senior Officer will be forwarded, with identification of the funding source and approval of the Budget Office, to the Human Resources Office for analysis. Upon completion of this analysis, the Human Resources Office will forward the entire packet including a summary of the analysis to the President. Following presidential review and, if required, a review by the Budget Office, the President will notify the Human Resources Office of approval/disapproval. If approved by the President, the Human Resources Office will advise the appropriate Officer of the approval, provide an appropriate effective date, and request the preparation and submission of the Personnel Action form. If disapproved by the President, the Human Resources Office will advise the appropriate Officer of the decision. The employee will also be notified by the Office of Human Resources via the returned Request for Promotion form, which will be accompanied by a Request for Review form.

Reclassification promotion and salary increase proposals must include the following documentation:

a copy of the employee’s current performance program or job description. Expanded workload proposals require that all performance programs prepared since the last salary increase granted for any reason other than across-the-board or merit be included in the review.
a copy of the proposed new performance program or job description in which the changes in duties and responsibilities are clearly highlighted
an organizational chart for the professional staff member’s area which includes titles, salary grades, and salaries of all positions at, or above, the level of the position in question, as well as all positions directly subordinate to the position
a written statement that addresses the following
- The impact of the new duties (i.e. does the change constitute a new position or function; do the changes clearly constitute an increase in duties and/or responsibilities; or is the employee being relieved of other former responsibilities at the same time? If other duties and responsibilities are being removed, how will they be accomplished in the future, if necessary, and what will they cost, etc.?).
- The impact of such an approval upon professional staff throughout the College (i.e., will the increase in duties and responsibilities be obvious to them? Will it generate similar requests?).

All promotions will be accompanied by a salary increase funded from the College’s operating budget, which will result in a new salary that is not less than the minimum of the salary level for the new title.

Guidelines for Extraordinary Weather Conditions

STATE POLICY

It is State policy not to close State facilities, offices, or operations as a result of extraordinary weather conditions. In all such circumstances, offices are considered open for business.

Notwithstanding the above stated policy, it is understandable that in certain extraordinary situations it may not be possible for employees to get to work. This could be due to impassable roads, declaration of a State of emergency by a governmental official, etc. (NOTE: A declaration of emergency, even by the Governor, does not automatically mean closure of State offices. If there were to be closure of State offices in such a situation, that determination would result from a separate action by the Governor.) Certainly, employees as citizens are expected to abide by civil authority. Nevertheless, even in such situations, absence is the employee’s responsibility and employees will be expected to charge their absence to accumulated vacation, personal, or overtime compensatory leave accruals.

There may be rare instances where a State office, facility, or operations must be closed. It is possible that this might occur prior to the commencement of the business day or during the business day, requiring Directed Early Departure. While agency management and/or appropriate emergency personnel may direct an “emergency evacuation” of a State facility due to building safety conditions, individual appointing authorities do not have the authority to close an office or facility or send employees home without charge to leave accruals. Offices or facilities may only be closed by order of the Governor.

It should be noted that even when closures occur, employees performing essential services are expected to report to work in emergencies as part of their job responsibilities related to the emergency itself, and/or for the care and custody of clients in hospitals and facilities. Agencies are reminded that offices should not be closed solely due to weather conditions; offices should remain open for those employees who are able to report to work.

Purchase College Policy

The official Purchase College policy on extraordinary weather requires that normal operations be continued as much as possible. Essential College services include:

Heating / Plumbing
Electrical
Custodial
Automotive
Grounds
Residential Facilities Management
Maintenance Trades
University Police
Residence Life
Food Services
Health Services
Library
Gym
Vice President of Student Affairs

Services must be maintained throughout severe weather events. College employees working in these areas should remain on duty or report to work to avoid interruption of these essential services, unless directed or permitted to do otherwise by their supervisors.

The Purchase College President (or designee) has the authority to take the following actions:

Cancel classes: When this decision has been made, absences of professional employees, librarians and management confidential employees on such days must be credited against compensatory time or vacation accruals. Full-time classified employees are provided with five (5) personal days annually to be used for personal business, religious observance or emergency weather situations. Absences due to inclement weather should be so charged. (the inclement weather option should only be used in the Time and Attendance System (TAS) when the Governor has closed the campus). Professional employees, librarians, and MC employees should first charge such absences against vacation or holiday compensatory time, or other compensatory time.
Excuse reasonable tardiness: This action is permitted without charge to leave credits when extraordinary weather conditions affect the arrival time of a significant number of employees. Full day absences, however, can never be excused without charge to leave credits or payroll adjustments.
Direct the early departure of employees: This action is permitted, without charge to leave accruals or payroll adjustments, when in the opinion of the Campus President and the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) the weather is severe enough to make travel dangerous. This may be enacted in only the most extreme situations.
Authorize early departure of employees: The College President may authorize this action with appropriate charge to leave accruals or payroll adjustments when weather conditions make transportation dangerous.

ESSENTIAL PURCHASE COLLEGE SERVICES

The schedules for essential college services during a weather emergency are as follows:

Food Services
Health Services
Residence Life

All will maintain normal operating hours.

Library

Early Dismissals

Sunday-Thursday - Close at 11:00 pm
Friday & Saturday - Close at 6:00 pm

All Day Closures

Sunday - Noon to 11:00 pm
Monday-Thursday - 10:30 am to 11:00 pm

Delayed Openings

Friday - 10:30 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday - 11:00 am to 6:00 pm

Circulation services will be available. Other services may be curtailed.

During inter-sessions, the Library may close earlier than its normal inter-session hours.

Gym

Gym Hours

Monday-Thursday - 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday - 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday - 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Pool Hours

Monday-Thursday - Noon to 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday - Noon to 2:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday - 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

IMPLEMENTATION OF PURCHASE COLLEGE POLICY

The Provost and Emergency Response Team are responsible for monitoring weather reports and weather conditions for the College. In the performance of these duties, they will consult with the United States Weather Service, State, local and county policy and the College’s Director of Facilities Management to monitor the effect of storm conditions on transportation to and on the campus.

The Provost and / or Emergency Response Team will contact the other senior College Officers to discuss whether the reports indicate that weather conditions will probably severely disrupt transportation and warrant administrative action. To be considered is the impact of the weather on classes as well as any scheduled events. Whenever possible, information on scheduled events should be communicated by the Deans, Chairs and Directors to their senior College Officer by close of business the day before the anticipated weather event.

The Officers will make a decision. The decision may be one or some combination of the four options outlined in the Purchase College Policy.

Communication to the College community will be made as follows:

Updates on the Weather Emergency Hotline (914-251-7500) & Portal page will take place by 5:30AM for day classes and college business hours. Postings will take place by 2:30PM for evening classes.
Rave Alert System - which allows us to send the entire community emergency notifications via phone, text and email. Text messages will now be included for weather related campus-wide delays and cancelations. The text will be from 78015.

If classes are cancelled after the beginning of the instructional day, the announcement will be communicated to the campus via broadcast email.

If supervisors receive requests from employees for approval of early departures because the employees are concerned about the effects of weather on travel but the weather has not been deemed severe enough to justify authorized departures, the supervisors should not deny such requests as unreasonable - keeping in mind the maintenance of campus essential services. As mentioned, however, early departures requested by employees and approved by supervisors, require appropriate charges to leave accruals or payroll adjustments. (Payroll adjustments will only be made in cases where there are no appropriate accruals to charge.)

If the President determines that an authorized early departure is warranted, he or she will so advise the other Vice Presidents and the Provost. Those officers will then notify all supervisory personnel in their areas to begin directing employees not required for essential services to leave work. Employees should not leave their work locations until directed to do so by their supervisors. As previously stated, authorized absences must be charged to leave accruals.

If the President and the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations determine that a directed early departure is warranted, the President will notify the College Officers and the Chief Human Resources Officer. The Chief Human Resources Officer will notify all employees via campus wide broadcast. Employees should not leave their work locations until directed to do so by their supervisors. As previously stated, directed absences will be without charge to leave accruals.

* In the event of a major storm, an operations center will be established in the University Police Office in accordance with the College’s Emergency Response Plan. Emergency situations and response to such emergencies will be monitored and coordinated from this center.

updated 2/5/2020

HONORARIUM PAYMENTS

An Honorarium is a payment to an individual for a presentation-oriented, guest lecture or invitational event (“usual academic activities”), which include lecturing, teaching, and sharing knowledge of performance (when audience composed on non-paying students and/or is open to the public free of charge).

If the individual is a Foreign National, make sure that the FN has the appropriate visa that allows such a payment

Honorarium Rule (“9/5/6 Rule”)

Foreign nationals in B-1, B-2, VWB and VWT status may accept an honorarium and/or reimbursement of travel expenses under the following conditions:

For “usual academic activity or activities”
9 days or less at any single institution
The individual has accepted such payment from no more than 5 institutions
In the previous 6 month period

Who is Eligible to Receive Honorarium Payments?

B-1 or B-2 visa holders
VWB or VWT: cannot enter the U.S. on B-2 or VWT for the activity, only if already in the U.S.
J-1 Scholars for occasional lecture if permitted by sponsoring institution
H-1B, E-3, TN, and O-1 visa holders ONLY if sponsored by host institution. These individuals can only receive reimbursement for travel or incidental expenses. Payment would need to run through visa petitioner.

Taxation/Withholding

Honorarium paid to FN is subject to 30% withholding, unless person can claim a tax treaty benefit. Travel reimbursement is not subject to withholding as it is not income.

Letter of Invitation from Host Institution

Letter of invitation must be sent to each invited FN who will receive payment for services/expenses, and should contain:
Detailed description of event
Date of event
Amount of any payment to be made
Whether travel and/or incidental expenses will be reimbursed
Contact information for the host institution

President’s Message

Dear Purchase College Community,

The College is committed to providing a learning environment which is healthy and productive and which supports the intellectual, aesthetic, physical and social development of individual students. In compliance with the Federal Drug Free School and Communities Act of 1989, this brochure sets forth the policies and standards of conduct which will be assigned for violation of these policies, but it also provides information concerning the availability of counseling and treatment possibilities for those in difficulty. I am asking for your help and cooperation. I hope you will read this booklet, abide by the regulations, and join me in my commitments to creating a productive, drug-free learning and living environment.

Sincerely,
Milagros (Milly) Peña, PhD
President

PHILOSOPHY
Purchase College is committed to developing and maintaining the health, stability, and well being of the collegiate learning environment. The College considers possession, use, sale, and/or other distribution of illegal drugs to be detrimental to the individual student and to the educational process. In addition, the College considers underage use and/or possession of alcohol and supplying/selling alcohol to those under the legal drinking age to be detrimental to the individual student and to the educational process.

1. The use of illegal drugs is a threat to the health of the individual and also interferes with the efficient pursuit of individual educational goals.

2. The presence of illegal drugs is detrimental to the entire educational community. Their presence interferes with the educational, developmental and creative process.

3. Possession, use, sale or other distribution of illegal drugs violates federal, state, and local laws. The College expects adherence to these laws. No special exemption from civil or criminal law exists for members of a college community.

4. Underage possession/use of alcohol, and sale or other distribution of alcohol to those under the legal drinking age violates federal, state, and local laws. The College expects adherence to these laws. No special exemption from civil or criminal law exists for members of a college community.

Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy

Employees
New York State Prohibits on-the-job use or impairment from alcohol and controlled substances. An employee may be required to undergo medical testing if a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion that he or she is unable to perform duties due to the use of drugs or alcohol.

The unlawful use, possession, dispensing, manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances in all College work locations is prohibited. Employees who unlawfully use, possess, dispense, manufacture, or distribute controlled substances will be subject to disciplinary procedures consistent with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. Employees must notify the College’s Personnel Office of any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace, or at a work site, no later than five (5) working days after such conviction.

Enforcement
If the cause of the work impairment is found to be drug or alcohol related, the Director of Human Resources in conjunction with the employee’s supervisor, may refer the employee to voluntary and confidential participation in the statewide Employee Assistance Program. Other available options include pursuing disciplinary leave procedures or other disciplinary measures.

Violations of the State policy on alcohol and other substance abuse in the workplace may constitute grounds for disciplinary action pursuant to Section 75 of the Civil service Law or the Disciplinary Articles of collectively negotiated agreements.

Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989. The following is the Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy for employees and students at Purchase College. The term “controlled substances” as used herein refers to the hundreds of chemicals listed by the federal government in the Controlled Substance Act.

Students
No person shall possess, use, sell, or in any other way distribute narcotics, hallucinogens or controlled substances.

The use, sale, or possession of any drug paraphernalia, including but not limited to water pipes, bongs, and hypodermic syringes/needles not prescribed by a licensed physician will be subject to confiscation and disciplinary action.

Alcohol Policy

No person shall possess, sell, or give away alcoholic beverages without proper authorization in any building or on any property owned or controlled by Purchase College. Alcohol is permitted in students’ rooms within some residence halls and apartments if at least one resident of the room is over the legal drinking age, provided that no person under the age of 21 possesses or consumes said alcoholic beverages. Open containers may not be possessed anywhere on campus outside of individual residences unless so authorized in accordance with College regulations, local ordinances, and State law. Kegs and beer balls are not permitted in the residence areas and will be confiscated. The College holds persons responsible for their conduct at all times, including behaviors which occur under the influence of alcohol, and persons violating these policies will be subject to disciplinary action.

Enforcement
1. University Police Officers are authorized to arrest violators of alcohol and/or drug laws. If conditions warrant, the College may ask assistance of other law enforcement or investigative agencies. These agencies also have the legal right to operate on the campus without consulting the College. The College cannot and will not shield violators of alcohol and/or drug laws from law enforcement agencies.

2. Violations of these policies will result in disciplinary and/or administrative action, as well as criminal prosecution whenever feasible. Campus disciplinary action will be taken through the appropriate administrative discipline processes for employees and for students. Consequences may include termination or dismissal.

3. The College provides confidential counseling, educational programs, and other services for students seeking assistance related to the use of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Penalties for Drug Possession and Sale

Federal Penalties
The Federal Controlled Substances Act provides penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment and fines of up to $25,000 for unlawful distribution or possession with intent to distribute narcotics. For unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a person is subject to one year of imprisonment and fines up to $5,000. Any person who unlawfully distributes a controlled substance to a person under 21 years of age may be punished by up to twice the term of imprisonment and fine otherwise authorized by law.

Federal trafficking penalties for first offense Schedule I&II drugs range from a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of life in prison and a fine of $1 million for an individual or $10 million if not an individual. Penalties for first offense trafficking Schedule III&IV drugs range up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for an individual or $1 million if not an individual. Federal penalties for first offense trafficking marijuana range up to a maximum of life in prison and up to $4 million fine for an individual or $10 million if not an individual, depending on the quantity of marijuana.

Types of Drugs

Schedule I: Heroin, LSD, Mescaline, Psilocybin, other Hallucinogens, PCP, Quaaludes, marijuana, china white, mushrooms, ecstasy, GHB and MDA.

Schedule II: Morphine, Methadone, Oxycontin, Demerol, Codeine, precedent, Fentanyl, Dilaudid, Seconal, Nembutal, Cocaine,Crack, Amphetamines, and other opium and opium extracts and narcotics.

Schedule III: Certain barbiturates such as amobarbital and codeine containing medicines such as Fiorinal #3, Doriden, and codeine-based cough suppressants and all anabolic steroids.

Schedule IV: Barbiturates, narcotics and other stimulants including Valium, Talwin, Librium, Euqanil, Darvon, Darvocet, Placidyl, Tranzene, Serax, Ionamin (yellow jackets).

Schedule V: Compounds that contain very limited amounts of codeine, dihydro-codeine, ethlymorphine, opium, and atromine (Robitussin AC).

Schedule VI: Marijuana, THC, Hashish, Hash Oil, Tetrahydrocannabinol

New York State Laws Regarding Alcohol Violations

Driving While Ability Impaired (BAC of .05 to .07) - $300-$500 fine, up to 15 days in jail and 90 days revocation of license.

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) (BAC of .08 or more) - $500-$1000 fine, up to 1 year in jail and minimum 6-month license revocation.

Felony Driving While Intoxicated (second DWI conviction in 10 years) - $1,000 -$5,000 fine, up to 4 years in prison and minimum of 1 year license revocation.

Procuring Alcohol for persons under the age of 21 - $200 fine, up to 5 days in jail or both.

Possession by persons under 21 - $50 fine per offense and/or completion of alcohol awareness program and/or community service.

Use of false ID for alcohol purchase - $100 fine, and/or community service, and/or completion of an alcohol awareness program, and/or revocation of driver’s license for 90 days.

New York State Penalties

The State of New York has established severe sanctions for the possession, use, and sale of controlled substances which are consistent with Federal penalties established for such. The specific criminal sanctions are delineated in the New York State Penal Law. The severity of the offense depends on the type and the quantity of the illegal substance, as well as the holder’s intent (personal use, distribution or sale). For example, in New York State, the criminal possession of four or more ounces of cocaine is a class A-1 felony, punishable by a minimum of 15-25 years and a maximum of life in prison, and a maximum $100,000 fine. Unlawful possession of a small quantity of marijuana is a violation, resulting in a fine of not more than $100 for the first offense. Additional violations result in larger fines and the imposition of misdemeanor criminal charges, which include the establishment of a permanent record.

Health Risks

The use of illegal drugs, tobacco, and the abuse of alcohol may have serious health consequences, including damage of the heart, lungs and other organs. Alcohol-related accidents are the number one cause of death for persons aged 15-24. The most significant health risk, besides death, is addiction. Chemical dependency is a disease that, if not arrested, is fatal. No addict (including alcoholics and smokers) ever thought he/she would become addicted.

Abuse of alcohol and marijuana during puberty can result in an imbalance of sex hormones resulting in reduced muscle mass and shrinkage of testicles in males and menstrual difficulties and infertility in females.
The risk of breast cancer is increased by 30% among women who consume 3 or more alcoholic drinks per day.
The use of hallucinogens (LSD, PCP, Mescaline) can result in an irreversible drug induced psychotic state and/or delusions which may trigger life-threatening behavior.
The use of cocaine or amphetamines greatly increases the risk of heart attack.
Stimulants (“uppers”, speed, crack, methyl, crystal) may cause permanent damage to the brain, heart, lungs, and other organs from long-term use.
Medical consequences of alcohol abuse include liver damage and disease, gastrointestinal problems and brain damage, as well as causing injury to a fetus during pregnancy.
Inhalants (“poppers”, rush, laughing gas, glue, pain thinner) may cause mental confusion, mood swings, delusions and hallucinations.
Depressants (“downers”, ludes, reds, 714s, barbs) greatly increase the risk of car crashes because they affect vision, judgment, coordination and physical skills.
In cases of rape, 75% of the men and 55% of the women involved had been using alcohol or other drugs.
Research has shown that the strongest predictor of suicide is alcoholism. People with substance use disorders are about six times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. Roughly one in three people who die from suicide are under the influence of drugs, typically opiates such as oxycodone or heroin, or alcohol. (Psychology Today February 20, 2014 article).

About Alcohol

In addition to the immediate dangers from drinking at a single event, there are dangers from patterns of drinking. Some people drink for unhealthy reasons and it can cause negative consequences in their lives. They are alcohol abusers, or problem drinkers. For others (as many as 13% of college males and 5% of college females), the drinking has progressed even further, to alcoholism.

The following are warning signals that may indicate a problem in your drinking pattern:

Missed classes or work due to hangovers; unfulfilled academic potential or even failing grades due to drinking.
Accidents and injuries due to drinking.
Blackouts (inability to remember something that happened while drinking).
Doing something (for example, a sexual act) contrary to one’s values while under the influence of alcohol.
Fights and arguments, loss of friends or lovers, due to drinking.
Drinking alone to relieve anxiety, depressions, boredom or loneliness.
Drinking to feel socially confident.

Why is alcohol considered a dangerous drug?
The consumption of alcohol is considered by some experts to be the leading cause of death in the U.S. Today.

Alcohol is a drug that significantly affects all body systems, contributing to the incidence of cancer, heart disease, liver disease, digestive disorders, and brain dysfunction. In fact, its contributions to these problems is greater than that of any other known legal or illegal drug.

Alcohol impairs judgment in very specific ways: it may make on “feel” as if he or she is doing better than he or she is. You feel more attractive, wittier, and more in control of the situation – thus, the temptation to take extraordinary risks. The awareness of being impaired is reduced!

Resources

Assistance and information can be obtained from the following:

Purchase College:
Counseling Center - (914) 251-6390
Director of Wellness - (914) 251-6665
Wellness Counselor - (914) 251-6657
Health Services - (914) 251-7925
University Police - (914) 251-6900
Student Affairs - (914) 251-6030
Community Engagement - (914) 251-6320
Human Resources - (914) 251-6090
Employee Assistance Coordinator - (914) 251-6098

Off Campus:
Alcoholics Anonymous - (914) 949-1200
Al-Anon - (914) 946-1748
Cocaine/Crack Hotline - (888) 883-0988
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - (800) 622-2255
NYS Hope Line - (877) 846-7369) (HOPENY)
Narcotics Anonymous - (800) 974-0062

To request a copy of the Biennial Review in its entirety, please contact one of the following:

SAF@purchase.edu
wellness@purchase.edu
human.resources@purchase.edu
EAP@purchase.edu

Leave for Blood Donation

Policy:

Section 202-j of the New York State Labor Law provides blood donation leave to employees in New York State.

All employees are entitled to either:

One three-hour unpaid leave of absence per calendar year to donate blood at an off-premises location

OR

Paid leave two times per year to donate blood at a blood drive at your place of employment or at a time and place set by your employer.

You are required to give reasonable notice of the need for a leave for this purpose; the amount of notice required may vary depending on the circumstances. If the donation is made at an off-premises location, you may also be required to furnish the college with documentation of the donation.

You may contact Human Resources (x6090) if you have any questions.

Leave for Cancer Screening

Policy:

Legislation enacted in December 2017 (Chapter 465, Laws of 2017) amended and repealed the Civil Service Law to entitle employees to take up to four hours of paid leave annually for cancer screening. This provision will take effect on March 18, 2018.

Section 159-b of the Civil Service Law was amended to entitle State officers and employees to paid leave without charge to leave credits for screening of all cancers. Section 159-c of the Civil Service Law which entitled State officers and employees to paid leave without charge to leave credits specifically for prostate cancer was repealed.

The benefit will become available to employees on March 18, 2018 for the remainder of the 2018 calendar year. Beginning January 1, 2019, the benefit will be available for the full calendar year. Leave for cancer screening is not cumulative and expires at the close of business on the last day of each calendar year.

It should be noted that leave available under the current provisions of Section 159-b and 159-c of the Civil Service Law remain in effect until March 17, 2018.

Employees who charge leave credits for cancer screening on or after March 18, 2018 are entitled, upon submission of satisfactory documentation that the employee’s absence was for purposes of cancer screening, to paid leave for such absence and to have credits used for that purpose restored.

The medical documentation must be submitted to Human Resources to substantiate that the absence was for the purpose of cancer screening. Failure to provide appropriate documentation will result in the employee having to charge her or his accruals. A cancer screening leave form is available on the Human Resources website. The employee may bring this form to their medical provider for a signature and then provide it to Deborah Bradshaw in Human Resources as satisfactory medical proof.

Employees are entitled to a leave of absence for cancer screening scheduled during the employees’ regular work hours. Employees who undergo screenings outside their regular work schedules do so on their own time. For example, employees are not granted compensatory time off for cancer screenings that occur on pass days or holidays.

Cancer screening includes physical exams, blood work or other laboratory tests for the detection of cancer. Travel time is included in this four (4)-hour cap. Absence beyond the four (4)-hour cap must be charged to leave credits.

Purchase College is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to service, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants, or other members of the Purchase community (including vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

Purchase complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and harassment. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as Amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, and the New York State Human Rights Law. These laws prohibit discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

submission to such contact is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education
submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or educational decisions affecting the individual
such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s welfare, academic or work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning learning or work environment

Sexual harassment may include:

subtle persistent pressure for sexual activity
unnecessary touching, pinching, and/or brushing against a person
sexual coercion or assault
demanding sexual favors with implied or overt threats concerning work or academic decision or preferential treatment
unwelcome verbal/expressive behavior of a sexual nature (e.g., jokes, sounds, obscene phone calls, demeaning graphic portrayals)
stalking, cyber stalking, and failure to accept the termination of a consensual relationship with repeated overtures or other aberrant or negative behavior

Sexual violence has been defined as “physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent,” including rape, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.

Domestic victim status has been defined by the Human Rights Law as an individual who is a victim of an act which would constitute a family offense under N.Y. Family Court Act §812. It is unlawful to discriminate against a domestic violence victim in hiring for a job, job advancement, requests for use of leave time, or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. It is also unlawful for an employer to take an action in retaliation for filing a complaint of discrimination.

On-campus inquiries or complaints regarding violations of the nondiscrimination policy or Title IX may be addressed to:

Jerima DeWese
Affirmative Action/Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator
Purchase College
735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 251-5992
jerima.dewese@purchase.edu

Inquiries may also be directed to:

New York Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
32 Old Slip, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10005-2500
Tel: (646) 428-3800, Fax: (646) 428-3843
TDD: (800) 877-8339
OCR.NewYork@ed.gov

Nursing Mothers – Express Breast Milk in the Work Place

Policy:

In compliance with New York State Labor Law Section 206-c and Section 21.12 of the New York State Department of Civil Service Attendance and Leave Manual, Purchase College shall provide reasonable unpaid break time or permit an employee to use paid break time or meal time each day to allow an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for up to three years following child birth. The College shall make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, in close proximity to the work area, where an employee can express milk in privacy.

Using Existing Meal Periods and Paid Rest Breaks

The College is required to permit nursing mothers to express breast milk during their meal period and/or paid rest breaks if the employee elects to utilize meal periods and/or paid rest breaks for this purpose. However, an employee cannot be required to use meal periods and/or paid rest breaks for this purpose and may elect to express breast milk at other reasonable times during the work shift.

The policy does not authorize the granting of additional paid break time beyond that already provided by the employer.

Using Unpaid Break Time

Employees may elect to use the unpaid break time instead of or in combination with meal periods and/or paid rest breaks. Consistent with State policy on use of leave credits, employees must be permitted to charge appropriate leave credits (credits other than sick leave) during the unpaid breaks.

While the statutory benefit is available to employees within their basic workweek as well as during any additional time worked, including overtime shifts, employees are not permitted to charge leave credits outside their basic workweek. Use of unpaid break time outside the basic workweek does not impact eligibility to earn biweekly leave credits.

Eligibility to Earn Leave Credits under the Attendance Rules

Employees who use unpaid break time and do not charge credits during such unpaid break time may be ineligible to earn biweekly leave credits.

The Attendance Rules require an employee to be in full pay status for seven separate full days out of ten in a biweekly pay period in order to earn biweekly leave credits (or a proportionate number of days for employees scheduled to work fewer than ten days in a biweekly pay period). A day on which an employee takes an unpaid break for this purpose, and doesn’t charge leave credits during that break, does not count as a day in full pay status for purposes of earning leave credits.

Procedures

Employees are required to make arrangements in advance to utilize this benefit. Consultation with their supervisor and Kathleen Farrell, Chief Human Resources Officer, should occur prior to a nursing mother’s return to work from maternity / child care leave.
Employees are not entitled to absent themselves from their work stations for this purpose without prior approval. Prior approval is normally obtained at the time the initial arrangements are made and a schedule is agreed upon. When an employee needs to change a previously agreed upon schedule, the employee must obtain approval to do so.
Employees can be required to postpone a scheduled time to express milk for a brief period of time if they cannot be spared.
Time required to express breast milk includes the time required for the nursing mother to reach and return from the location identified by the agency for expressing milk.
The amount of time needed to express breast milk may vary and there is no set limit on the number of breaks provided per day. They must, however, be reasonable and approved by the supervisor.
The benefit is available to employees within their basic workweek as well as during any additional time worked, including overtime shifts.
An employee who wishes to avail herself of this benefit is expected to give her supervisor and Kathleen Farrell, Director of Human Resources, reasonable notice so that a schedule can be arranged and a location identified. Normally, this consultation will take place prior to a nursing mother’s return to work from maternity / child care leave. It is also expected that an employee will provide her agency notice when the need for time to express breast milk is no longer required. In no event is the benefit available beyond three years from the date of birth of the child.

Please direct any questions to Kathleen Farrell, Chief Human Resources Officer via email: kathleen.farrell@purchase.edu or phone x5961.

Overview

The State of New York is responding to an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by COVID-19 that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which continues to expand. New York confirmed its first cases of person-to-person spread with this virus March 3, 2020 and is taking active measures to contain the spread of this virus.

Telecommuting arrangements are an important component of a multi-layered strategy to prevent sustained spread of COVID-19 among the state workforce. This program strikes a balance between ensuring government can continue to function, while providing appropriate precautions for state employees to prevent the spread of illness.

The State has entered into agreements with CSEA, PEF and UUP that create a Pilot Statewide Telecommuting Program (Telecommuting Pilot Program) due to public health concerns presented by the Coronavirus. This Pilot Program also applies to M/C employees. Where management determines it to be operationally feasible or necessary, telecommuting shall be assigned or approved for employees represented by these unions to the greatest extent possible.

Wherever existing agency/facility/campus telecommuting programs conflict with Telecommuting Pilot Program guidelines, the Pilot Program guidelines control for the duration of the Pilot Program. There is no need to re-enroll current telecommuters with the new form. Similarly, if you already have a telecommuting application and enrollment process that is working, you can continue to use it. If you do not have an established telecommuting program, please use the attached application form. Any pre-existing telecommuting programs will revert to their regular guidelines upon expiration of the Pilot Programs.

Please click here for a complete description of the program which includes information on: Definitions, How to Participate, General Guidelines, Equipment and Supplies, Agency Policies/Security Information and Program Dates)

Policy on Sexual Harassment

Harassment harms the learning community
Academic freedom, creativity, professional achievement and personal development flourish in a healthy environment. Such an environment must be one in which all employees and students can pursue their work free from coercion, intimidation, and exploitation. Harassment is antithetical to the mission of the College and violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion or termination.

By law and SUNY policy, sexual harassment is defined as:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

submission to such contact is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education
submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or educational decisions affecting the individuals
such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s welfare, academic or work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or demeaning learning or work environment.

NOTE: This policy applies equally to all employees and students, male and female. Those who feel they have been victims of such discrimination should contact the Affirmative Action Officer or the Director of Human Resources. Pursuing a complaint on the campus does not rescind the right to file with an outside enforcement agency such as the State Division of Human Rights.

Sexual harassment may include:

subtle persistent pressure for sexual activity
unnecessary touching, pinching, and/or brushing against a person
sexual coercion or assault
demanding sexual favors with implied or overt threats concerning work or academic decision or preferential treatment
unwelcome verbal/expressive behavior of a sexual nature (e.g., jokes, sounds, obscene phone calls, demeaning graphic portrayals)
stalking, cyberstalking, and failure to accept the termination of a consensual relationship with repeated overtures or other aberrant or negative behavior

Sexual harassment is a violation of the law and of SUNY policy
Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of New York State law and the Federal Civil Rights Act. The Governor’s Office has reaffirmed the law for State employees, and the SUNY Board of Trustees has affirmed the right of all students to be free from sexual harassment.

WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

Say “No.” Say it firmly, without smiling and without making an excuse or apology.
Keep a diary or log. Write down what is happening or has happened to you. Include direct quotes, any witnesses, or patterns to the harassment. Save any letters, cards, or notes sent to you. Keep both the log and notes in a secure place, preferably at home.
Deal with the situation immediately. Ignoring it will not make it go away. Instead, it may worsen.
Talk to the person involved, if you feel you can. Explain why you are offended. Sometimes that is sufficient to clear the air. You may want to bring someone with you for support.
Ask: “How do you think your spouse, significant other, daughter or son, family member or friend would like being treated like this?”
Tell the harasser, “That sounds like sexual harassment.”
Write a letter to the person, especially if you feel direct confrontation is not possible or has not worked. If the person does not stop his or her behavior, you have a copy of your letter for further action. It should include (a) a short statement of the situation as you see it; (b) a description of your feelings and the damage that he or she has done; and (c) a short statement of behavior you would like to see.
If the above approaches have not been successful, you may want to discuss the situation with the College officers listed below to find other informal means to a resolution.
You may decide at any time to take formal action by filing a written complaint with the Affirmative Action Officer or the Director of Human Resources. Such complaints are taken seriously by the College and will result in formal action to eliminate the harassing behavior. Grievances made to the Affirmative Action Officer or the Director of Human Resources must be made in writing and must be brought within 90 days of the last incident.

Relationships with Students
One of the hallmarks of the Purchase experience for students is the opportunity to establish relationships with faculty and staff that extend beyond the classroom and office. These relationships help to provide an environment in which faculty and staff serve as role models and mentors, facilitating students’ intellectual and personal growth.

Trust and respect are diminished when those in positions of authority abuse, or appear to abuse their power. It is ethically wrong for faculty or staff to use their positions to exploit students. Voluntary consent by a student to a sexual relationship with faculty or staff is suspect, given the imbalance of power in such a relationship. Students involved in such relationships are at risk of exploitation. Faculty or staff involved in such relationships are creating potential conflicts of interest, personal liability to charges of sexual harassment, and interference with the welfare, academic, or work performance of others.

Sexual Orientation
The Governor’s Executive Order No 28 prohibits all state agencies from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation in the provision of any services or benefits by a state agency and in any matter relating to employment by the state.

GENDA Act

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) prohibits discrimination gender identity or expression. The law defines gender identity or expression as “a person’s actual or perceived gender-related identity, appearance, behavior, expression, or other gender-related characteristic regardless of the sex assigned to that person at birth, including, but not limited to, the status of bring transgender. GENDA also includes offenses regarding gender identity or expression within the list of offenses which may be treated as hate crimes by the State. To view the full text of The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) (Senate Bill S1047), please visit the following New York State Senate Website.

Sexual orientation is defined as a private preference of an individual protected by Executive Order No. 28 for heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality; or a history of such preference; or an identification of having such a preference.
Harassment on the basis of sexual orientation is judged against the same criteria as those for sexual harassment, and protection applies to students, as well as to employees, to males as well as females.
Complaints may be made to the Affirmative Action Officer or the Director of Human Resources. This does not rescind a person’s right to file a complaint with the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations.

The following people on campus are available to help you:

Chief Diversity Officer/Affirmative Action Officer and Title IX Coordinator and ADA Compliance Officer
Student Services Building, Room 319A
(914) 251-5981

titleix@purchase.edu

Director of Counseling—(914) 251-6390

Employee Assistance Program Coordinator—(914) 251-6098
Humanities Building, Room 1002

Ombudsman—(914) 251-6520
Student Services Building, Room 217

You also have the right to contact off-campus agencies that have the responsibility of enforcing laws related to sexual harassment:

NYS Division of Human Rights—(914) 788-8050
8 John Walsh Blvd., Suite 204
Peekskill, NY 10566

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—(212) 366-3620
201 Varick Street, Room 1009
New York, NY 10014

SUNY Sexual Assault & Violence Response (SAVR) Resources:

SUNY’s Sexual Assault & Violence Response (SUNY SAVR) resource website provides SUNY community members with information that can be used to seek resources and support, and to report crimes to law enforcement and the appropriate campus resources. For more information on SUNY SAVR, the Sexual Harassment Policy or the Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure please visit the SUNY SAVR website.

Updated 12/10/2019

The Office of the State Comptroller mandates that all New York State employees submit current and accurate attendance records. In order to comply with this mandate the Department of Human Resources instituted the following timesheet policy:

Full-time and part-time employees (UUP Faculty, Staff and M/C)

All full-time and part-time employees (UUP Faculty, Staff and M/C) paid on an annual basis are required to submit, electronically via the Time and Attendance System (TAS), a monthly time record. Electronic time records must be submitted no later than the 10th of the following month. If you do not submit your time record on-time, you and your immediate supervisor will start receiving email notifications from TAS notifying you that a time record is outstanding. If the time record continues to be outstanding, email notifications will then be forwarded to the department head within 20 days. If you know that you will be away from the college during the beginning of a month, you can request from the Payroll Office that a designee be setup/authorized on your behalf to enter your time record and/or submit time-off request in TAS.
If an employee has not submitted a timesheet for three (3) consecutive months, the employee will receive a reminder from the Payroll Office (copy to immediate supervisor). The reminder will include a notice that direct deposit (if applicable) will be cancelled after a final notification.
After the fourth consecutive month goes by without submission of all past due timesheets, the employee will be sent a FINAL NOTICE letter (copy to immediate supervisor and area VP) with a 30 day deadline.
If the overdue timesheets are not submitted electronically in TAS within 30 days, then the employee’s direct deposit will be inactivated without further notification. Paychecks will be available for personal pick-up from the Director of Human Resources. For employees without direct deposit paychecks, the paychecks will be removed from the departmental bundle and will then be made available for personal pick-up from the Director of Human Resources.
All notices will be sent by email to the employee’s campus email address. Please remember to check your email.
Before paychecks are picked up and direct deposit is reactivated, all outstanding time records must be submitted and approved. Once timesheets are up to date and approved, the employee can complete a new application to reactivate direct deposit.
Should any one employee go through this process three times, that employee will permanently lose the privilege of direct deposit.

Hourly paid UUP Staff and Full-time Classified (M/C, CSEA, NYSCOBA and PBANYS) employees

All hourly paid UUP Staff and Full-time Classified (M/C, CSEA, NYSCOBA and PBANYS) employees are required to submit biweekly paper timesheets.
If an employee has not submitted a timesheet for three (3) consecutive payroll periods, the employee will be sent a reminder from the Payroll Office (copy to immediate supervisor). The reminder will include a notice that direct deposit (if applicable) will be cancelled after one more final notification.
After the fourth consecutive payroll period goes by without submission of all past due timesheets, the employee will be sent a FINAL NOTICE letter (copy to immediate supervisor and area VP) with a 30 day deadline.
If the overdue timesheets are not submitted, then the employee’s direct deposit will be inactivated without further notification. Paychecks will be available for personal pick-up from the Director of Human Resources. For employees without direct deposit paychecks, the paychecks will be removed from the departmental bundle and will then be made available for personal pick-up from the Director of Human Resources.
All notices will be sent by email to the employee’s campus email address. Please remember to check your email. A hard copy paper notice will be sent out to those employees without campus email Employees without
Before paychecks are picked up and direct deposit is reactivated, all outstanding time records must be submitted and approved. Once timesheets are up to date and approved, the employee can complete a new application to reactivate direct deposit.
Should any one employee go through this process three times, that employee will permanently lose the privilege of direct deposit.

Employees who have reached their maximum accruals and/or employees on leave (medical, etc.) are still required by the New York State Office of the State Comptroller to submit monthly timesheets. Employees do not accrue leave credits while they are out on a Title F or Sabbatical Leave.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy for Employees and Job Applicants

Overview

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Acts (ADAAA) of 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), Sections 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehabilitation Act”), and New York State Executive Law §296, Purchase College provides qualified individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in programs, activities, or employment.

Purchase College will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of physical or mental disability. Additionally, Purchase College agrees to take affirmative action to employ, advance in employment and treat qualified individuals with disabilities without discrimination based upon their physical or mental disability in all employment practices including but not limited to: Advertising, recruitment, employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and professional development.

Employees and Applicants

Employees and applicants are protected from coercion, intimidation, retaliation, interference or discrimination for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation under appropriate federal and state law.

Purchase College’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy and data collecting and for record keeping of all employee requests for accommodations.

Students

Students with disabilities who wish to request accommodations should contact Lauren Rodriguez, Director, Office of Disability Resources (914) 251-6035. The Office of Disability Resources is responsible for data collection and record keeping of all student requests for accommodations.

Procedures for Requesting Reasonable Accommodations

Employees or prospective employees/applicants with disabilities (as defined in the ADAAA 2008) may request reasonable accommodation in the workplace, if necessary, to enable them to have access to employment opportunities or to perform duties essential to their job. Such requests may be made regardless of title, salary, salary grade, bargaining unit, or employment status (permanent, temporary, provisional).

Current Employees

Employees in need of an accommodation (as defined under ADAAA of 2008) should first submit a completed Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form (Section A & B) to their immediate supervisor or the Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA), Ricardo Espinales in the Department of Human Resources. Please contact Ricardo Espinales at (914) 251-6086 or via email at Ricardo.espinales@purchase.edu to obtain copies of the forms.
If the request is first submitted to the DRA, the DRA will contact the employee’s immediate supervisor for his/her review and/or approval. If the request is made to the immediate supervisor, the supervisor will either approve the employee’s request or refer the application to the DRA for their assistance in resolving the employee’s request. Regardless of the supervisor’s decision, the supervisor should indicate their decision and sign Section B.
Requests for reasonable accommodation that are minor in nature can be resolved at the supervisory level. If a determination cannot be made due to the type or complexity of the accommodation or the expenditure involved in providing the accommodation, please speak to your department head or contact the DRA to discuss the issue.
The employee, the employee’s supervisor and the DRA should engage in an interactive process to determine whether and what type of accommodation would be effective.
As part of this interactive process, it is important that an employee in confidence advise the supervisor and the DRA precisely how limitations from a disability affect the ability to perform the duties of the position. If the employee knows what type of reasonable accommodation would be helpful, s/he should advise the supervisor and the DRA.
The DRA can suggest alternative accommodations and the individual should consider whether they would be effective. The ADA Coordinator does not have to provide the specific accommodation requested, but rather must offer an effective reasonable alternative, unless to do so would create an undue hardship for the institution.
The DRA will conduct a comprehensive review of the request for accommodation, which may include:
- Requesting and assessing of medical documentation. If the DRA requires additional documentation, the DRA will ask the applicant to inform his/her doctor to provide medical documentation to the DRA that identifies the limits of the applicant’s disability and how they would affect the employee’s job performance
- Meeting with the employee and their immediate supervisor
- Arranging for a job analysis

Job Applicants

Applicants requesting a Reasonable Accommodation should submit a request to the Department of Human Resources.

Review of Accommodation Decision

Should an employee not agree with the accommodation being provided or if the request for accommodation is denied, and the employee believes the basis of the denial is due, in part, to discrimination the employee may contact the Office of Affirmative Action in accordance with Purchase College’s discrimination complaint procedures.

Recordkeeping

The DRA is responsible for collecting the information on all accommodation requests including the number made and type of accommodation provided to employees. The Affirmative Action Office is responsible for collecting the information on all accommodation requests including the number made and type of accommodation provided to students. All original Requests for Reasonable Accommodation are kept in a separate file within Human Resources.

Confidentiality

Medical records are confidential. Medical documentation submitted or obtained may only be used to evaluate the request for accommodation. Employee medical records shall be secured in a separate and confidential file in the Department of Human Resources. Student medical records shall be secured in a separate and confidential file and maintained in the Office of Student Affairs.

Before departing from the College, employees must submit an electronic Separation Form in the Human Resources Employee Tracking System (HRETS). Once you access HRETS, the electronic Separation Form is located under Personnel ETS Options. Employees must obtain clearances from all the offices listed on the form (Department Head, Office of Parking and Transportation, Purchase College Association, Purchasing and Accounts Payable, Library and Campus Technology Services). Please note that it is an employee’s responsibility to ensure that all signatures are obtained in timely fashion. Delays may result in the timely processing of vacation payout (if applicable) and/or application of sick leave accruals to health benefits coverage (if you are retiring and meet the requirements).

Purchase’s Tobacco Free Policy

In recognition of the overwhelming scientific evidence that tobacco use causes serious diseases and is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, Purchase College is instituting a Tobacco Free policy to change the culture of tobacco use on campus. This policy expands on the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the New York statewide smoking ban that took effect on July 24, 2003, which bans smoking in all enclosed workplaces in New York, including bars, restaurants and construction sites. The policy will apply to any property owned, leased, or operated by the college. In line with the tobacco-free vision of New York held by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Governor Andrew Cuomo, Purchase’s goal is to be completely tobacco-free by the end of the 2017–18 academic year.

Purchase College places a priority on the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff and those who visit the Purchase campus. The Tobacco Free policy will complement the college’s environmental sustainability efforts, help create and preserve equitable and respectful work, study, and living environments, and bring Purchase’s institutional investments in line with the college’s principles on social and environmental responsibility. It will also eliminate harmful exposure to secondhand smoke and prevent litter and chemical leaching from tobacco waste.

What Counts as “Tobacco”?

Under the policy, “tobacco” is defined as all tobacco and tobacco-derived products intended for human consumption, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, e-cigarettes, hookah-smoked products, clove cigarettes, bidis, kreteks, and smokeless tobacco (for example, dip, chew, snus, and snuff). It does not include any product that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale as a tobacco use-cessation product.

Because the liquid-nicotine mixture in e-cigarettes is derived from tobacco, it is defined by this policy as a tobacco product rather than as a tobacco-cessation product. While the secondhand effect of the vapor from e-cigarettes may be less harmful than that of tobacco smoke, Purchase is unwilling to expose students to possible harm from an unregulated and untested product. When the FDA makes a ruling on e-cigarettes, this policy will be reconsidered.

The Tobacco Free Committee

Purchase will maintain an ad hoc Tobacco Free Committee to help the campus make the transition from a culture of casual public tobacco use to one that promotes clean air and consideration for the health of others. This committee will oversee the creation of designated smoking areas to be used while the college is making the transition to becoming entirely tobacco free. It will also develop an outreach campaign for members of the community with nicotine dependency, offering help through flyers, posters, emails, information sessions, and support groups. The committee will educate the community about free cessation options, institutional resources, and potential student code of conduct violations so that the policy is clear. It will coordinate an effort to engage the campus in an on-going dialog with the campus about tobacco. The Tobacco Free policy will be reviewed at least annually and will be revised as needed to ensure that its objectives are attained and that Purchase is in compliance with federal and state law. The committee will contain representatives from the faculty, staff, and student body.

How Will Tobacco Free Work on Campus?

The Tobacco Free policy will have two phases. During the initial phase (from present to June 2018), tobacco use will be strictly limited to designated smoking areas, which will be created around campus by the the start of the fall semester of 2015. ( Note: Please see the attached smoking zone map) Smokers will be required to use specific receptacles for their litter. Information about Tobacco Free and cessation options will be clearly posted and disseminated around the campus. Smoking elsewhere on campus during this period will be a violation of campus policy. This rule will also apply when students attend college-sponsored off-campus events. By June 2018, tobacco use will not be permitted anywhere on college owned, leased or operated property.

Compliance

This policy is driven by respect for others and the environment and relies on the thoughtfulness, consideration, and cooperation of tobacco users and non-users for its success. The success of this policy will depend on the cooperation of all members of the Purchase College community, both to comply and encourage others to do so. It is the responsibility of all members of the college community to abide by this tobacco policy.

An initial violation of the policy will result in only a verbal warning. This warning will include information about the policy, the rationale behind it, and the availability of tobacco-cessation and harm-reduction support services on and off campus. Subsequent noncompliance by students will result in formal discipline under section E12 of the Community Standards of Conduct.

Helping our Community to Stop Using Tobacco

Purchase will make every reasonable effort to assist students, faculty and staff who wish to stop or reduce their use of tobacco products. It will promote awareness of evidence-based tobacco-cessation resources through a multifaceted outreach campaign. Students can find cessation and reduction tools and treatment, including counseling and nicotine-replacement therapy, at Student Health Services and the Wellness Center. Faculty and staff can get help through the Employee Assistance Program and from their healthcare providers. The Tobacco Free Committee will regularly solicit feedback from the campus community to ensure that the needs of those interested in tobacco cessation are being met.

Advertising, Promotion, and Sales

Tobacco sales are prohibited on the campus. The college will not accept advertising, marketing, distribution, or promotion of tobacco products.

Sponsorships, Gifts, Funding, and Investments

All grants and gifts to Purchase and all solicitations and proposals for such funds must have the approval of the college and must conform to its mission statement and culture of wellness, SUNY policies, and all applicable laws and regulations. With that in mind, Purchase will no longer invest in any direct tobacco company holdings and will divest itself of any remaining investments in the tobacco industry as soon as it is reasonably able to do so. Investment packages that include tobacco-related holdings must be reported to the Tobacco Free Committee annually as long as such holdings remain in those packages.

Changing the Culture

Purchase will actively educate the campus community about the dangers of tobacco use. The Tobacco Free policy will be clearly posted in student handbooks, on the campus website, and in other publications. Freshman seminars will review it, and it will be shared with parents, alumni, and visitors through admissions publications, media, campus announcements, the college website, and other resources. Key components of the policy will be posted on signs around campus (e.g., “Purchase is moving toward being tobacco free”; “Limit tobacco use to designated areas only”). Public announcements will address the policy and its implementation at events on campus.

The Tobacco Free Committee will undertake education and outreach efforts intended to change the culture of the campus community to one that values clean air, mutual respect, and holistic well-being.

PURCHASE COLLEGE

Workplace Violence[1] Prevention Policy

SECTION I – Workplace Violence Prevention Policy

Purchase College, including any of its off-site locations (hereafter Purchase College property), is committed to providing a safe workplace/learning environment. Purchase College will respond promptly to threats, acts of violence, and acts of aggression against its employees, including those of domestic violence (see related Purchase College “Domestic Violence and The Workplace Policy”). This policy sets forth standards for employee conduct and guidelines for reasonable precautions. The accompanying procedures outline responses to threats or violence, should they occur in the workplace. (Note: This policy shall not act to abridge, modify or in any way limit the administration of the Federal laws and/or of the State of New York.)

Prohibited Conduct:

A. Purchase College has a Zero Tolerance Standard with respect to acts or threats of violence in the workplace. The workplace is further defined as the Purchase College property, which also includes its grounds, perimeters, and sidewalks or while in transit to its off-site locations, parking facilities or local mass transit or otherwise while in work status.

B. No person may engage in violent conduct or make threats of violence, implied or direct, including acts of domestic violence, on Purchase College property or in connection with college business or employment. This includes but is not limited to:

The use of force with the intent to cause harm, e.g. physical attacks, any unwanted contact or touching including but not limited to spitting, pushing, hitting, fighting, or throwing objects;
Behavior that diminishes the dignity of others through gender, sexual, sexual orientation, racial, religious or ethnic harassment;
Acts or threats which are intended to intimidate, harass, threaten, bully, coerce, or cause fear of harm whether directly or indirectly; and,
Acts or threats made directly or indirectly by oral or written words, gestures or symbols that communicate a direct or indirect threat of physical harm including the use of a third-party, making internal or external phone calls, sending mail, packages, faxes or emails, tampering with a computer, other equipment or motor vehicle, repeated, malicious verbal mistreatment, attempting to intimidate, or intentionally inflicting emotional distress.
Engaging in behavior that subjects another to extreme emotional distress;
Carrying, possessing, or using any firearm, explosive or other dangerous weapon on College property or in College buildings or facilities without legal authority; and,
Taking retaliatory action against anyone acting in good faith who has made a complaint of workplace violence, a potential workplace violence incident, who has reported witnessing workplace violence, or who has been involved in reporting, investigating, or responding to workplace violence is in violation of this policy.

C. In accordance with SUNY policy, no person, except authorized University Police Officers, other local, state and federal Police Officers with jurisdiction (example: Rye Brook, Harrison, and NYS Police) and Peace Officers in the line of duty, may carry, possess or use any weapon on Purchase College property or in its buildings or facilities.

Workplace Violence Advisory Committee:

A. The President, or his designee, shall cause to establish a Workplace Violence Advisory Committee, which shall be chaired by the University Chief of Police or approved designee. This committee will:

Perform a risk evaluation[2] of the workplace to determine the presence of factors or situations that might place employees at risk of workplace violence;
Assess the campus’ readiness to address violence and domestic violence in the workplace;
Facilitate appropriate responses to reported incidents of workplace violence;
Assess the potential problem of workplace violence;
Evaluate incidents to prevent future occurrences;
Utilize prevention, intervention, and interviewing techniques in responding to workplace violence;
Develop workplace violence prevention tools (such as pamphlets, guidelines and handbooks) to assist in recognizing and preventing workplace violence on campus;
Arrange regularly scheduled workplace violence prevention training sessions for employees; and,
Establish subcommittees as needed.

B. This Advisory Committee shall include representative(s) from University Police, Employee Assistance Program, Human Resources, Campus Personal Safety Committees and local labor representatives. As needed, subcommittees shall be established. It is recommended that such subcommittees be chaired or co/chaired by an Advisory Committee member and, as appropriate, should include University Police, Administration, Academic Affairs, and local Labor representatives. Regional Counsel’s Office will serve as counsel to the Committee/subcommittees, as needed.

Workplace Violence Prevention Program:

Purchase College shall develop and implement a written workplace violence prevention program[3] for its workplaces that includes the following:

A definition of workplace violence including the meaning of zero tolerance;
Commitment to zero tolerance of workplace violence;
Techniques on how to recognize and avoid workplace violence situations;
Identification of the high risk occupations, functions and work locations;
Importance of reporting all workplace violence incidents and procedure to do so;
Investigations of incidents by the employer; and,
Employee assistance

Information And Training For Employees:

Purchase College shall make the written workplace violence prevention program available, upon request, to its employees and/or their authorized representatives.

At the time of employees’ initial appointment and annually thereafter, the Purchase College shall provide its employees with the following information and training on the risks of violence in their workplace(s):

The requirements of NYS Labor Law § 27-b;
The risk factors in their workplace(s);
The location and availability of the written workplace violence prevention program; and,
Training sessions that outline:

The measures employees can take to protect themselves from such risks, including specific procedures the Purchase College has implemented to protect employees; and,
The details of the written workplace violence prevention program developed by Purchase College.

Retaliation:

Retaliatory action against anyone acting in good faith who has made a complaint of workplace violence, who has reported witnessing workplace violence, or who has been involved in reporting, investigating, or responding to workplace violence is a violation of this policy. Those found responsible for retaliatory action will be subject to discipline up to and including termination.

SECTION II - PROCESS:

Incidents of workplace violence, threats of workplace violence, or observations of workplace violence are not to be ignored by any member of the Purchase College community. Workplace violence must be reported immediately to the appropriate Purchase College official (see below). Additionally, all members of the Purchase College community are encouraged to report, in the same manner, behavior they reasonably believe poses a potential for workplace violence in order to maintain a safe working environment. An employee or supervisor who fails to adhere to the requirements of this policy may be subject to administrative action including possible discipline.

Reporting Procedures:

Any person experiencing or witnessing imminent danger or personal injury or violence involving weapons or actual violence shall immediately call University Police local 911 Emergency Services Call Center at 914-251-6911 or Extension 6911 (from campus land line phones). Complaints can also be filed anonymously by calling 914-251-5970 or Extension 5970 (from campus land line phones) or via the Purchase College Faculty and Staff Services website. Just click on “Anonymous Workplace Violence Report.”
Any person who is the subject of a suspected violation of the Workplace Violence Prevention Policy involving violence without weapons or personal injury, or is a witness to such suspected violation, should report the incident to his or her supervisor and University Police.
Employees are required to report any threat or act of violence that they have witnessed, received, or have been informed of, to University Police and if another employee is involved, also notify their supervisor and Human Resources.
Every threat must be reported immediately. Any individual believed to be a substantial threat to the health and safety of the campus community is to be reported to University Police immediately for investigation, recommendation and disposition.
Employees who commit a violent act or threaten to commit a violent act shall be subject to the full range of criminal/civil prosecution and/or disciplinary action, as appropriate.
An individual who makes a substantial threat, exhibits threatening behavior or engages in violent acts on the Purchase College property shall be subject to removal from the campus as quickly as safety permits, and barred from campus (persona non gratis) pending the outcome of an investigation and administrative proceedings.

Employees:

1. Employees are responsible for promoting and maintaining and helping to maintain a safe work and educational environment and are required to take reasonable precautions to prevent violence and other unsafe conditions in the workplace and report indicators of increased risk of violent behavior including but not limited to the following examples:

Precautions:

In response to verbal, telephonic or other electronic inquiries including emails, do not release information about coworkers’ schedules, home address or telephone numbers, or other personal information;
In the event of suspicious conduct, request the credentials of any stranger who enters your office to do repair or other service work. If necessary, verify the work request with Facilities Department or University Police;
Never leave money, credit card, travel documents or any thing else of value in an unlocked desk or cabinet; and,
If something is stolen, report it to University Police immediately.

Indicators/Predictors[4]:

Direct or veiled threats of harm including gestures, pictures or drawings;
Intimidating, belligerent, harassing, bullying, or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior;
Numerous conflicts and/or aggressions with supervisors and/or other employees;
Bringing a weapon to the workplace, brandishing a weapon in the workplace, making inappropriate references to guns including claims of carrying a harmful weapon, or fascination with weapons;
Statements showing fascination with incidents of workplace violence, statements indicating approval of the use of violence to resolve a problem, or statements indicating identification with perpetrators of workplace homicides;
Statements indicating desperation (over family, financial, and other personal problems) to the point of contemplating suicide;
Drug/alcohol abuse; and,
Extreme changes in behavior.

2. Employees are required to notify University Police immediately whenever a Protective Restraining Order is granted which mentions Purchase College property, or involves a Purchase College employee, or a person working at or attending Purchase College, and provide a copy of the order to University Police (a photo would be helpful). Appropriate efforts will be made to protect the privacy and sensitivity of the information provided. It is recommended that the employee also notify his or her supervisor.

3. Victims or potential victims of domestic violence who believe the violence may extend into the workplace, or employees who believe that domestic or other personal matters may result in them being subject to violence extending into the workplace, are strongly encouraged to notify their supervisor and University Police. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible and/or reasonably prudent to do so.

4. Employees have an obligation to report incidents of violence and/or inappropriate conduct or behavior to their supervisor and University Police immediately.

5. Any employee or representative of employees who believes that a serious violation of a workplace violence protection program exists or that an imminent danger exists shall bring such matter to the attention of the supervisor and University Police immediately and follow-up with a written notice to them. If, following a written notice, the matter has not been resolved and the employee or representative still believes that a violation of a workplace violence prevention program remains, or that an imminent danger exists, the employee or representative should contact the Chief of University Police.

Supervisors

1. Each dean, department chairperson, director, administrator, or other person with supervisory responsibility (hereinafter “supervisor”) is responsible within his/her area to implement this policy.

2. Supervisors are required to contact University Police immediately in the event of imminent or actual violence involving weapons or potential physical injuries.

3. Supervisors must report to University Police immediately any complaint of workplace violence made to him/her and any other incidents of workplace violence of that he/she becomes aware of or reasonably believes to exist.

4. Supervisors are also expected to inform their immediate supervisor promptly about any complaints, acts, or threats of violence even if the situation has been addressed and resolved. After having reported such complaint or incident to University Police and immediate supervisor, the supervisor should keep it confidential and disclose it only as necessary during the investigation process and/or subsequent proceedings.

5. Supervisors are also required to report any knowledge of such conduct to Human Resources immediately.

University Police:

1. University Police is responsible for:

Responding to;
Intervening;
Developing and providing education and prevention training in cooperation with the Environmental Health & Safety & Human Resources; and,
Documenting[5] all incidents of violence in the workplace.

2. University Police will immediately log all incidents of workplace violence and will notify Human Resources and the respective supervisor of an incident with his/her employee.

3. University Police will report all critical incidents of violence to the Administrative Chain of Command and, as appropriate (information on active criminal investigations will not be shared), the Chair of the Advisory Committee referenced herein.

4. University Police will maintain an internal tracking system of all threats and incidents of violence. Annual reports will be submitted to the President detailing the number and description of workplace violence incidents, the disposition of the incidents, and recommend policy, training issues, or security procedures that were or should be implemented to maintain a safe working environment.

5. University Police officers will be trained in workplace violence awareness and prevention, non-violent crises intervention, conflict management, and dispute resolution.

6. When informed, University Police will maintain a record of any Orders of Protection and will provide escort service to members of the college community within its geographical confines, when requested as long as sufficient personnel are available. Such services are to be extended at the discretion of the Chief of University Police or designee. Only the President, his designee or the Chief of Police can authorize escort service outside of the geographical confines of Purchase College.

Department of Human Resources:

1. The Department of Human Resources is responsible for:

Assisting the Chief of University Police and supervisors in responding to workplace violence through the enforcement of this policy;
Facilitating appropriate responses to reported incidents of workplace violence;
Notifying University Police of workplace violence incidents reported to HR;
Consulting with, as necessary, counseling services to secure professional intervention;
Providing new employees or an employee transferred to Purchase College with a copy of the Workplace Violence Prevention Policy at the time of orientation as well as training that includes workplace violence prevention. A record of the signed receipt will be placed in each new or transferring employee’s personnel file (electronic or otherwise);
Reported incidents of workplace violence including but not limited to providing critical contact information to Authorities.
Working with University Police to ensure that all employees are provided appropriate training pursuant to NYS Labor Law §27b; and,
Developing supportive training programs such as conflict resolution, dispute resolution and anger management.
Disseminating annually this policy to all employees and posting it on the Purchase College website, as appropriate.

Appendix A – Members of the Workplace Advisory Committee

Mercedes Andujar– UPD - NYSCOPBA
James McGowan – UPD –NYSPBA
Fred Vanzillotta - UPD - NYSPBA
Paula Rankine-Belgrave – UUP
TBD – CSEA
Louis Wirtz – Associate Director, Environmental, Health and Safety
Barbara Washington – Enrollment Services
Mary Cozier – Health Services
Odile Delgado – Employee Assistant Program Coordinator
Cathy VanBomel – Counseling Center
Ricardo Espinales – Assoc. Director of HR
Kristi Gullen– Labor Relations Specialist - HR

[1] For what constitutes Workplace Violence see the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) definition in the NYS Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health’s, Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements for NYS Public Employers website.

[2] For a description of a risk evaluation visit the NYS Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health’s, Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements for NYS Public Employers website.

[3] From the New York State Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health’s, Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements for New York State Public Employers website

[4] Identified by the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Profiling and Behavioral Assessment Unit) in Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners by the United States Office of Personnel Management, Workforce Relations, February 1998

[5] For recordkeeping requirements see NYS Labor Law § 27-a. Safety and health standards for public employees.

Human Resources