HR Update - FY 24 Issue 03

Issue Date: November 17, 2023

In This Issue

• Seasonal Employee Guidance
• New Information Sheet for Employees Going on Seasonal Leave
• Changes to the Direct Deposit Process
• Academy for Supervisors 101: Fairbanks (In-Person Training)
• DOPLR at AFN
• DOPLR Comings and Goings

Seasonal Employee Guidance

The Employee Relations Supervisor Toolkit has been updated with a NEW resource to help supervisors and administrative staff manage the seasonal leave and recall process. Seasonal employees are designated by position type and are typically off work for 30 or more days based on seasonal work demands. The Guide to Seasonal Employee Leave/Layoff & Recall outlines the process of placing an employee on seasonal leave, communicating expectations regarding the recall process, and notifying employees of seasonal recall. For extra help, sample language for recalling seasonal employees is included in the guidance. Supervisors and administrative staff who manage a seasonal workforce should review the new guide and reach out to their assigned Employee Relations HR Consultant with questions. Involving the HR Consultant early if an employee is non-responsive to a seasonal recall letter is recommended.

Additionally, in compliance with federal requirements, seasonal employees in a position that requires a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) will now be required to take a pre-employment drug test before returning to work if they have been out of a US DOT regulated random drug testing pool for more than 30 days. The Guide to Seasonal Employee Leave/Layoff & Recall contains more information, as well as the approval process to follow for CDL employees returning to duty after 30+ days on seasonal leave. Questions? Contact Employee Relations – we are here to help!

New Information Sheet for Employees Going on Seasonal Leave

In October 2023 a new information sheet on the Seasonal Recall Process is required to be provided to any employee going on seasonal leave. This sheet helps to provide the information when an employee is going on seasonal leave for what to expect for when they might be recalled back to work.

Changes to the Direct Deposit Process

The Division of Finance (DOF) recently made some changes to the process for how employees sign up for or make changes to direct deposit. One of the biggest changes is that the Payroll Direct Deposit Form is now required to be submitted directly to DOF Payroll Production Team via email at doa.dof.pr.directdeposit@alaska.gov.

As a security measure DOF Payroll Production needs to be able to verify the identity of the employee for whom direct deposit is being configured. To do this, the form must either be submitted directly by the employee from their State of Alaska email account or the form must be accompanied by a copy of a government issued ID (Passport, Driver’s License, State ID, Native American Tribal ID, etc). This protects the employee from someone submitting the form on their behalf with incorrect or fraudulent information.

These are the biggest changes that have been implemented for setting up direct deposit for an employee. Additional information about the process can be found on the Employee Direct Deposit Information page on the Division of Finance website.

Academy for Supervisors 101: Fairbanks (In-Person Training)

The Division of Personnel & Labor Relations’ Learning and Development Team was able to travel to Fairbanks to conduct two in-person supervisory trainings from October 2nd – October 6th, 2023.

Our new approach of assigning mandatory pre-work prior to attending the in-person Academy, has allowed us to maximize our time by conducting two Academies instead of one while reducing the in-person training time from 5 days to 2.5 days per Academy.

44 supervisors were able to successfully graduate the Academy for Supervisors 101 equipped with knowledge about the State’s Performance Management model through AspireAlaska, key HR laws and a solid foundation in the HR process, as well as the coveted supervisory toolkit that includes documents like leave trackers, coaching templates and much more.

Through 25 responses to our anonymous feedback survey, they Academy for Supervisors 101 (In-Person) is currently rated at a 4.56/5, with one respondent saying “I have been with the state for more than ten years and I have attended many trainings. This was one of the best and most informative trainings I have ever attended.”

DOPLR at AFN

The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) is the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska. Its membership includes 209 federally recognized tribes, 185 village corporations, 9 regional corporations, and 10 regional nonprofit and tribal consortiums that contract and compact to run federal and state programs.

DOPLR has attended AFN conventions to promote and recruit community members statewide to join the State of Alaska Executive Branch. This is one of the most popular recruitment efforts as it offers an opportunity to meet residents from across the state as well as experience the various offerings AFN provides to learn more about our state. The theme of AFN 2023 was “Our Ways of Life.” The traditional ways of life of Alaska Natives are centered around the land and sessions focused on strategic opportunities, challenges, experiences, knowledge, and storytelling. Attendees shared their stories and experiences with DOPLR staff throughout the three-day event. For more information on AFN and future conventions check out Alaska Federation of Natives | A Powerful Voice in Alaska.

We hope to see you during AFN 2024!

State EEO Program Manager Kelley Roberson at AFN, where there's always the cutest kids.

DOPLR Comings and Goings

Goings (leaving DOPLR)

• Anneliese Hudson (Employee Relations)
• Corbin Backhaus (Workforce Services)

Comings (New to DOPLR/Internal Promotions*)

• Ashley Laurin (Employee Relations)*
• Sam Mobius (Employee Relations)
• Jeff Frizzell (Learning & Development)
• Sherry Barclay (Workforce Services)