PPM 3-68, Released Wellness Guidelines

Responsible Office: 
Human Resources

1.0   PURPOSE

This policy outlines guidelines related to time for salaried and eligible employees to a have released time to engage in activities to help enhance their health and well-being.

2.0   REFERENCES

2.1  PPM 3-45, Fringe Benefits

2.2  PPM 10-1, Information Security

3.0  DEFINITIONS

3.1  Employee - An employee paid on the salaried payroll and eligible, depending on the percent of time worked, for benefits defined in PPM 3-45.

3.2  Wellness Activities - A variety of approved methods to enhance the health and well-being of employees. Additional activities will be considered for approval upon a recommendation to the Employee Wellness Supervisor and the wellness participant's immediate supervisor.

3.3  Wellness Time - Released time during work hours to participate in wellness activities.

4.0  POLICY

4.1  Staff employees may have released time from work to participate in wellness time activities a maximum of three hours per the employee's workweek (not to exceed one hour of wellness time a day) prorated based on the employee's FTE status using the following calculation:

3 hours is equal to 180 minutes, 180 X FTE = Minutes for wellness time per week.
(Minutes should be rounded to the nearest 10.)
Example: Employee's FTE is .8, so 180 X .8 = 140 (rounded) minutes for wellness/week.

4.2   Wellness time is counted from the time the employee stops work duties until the time they are resumed.

4.3   Human Resources will outline procedures for tracking and gaining approval for released wellness time.

4.4   The specific wellness time participation hours and days must be scheduled and approved by the employee's superviosr within a timeframe determined by the department, and must be consistent with these guidelines:

4.4.1  Wellness time missed due to work emergencies or other work related conflicts can only be rescheduled during that same workweek.

4.4.2  Missed wellness time cannot be accrued outside the employee's workweek.

4.4.3  Wellness time missed because of sickness or vacation cannot be rescheduled, nor can it be used in place of sick or vacation time.

4.4.4  Wellness time may be taken in conjunction with breaks and lunch if it does not negatively impact department productivity, but breaks and lunch cannot be combined. For example, one fifteen minute break or an hour of lunch could be combined with up to an hour of wellness.

4.4.5  Wellness time activities must take place on the employee's worksite, unless otherwise approved by the immediate supervisor.

4.4.6  Wellness time for multiple participating employees within the same area must be managed in ways that avoid a negative impact on individual job performance and overall department productivity.

4.4.7  Supervisors may implement special scheduling guidelines to meet the unique needs or special circumstances of their areas.

4.5  Any employee who abuses their wellness time participation privileges will have disciplinary sanctions imposed up to and including termination of employment as defined in PPM 3-33.

4.6  Data will be stored and protected in accordance with PPM 10-1, Information Security.

 

Revision History

Creation Date: 3/15/16

Amended: 9/5/17; 3/22/22; 10/28/22 (edit)