AmeriCorps Promise Fellows Policy and Timesheet Training

1. AmeriCorps Promise FellowsPolicy and Timesheet Training Welcome!

2. Agenda • AmeriCorps Proud • Member Agreement • Provisions • Onsite Training Checklist • Timesheets • Resources

3. Member Service Agreement Quiz! go to: kahoot.it

4. Member Agreement Questions

5. AmeriCorps Branding Celebrate National Service! Help us make your Promise Fellow’s AmeriCorps role clear and to others in your organization and at your site. NEW: Promise Fellows will be required to wear name badges at site.

6. Member Code of Conduct • At no time may a Promise Fellow: • Engage in activity that is illegal under local, state or federal law • Engage in activities that pose a significant risk to others • Engage in AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities while charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or CNCS • Full list found in Host Site and Member Agreements • Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and participate in these activities during their own free time, but not while wearing AmeriCorps Gear

7. AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities • Federal funding means that members cannot engage in certain activities • Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing • Strike? Contact the Alliance • Replacing or taking on the duties of an existing staff member

8. No Political Advocacy • Examples of specific prohibited activities: • No campaigning for political candidates • No voter registration or voter registration drives • No protesting against or demonstrating for any type of legislation As an individual on your own time, not wearing AmeriCorps gear or identifying as an AmeriCorps member, you can engage in these activities.

9. No Abortion Services or Referrals • Examples of specific prohibited activities: • No referral to abortion services as part of national service role • No accompaniment of clients at facilities that perform abortions • No protesting or demonstrating in support of or against abortion services or laws As an individual on your own time, not wearing AmeriCorps gear or identifying as an AmeriCorps member, you can engage in these activities.

10. No Religious Instruction • Examples of specific prohibited activities: • No leading prayer service as part of AmeriCorps service hours • No teaching classes on religious text or practices to children or adults in any setting • No testifying or engaging in activities that are meant to engage individuals in or convert individuals to a particular religion As an individual on your own time, not wearing AmeriCorps gear or identifying as an AmeriCorps member, you can engage in these activities.

11. Scenario 1 – Prohibited or Not? The AmeriCorps members serving in a large after-school program want to petition the city’s mayor. The members provide academic enrichment activities. The mayor is considering cutting subsidized public transit passes for youth attending after-school programs. The AmeriCorps members are concerned that their students will no longer be able to participate in their program. They argue that the city’s budget has nothing to do with their AmeriCorps program, and they should be allowed to petition the mayor and earn AmeriCorps service hours for doing so.

12. While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or CNCS, staff and members may not engage in the following activities (see 45 CFR § 2520.65): a. Attempting to influence legislation; b. Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; c. Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing; d. Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements; e. Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office; f. Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials; g. Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization; h. Providing a direct benefit to— i.A business organized for profit; ii. A labor union; iii. A partisan political organization; iv. A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 related to engaging in political activities or substantial amount of lobbying except that nothing in these 9 provisions shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and v. An organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph 3.g. above, unless CNCS assistance is not used to support those religious activities; i. Conducting a voter registration drive or using CNCS funds to conduct a voter registration drive; j. Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services; and k. Such other activities as CNCS may prohibit. Prohibited!

13. Scenario 2 – Prohibited or Not? During her free time, an AmeriCorps member has been frequently sharing her political position regarding the upcoming gubernatorial election on Facebook. The member’s Facebook profile photo shows her wearing the AmeriCorps service gear issued by her program at the beginning of the service year.

14. Scenario 2 Not Prohibited! The prohibition on political advocacy only applies to activities for which a member may accrue AmeriCorps service hours, so she is free to express her political beliefs and positions at will. However, the member should NOTuse a photo that contains the AmeriCorps gear/logo for personal business at any time. This is an example of an activity that would give the appearance of impropriety, since a casual observer may not be able to distinguish the individual’s personal political position from the AmeriCorps program or CNCS. However…

15. Scenario 3 – Prohibited or Not? After a series of tornadoes destroyed several small towns along the Mississippi River, a team of AmeriCorps members were deployed by CNCS to engage in disaster response. As part of the disaster response, several members were asked by a local pastor to recruit and manage volunteers who would provide spiritual counseling and prayer groups for the community to help citizens cope with the disaster. According to CNCS rules, is this a prohibited activity for the AmeriCorps members?

16. While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or CNCS, staff and members may not engage in the following activities (see 45 CFR § 2520.65): a. Attempting to influence legislation; b. Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; c. Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing; d. Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements; e. Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office; f. Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials; g. Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization; h. Providing a direct benefit to— i.A business organized for profit; ii. A labor union; iii. A partisan political organization; iv. A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 related to engaging in political activities or substantial amount of lobbying except that nothing in these 9 provisions shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and v. An organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph 3.g. above, unless CNCS assistance is not used to support those religious activities; i. Conducting a voter registration drive or using CNCS funds to conduct a voter registration drive; j. Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services; and k. Such other activities as CNCS may prohibit. Prohibited!

17. On Site Training Check List • Promise Fellows must follow policies of both Alliance and Host Site • Site policy review should be part of orientation at site • Review site’s policies about working with youth

18. Alliance Social Media Guidelines * Check with your Supervisor about your sites social media guidelines

19. Alliance Member Policies • Members are discouraged from driving personal vehicles unless they understand how their insurance might be affected • Members are not allowed to do home visits by themselves • Service must be in the state of Minnesota • If going out of state, must be approved by the Alliance

20. Mandated Reporting • Persons who work with children or families in the State of Minnesota aremandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Upcoming Training Opportunity: Thursday, Sept 20th!

21. Accommodations • Reasonable Accommodation Definition • Any change in the work environment or in the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability or medical condition to participate in the application process, to perform essential functions of a job, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of service that are available to individuals without disabilities.

22. If you request an accommodation the following steps will happen: • a review of your service description will be done • a determination of difficulties that your disability causes in your performance of essential service functions • brainstorming of accommodations that can be provided • A requirement of the ADA is that all parties communicate in good faith regarding accommodations  • Any medical information is kept confidential unless disclosure is needed to process the request. If a disclosure of medical information is needed, recipients of information must maintain the requirements of confidentiality.

23. Service Verification Letter • All members received a Service Verification Letter in their packets this morning! Use this letter when applying for SNAP benefits. • Need a new copy? Need a letter for a different purpose? Contact Bette Benson at bbenson@mnyouth.net or your Alliance Trainer.

24. Member Health Insurance • Coverage started day 1 of service! • You will be emailed your health insurance card within 2 weeks – there is a temporary card on the PF toolbox to use now. • Health Insurance Plan details are at the registration table and on the PF toolbox. More Info about Insurance on the PF Toolbox: www.mnyouth.net

25. Hours and Timesheets

26. Service Year Commitment Reminder • 10-11 months, Full-time Service • Expectation 40 hrs/wk • Minimum of 1720 hours, (1200 hours for 30 hours per week) • (not a stopping point!) • Necessary to receive Education Award • Service Requirements • Timesheet Submission • Data Tracking Requirements • All Alliance Training

27. PFs Are Service Members NOT Employees • Alliance acts as “employer” – maintains personnel files, program policies, discipline process, can provide employment verifications, etc. • Alliance administers benefits – living allowance, health insurance, childcare assistance, student loan forbearance, etc. • Worker’s comp: report any incident within 24 hoursto the Alliance.

28. Timesheets: Important to know • Timesheets are required to document and track hours • Timesheets are permanent record of your service • Notify your supervisor and trainer if fixes are needed • Timesheets are reviewed by the Alliance, Serve MN and CNCS (Corporation for National and Community Service

29. Tracking Hours • OnCorps is the online tracking system you will use for timesheets and reporting • You will get access to OnCorps during your second week of service • Please track hours prior to that in a notebook, calendar or spreadsheet

30. Timesheets and Payroll • Timesheets are usually due on the 1st& 16th of the month • See 1819 Payroll Calendar for exact dates • Must be approved by Supervisor within 24 hours • OnCorps sends automatic reminders of late timesheets • Paid by direct deposit on the 15thand last day of month • First payment about 30 days after start date • Last payment about two weeks after end of term of service • Necessary to receive living allowance • If late, your living allowance will be put on Administrative Hold until all timesheets are submitted and approved.

31. Payroll Calendar Find this on the PF Toolbox: www.mnyouth.net

32. Timesheets Service: Unlimited! Training: Max 20% of total hours Fundraising: Max of 10% of total hours Life After AmeriCorps: 20 hours total for the term New category under “training”

33. Timesheet Review and Submission Review Timesheet • Full-time service (reason listed if not) • Appropriate activities w/ descriptions • Hours in the correct category Submit Timesheets (not just save) • Within one business day after end of pay period Track on Hours • Make a plan with supervisor if not on track • Contact Alliance with any questions or concerns

34. Hours: Report in OnCorps • Go to “Enter Timesheets” • Go into “Time Tracking” and expand the “+” by your name

35. Timesheet & Hours Requirements (Handout) • Hours Categories • What does not count as hours? • Entering number of Hours • Timesheet Daily Descriptions • Accompaniment Report (if notified by the Alliance)

36. Timesheet Descriptions Examples “host site team event, getting to know other team members and reviewing training calendar for the service term” “meeting with focus list students to review assignments from last week and assignments still missing” “traveled to and attended Alliance Small Corps training”

37. Timesheet Descriptions Examples “entering student intervention minutes and updating OnCorps for data benchmark 2” “organized curriculum for afterschool program for the next week and emailed a few volunteers for upcoming out of school event” “weekly meeting with supervisor and youth success team to review focus list student attendance and discuss support needed”

38. Timesheet Common Problems: Unallowable Activities • Coaching – • Do not use this word as it can imply a paid position, specify as "volunteer coach" or "supporting basket ball practice"  • Testing – • Can’t be proctoring any testing. It is not part of PF role and should be done by a host site staff member • Grading papers/assignment/homework – • Not part of the PF role, don’t do; unless part of an activity they are doing with students • Supervising, teaching, Admin tasks, or filling in for staff - • Not part of PF role and displacement to take on employee roles

39. Timesheet Common Problems: Other • Backlogging of hours in unallowable  • Can’t submit early – • Must wait until the end of your last day of the timesheet or best practice is submit on the due date • Hours reported in incorrect category • Service hours is default category unless the activity is: • Training – Site or Alliance training • Life After AmeriCorps – from approved activity list • Fundraising hours – constraints around fundraising, contact trainer for questions on allowable fundraising activities

40. Timesheet Common Problems: Descriptions • Descriptions: Finding the balance of enough information but not too much • Don’t cut & paste descriptions; entries should be unique • More than: "working from home" or "focus list students“ • Too general; need more information about activity • Less than: Paragraph descriptions or listing times in/out • Days with hours but no descriptions • List reason if no hours during week days • State, "approved time off" "sick" or "holiday" etc.

41. Resources • Talk with your Site Supervisor • Contact Promise Fellow Leader Joe Vitt (jvitt@mnyouth.net) • Contact your Trainers with ANY questions • Review the PF Toolbox at www.mnyouth.net