When the Governing Board has adopted the reduced workload program, any classified employee may reduce his/her workload from full time to part time in accordance with applicable law, district regulations, and collective bargaining agreement.
When so authorized, any classified employee who is a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System may reduce his/her workload from full time to part time without losing retirement benefits, if all of the following conditions are met: (Education Code 45139)
1. The employee shall have reached the age of 55 prior to the workload reduction.
2. The employee shall have been employed full time in a classified position for at least 10 years, of which the immediately preceding five years were full-time employment.
3. During the period immediately preceding a request for reduction in workload, the employee shall have been employed full time in a classified position for a total of at least five years without a break in service.
4. The option of part-time employment shall be exercised at the request of the employee and can be revoked only with the mutual consent of the employee and the district.
5. The employee shall be paid a salary that is the pro rata share of the salary he/she would be earning had the employee not elected to exercise the option of part-time employment.
6. The employee shall retain all other rights and benefits for which he/she makes the payments that would be required if he/she remained in full-time employment. The employee shall receive health benefits in the same manner as a full-time classified employee.
(cf. 4154/4254/4354 - Health and Welfare Benefits)
7. The minimum part-time employment shall be the equivalent of one-half of the number of hours of service required by the employee's contract during his/her final year of service in a full-time classified position.
8. The period of the part-time employment shall not exceed five years.
9. The period of part-time employment shall not extend beyond the end of the school year during which the employee reaches his/her 70th birthday.
Prior to the reduction of an employee's workload, the Superintendent or designee shall verify the employee's eligibility for the reduced workload program. (Government Code 20905)
The Superintendent or designee shall maintain the necessary records to separately identify each employee who participates in the reduced workload program. (Government Code 20905)
(cf. 3580 - District Records)
The district may allow any classified employee who is not eligible for the reduction of workload pursuant to Education Code 45139 to reduce his/her workload from full time to part time after determining that it is in the best interest of the district. In any such case, the Board shall specify the terms and conditions under which the reduction in workload shall take place.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
45139 Reduced workload for classified employees
GOVERNMENT CODE
20000-21703 Public Employees' Retirement System, especially:
20905 Reduced workload program, classified employees
53201 Health and welfare benefits
COURT DECISIONS
Praiser v. Biggs Unified School District (2001) 87 Cal.App.4th 398
Management Resources:
WEB SITES
California Public Employees' Retirement System: http://www.calpers.ca.gov
Regulation WOODLAKE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: July 13, 2016 Woodlake, California