City Year LA Orientation Guide May. 2015 | Page 13

Can I extend a break with person days or use a personal day to travel? NO, personal
days cannot be used to extend time off during holidays or holiday breaks. You may not use personal days for
travel. Do not schedule travel on in-service days.

Can personal days be used in less than full day increments? Yes, personal days can be
used in half-day increments as well as full day increments. You cannot take less than a half-day off.

What if I get sick and need multiple days off? A request for 2 or more consecutive excused
absences will require a second level of approval from your Program Director. If you need to take more than
2 days due to illness, your supervisor (your program manager) may require you to provide a doctor’s
note.

What if I have a serious illness and need to take of more than 5 days? In the event
that a City Year AmeriCorps member finds themselves facing a more serious illness, injury, or family
emergency that requires a minimum of 5 days of time off, they may have the option to suspend their service for
the needed time period. A suspension of service means that the time off is granted without pay, and the hours
missed will not necessarily need to be made up (although this may result in a reduced education
award). Suspensions are granted at the discretion of the Program and sufficient documentation is required.

What happens if I need to use a significant amount of my personal days at one
time? We understand that serious illness, family emergencies or other unforeseeable events beyond the
AmeriCorps member’s control may unfortunately occur during the service term. Under these circumstances,
City Year may be able to temporarily suspend the AmeriCorps member’s term without impacting their allotted
personal days. C ity Year staff will explain the requirements of this benefit, also known as suspension under
Compelling Personal Circumstances during in-person registration.

Can I use more than 5 personal days during the first half of the year?

AmeriCorps
members are strongly discouraged from using more than 5 days in the first half of the year. While it’s
important to have enough personal days to use when you are sick, it’s equally as important to ensure that you
have enough days in the second half of the year to plan for your Leadership After City Year, or “LACY”. In the
spring, most corps members utilize at least half of their personal days for job and/or academic interviews. If
you are planning to apply for graduate school, especially medical school, during your service year, you will
need to plan for use of your personal days accordingly.

I’m a parent or primary legal caregiver, how do I get my additional 2 days? Email
Brian Romero, AmeriCorps Compliance Manager, at [e-mail] to discuss further.

What happens if I exceed use of my 10 personal days?

According to the AmeriCorps
Member Service Agreement, if you exceed more than 10 days at any point in the year, you will be dismissed
from the program and therefore you will not receive your Segal Education Award.

13 | C o r p s M e m b e r O r i e n t a t i o n & R e s o u r c e G u i d e
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