The following is an excerpt of a letter received from the Department of Human Services regarding the upcoming closure of Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital:

Dear Ms. Gordon:

            Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital of the Department of Human Services (DHS) will be closing on June 30, 2012. As a result, months ago the Department instituted a placement policy in an effort to place as many employees within other locations within other locations of the Department and at other State facilities. Many employees have and continue to be reassigned or transferred out of Hagedorn: however, as of March 24, 2012, there remains 292 full-time and 37 part-time employees from the original 540 full-time and 73 part-time Hagedorn employees who have not yet been placed. As a result, the department must institute a layoff conforming to Civil Service Commission regulations and Article 29, Lay-off and recall, of the agreement between the State and AFSCME.

            Along with distribution of pay checks on April 27, 2012, specific layoff notices will be issued to Hagedorn employees and general layoff notices will be issued to all other DHS emp0loyees since the layoff of Hagedorn employees will have an impact upon other Departmental employees. On or about May 1, 2012 the appointing authorities will begin assisting employees of Hagedorn, followed by the employees of those facilities in close proximity to Hagedorn, to complete the attached Declaration Form. It is anticipated that the Declaration Forms will be completed by the end of May, 2012. Under this process information sought from employees as to work locations they would accept to be bumped to within their classifications and those to which they have demotional rights. Maps of the counties withi8n New Jersey identifying the locations of the DHS facilities will be available to assist in the process. Employees from other facilities further from Hagedorn will complete the declaration Forms as the process progresses.

            The layoff process will commence on May 29, 2012. It is expected to conclude on or before June 15, 2012. If during the layoff process employees tie with regard to seniority, the DHS will use tiebreakers as outlined in the Civil Services rules, Title4A:8-2.4(h). Once those tiebreaker options have been exhausted the DHS suggests a final tiebreaker be accomplished by way of a raffle.

            A union representative may be present when the employee is completing their Declaration Forms and during the layoff process. Please provide me with  names of the union representatives who will be present during the: 1) Declaration Form process; 2) The layoff room located at the respective facility; and 3) The layoff control room at the Central Office location.

===================================

UPDATE

Sick Leave Reform

Sick leave reform was heard and voted out of the Assembly State Government Committee this week. The bill A-1179 sponsored by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D6) and Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D29) would change the collective bargained sick leave payouts to all bargaining unit members. Current employees of the State or Municipal Governments would be locked in at the cash amount in their respective collective bargaining agreements with whatever accumulated sick leave payout they have earned (as of the signing of the bill). New employees could negotiate up to the cap, a maximum of $7500.00 that after retirement could be used to pay monthly installments to help offset the cost of post-retirement health insurance premiums. 

Current collective bargaining agreements would live out the negotiated retirement sick leave payout provisions with employees keeping what they have earned up to the signing of the bill, at that point any earned unused sick time accumulated would be banked and used to offset health care insurance premiums.

A-1179 has been passed out of committee in the Assembly and has not been voted on by the whole Assembly. The Senate has not posted their sick leave bill in committee to date.