KCFD Trading of Time (GAG 1-2) Flashcards

General Administrative Guideline (GAG) Identification: This document is identified as GAG $1-2$ .
Effective Date: The guideline became effective on $11/16/16$ .
Supersession: This version supersedes the previous GAG $1-2$ dated $3/1/06$ .
Review Cycle: The next scheduled review date for this policy was $11/16/18$ .
Responsible Committee: The Human Resources Committee (HR) is the body responsible for this guideline.
Applicability: These procedures apply to all personnel of the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) assigned to shift operations.
Purpose: The intent of this guideline is to establish formal procedures for the Trading of Time between personnel. A separate GAG exists specifically for the trading of N-days, although certain N-day provisions are mentioned within this document.

Definition of Trading Time: Trading of Time is defined as an arrangement where, by mutual agreement, one individual works in the assigned place of another employee within the same general classification.
Competency Requirement: The employee who is working in the replaced individual's assigned place must be fully capable of performing every duty associated with that position.
Rank and Qualification Matching: As a general rule, time trades must occur rank-for-rank. Both individuals involved in the trade must hold the same professional qualifications.
Out-of-Rank Exception: Permission to trade time with a person of a different rank is permissible only after a good faith effort has been made to find a member of the same rank.
Approval for Out-of-Rank Trades: Any trade occurring out of rank requires the explicit approval of the appropriate Chief Officer. Such approval will not be withheld unreasonably, provided the trade does not diminish the unit's operational capability.

Standard Trade Allowance: The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) authorizes a total of $5$ trades.
Criteria for Trades Beyond the CBA Limit: Trades exceeding the standard limit of $5$ may be permitted under the following specific circumstances:
- Labor Organization Duties: To execute the duties of an elected or appointed office within a recognized labor organization. This includes the primary organization representing department employees, as well as parent organizations like the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) or umbrella organizations such as the AFL-CIO.
- Professional Development: To pursue educational or professional activities related to the Fire Service that are not part of assigned duties, such as a Liberal Arts education.
- Personal Business and Staffing Constraints: To accommodate personal business not covered by other leave policies or when staffing levels prohibit the use of personal leave. This is subject to the following conditions:
  1. Trades are strictly prohibited if they are used to facilitate outside business interests or secondary employment.
  2. The department may require the individual to provide formal documentation outlining the specific activities necessitating the trade.
  3. To accommodate training duties for active members of the National Guard or military reserves when the standard $15$ calendar days provided in other guidelines have been exhausted.

Overtime Restriction: Trading time while an individual is on overtime is strictly prohibited. An exception is made only for bona fide emergencies, which must be approved by the Chief Officer.
N-Day Trading: Shift personnel are allowed to trade N-Days with a vacant position, provided that the vacancy is not scheduled to be filled before the date of the intended trade.
Discretionary Approval: While trades meeting specific criteria are approved by the Chief Officer, it is recognized that unique circumstances outside these rules may arise. Any trade falling outside the scopes defined in the guideline must be specifically approved in writing by the Chief of the Department or a designated representative.

Telestaff Documentation: All trades must be documented by the appropriate Chief Officer through a notation in Telestaff. This record must include the name of the person actually working and is used to track normal maximum shifts.
Payroll and Benefits: The individual originally assigned to the shift (the person being replaced) shall receive all pay and benefits for that assigned shift.
Time Duration Limits: No single trade may exceed a duration of $24$ hours. Furthermore, no trade is permitted to extend past a scheduled shift change.
Hold-over Compensation: In the event that an individual working a trade is held over beyond the scheduled shift, the working employee (not the original assignee) will be paid for the additional time worked.