Several state budgets, including Mn/DOT’s, continue to remain unfunded. If the Legislature has not reached agreement by the close of business Thursday, most state transportation functions will cease. More information is available on the Department of Employee Relations Web site at http://www.doer.state.mn.us/shutdown/Default.htm.

As you well know, a shutdown is a serious blow to Mn/DOT and its employees. Only functions deemed critical, including active construction projects, will continue into July if an agreement is not reached. Less than 20 percent of Mn/DOT workers – about 900 staff – will be on the job; more than 80 percent of you will be on “Limited Interruption of Employment” status.

This is terrible news that I hope we will not need to deliver.

I know how unsettling the uncertainty of these past few weeks has been for you.

Now we must prepare ourselves for an actual shutdown. The following information is intended to guide you through the process. Please review it carefully and print out copies and distribute them to co-workers who may not have access to computers and our GroupWise e-mail system.

Please do not hesitate to ask your supervisor, manager or district engineer for clarification on how to proceed.

back

In the event of a shutdown, please take the following actions before you leave the office tomorrow, June 30, 2005:

Time sheets

• FOR NON CRITICAL FUNCTION EMPLOYEES
  Employees are to fill in hours on their timesheet for the pay period ending July 12, 2005 prior to leaving work on June 30, 2005. There should only be time worked or vacation/sick/comp for June 29th and June 30th. No time should be entered for any dates after the 30th of June, even if you plan to use vacation, comp time or floating holiday to supplement this pay period. This will have to be entered when you return to work after the limited interruption of employment, hopefully, by July 12th. Do not mark this timesheet complete. A supervisor or payroll administrator will go in and mark it complete at the start of the new pay period.
  
• FOR CRITICAL FUNCTION EMPLOYEES
  Employees who are performing critical functions during the limited interruption of employment are to put only actual hours worked on their timesheet.
  Do not include any time for the holiday at this time. More information can be found in the DOER Web site at http://www.doer.state.mn.us/shutdown/Default.htm.

Voice Mail

At the end of business on Thursday, June 30, please leave the following message on your voice mail:

This is the voice mail for ___ Name_______ at the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Most of the department is currently shutdown and I will be out of the office until the Legislature resolves the funding issue. You may leave a message but I will be unable to return your call until I am back in the office once the shutdown ends.

• FOR CRITICAL FUNCTION EMPLOYEES
  Use personal discretion as to whether or not to let all calls roll to voice mail. Change your message daily; indicate when you might be able to return messages.

Computer Stations and GroupWise

All employees that will not be working as part of the limited interruption should shutdown their computers and turn the power off.

Though network access for all Mn/DOT employees will remain enabled during most of the limited interruption period, employee remote access options will be disabled (Web Portal, VPN, Dial-in).

Please DO NOT use the Auto Reply feature in GroupWise during this limited interruption. Though a useful tool during normal operations, having a significant number of Mn/DOT employees using this feature could significantly impact the operation and support of the email system for those remaining. Delays in responding to emails will become an unfortunate consequence of the shutdown.

U.S. Mail

U.S. mail will be received by the districts and Central Office, but will be distributed with minimal processing.

back

How will employees on Limited Interruption of Employment know that the shutdown has occurred?

Please refer to any or all of the following means of communication:

• Mn/DOT hotline number at 1-888-234-1245
• DOER website at www.doer.state.mn.us
• Watch your local media reports.

The Mn/DOT SHUTDOWN HOTLINE will be updated daily (or more frequently if needed).

How will employees on Limited Interruption of Employment be notified when the shutdown is over?

Please refer to any or all of the following means of communication:

• Mn/DOT hotline number at 1-888-234-1245.
• DOER website at www.doer.state.mn.us.
• Watch your local media reports.

When do I report back to work?

Once it is established that employees can return to work, they should plan to return at the start of their next normal shift.

How can employees be sure that they get paid for the 4th of July Holiday?

In order to get paid for the 4th of July Holiday, an employee must be in pay status their normal working day before and after the holiday. It is not required (during this limited interruption of employment period) to use a full 8 hours of leave each day to get paid for the holiday. If an employee only has 2 hours of leave, they can designate 1 hour to the day before and 1 hour to the day after the holiday and still get paid for the holiday. This will have to be entered when you return to work after the limited interruption of employment.

I'm registered to attend training in early July. Can I still attend training during the shutdown?

No. All employees - those in both critical and non-critical functions - will not be allowed to attend training during the shutdown.

How will my supervisor know if I want to use vacation for the days on limited interruption?

You need to let your supervisor know if your vacation request is contingent upon the shutdown. In the event of a shutdown, supervisors will approve any vacation/comp hours you have accrued upon your return to work.

If you are requesting vacation time for reasons other then the shutdown, your supervisor will need to know this. Approval of this request will be based on staffing needs.

If I am working during a shutdown, how do I notify the employer in the case of an injury?

The supervisor should complete the First Report of Injury form. The completed form should be sent to Larry Thompson, M.S. 200 Central Office. Larry can be contacted by phone at 651-296-1362.

Metro District forms should be sent to Julie Bottolfson at Waters Edge. Julie can be contacted by phone at 651-779-5166.

What is the layoff process if the shutdown continues past July 14, 2005?

Layoff notices will be sent to all classified employees on July 2, 2005, in the event that a shutdown occurs.

The Human Resources staff is in the process of determining - based on the seniority, layoff and recall provisions of the various plans and collective bargaining agreements - which employees have options to work in the positions identified for continuing critical functions. Decisions on who has options to work in the critical functions after July 14 will be made prior to that time and, if you have any options or rights to bump into one of those critical function positions, you will be notified by letter or phone prior to July 15, 2005. Your bumping rights would depend on your seniority, current and previously held job classes, which critical operations are being continued, the choices other employees make, and other criteria that might exist in your bargaining agreement.

back