Manager Monthly
December 2020
COVID Hotline Process and Hours During Winter Break
We have shifted our approach for reporting COVID cases for staff and students who are fully remote. For cases in which a student or staff member has not been in a DPS facility or participated physically in a DPS-sponsored event for at least 15 days, the reporter only needs to fill out a shortened version (about 12 questions) of the Infectious Disease Reporting Form. Reporters will only need to fill out the form and will not need to call the hotline to report the COVID case. After completing the form, no further action is required. There will also be no case management and no community letters will be sent out for remote-only cases.

If you need to report a case for anyone who has been in a DPS facility or participated in a DPS event in the past 15 days, please call the COVID-19 Case Reporting Hotline at 720-426-9999. Team members will be checking messages and returning calls between 12-3 p.m. on Dec. 19-23 and Dec. 28-30. If you need support outside of hotline hours, please email Elinor_Roller@dpsk12.org.

The hotline's regular hours will resume on Jan. 4. We will share additional guidance and resources on COVID reporting when we return from winter break.
Updates & FYI
Reminder: Process for New COVID Accommodations
As we shared with all team members on Nov. 20, DPS is taking a new approach to employee requests for COVID-19 accommodations to implement the new public health order and respond to the operational needs of the district. Last week, we shared this message with supervisors about the new process for approving accommodations. Please take a moment to review both of these communications for information on how these changes impact current accommodations and what is changing for new COVID accommodation requests, including expectations for supervisors.
ICYMI: Protect Your Personal Information Using DPS' New Login Process
All DPS team members are now required to complete several steps to enroll in a new authentication system when accessing Employee Space, Manager Space, District Training Registration and the internal Job Board for the first time. DPS is making this change to protect the security of your personal information (like your paycheck), as well as student and district data. See the steps you and your team members need to complete and learn more here. 
Mileage Reimbursement Guidance
As many team members are working remotely, we wanted to provide some clarification on DPS' mileage reimbursement policy:
  • Employees are responsible for getting to and from work.
  • Employees may be asked to report to locations other than their normal buildings. An employee’s "regular work location" for these purposes is the work location to which they report at the beginning of the work day.
  • Travel between an employee's residence and any DPS location is not reimbursable.
  • Travel between DPS locations is eligible for reimbursement.
  • Travel from an employee’s last work location to their residence at the end of the day is not reimbursable.

Here are some examples:
  • Employee A is working from home. They are asked to work one day a week at an elementary school. Their commute from home to the school and back home is not reimbursable.

  • Employee B is working from home. They are asked to visit multiple schools on a single day. Their commute from home to the first school is not reimbursable. Their commutes between the first school and any other schools that day are eligible for reimbursement. The employee's commute from their last school of the day to their home is not reimbursable.

  • Employee C is working from the Emily Griffith campus. They are asked to support a school during the day. Their commute from home to the Emily Griffith campus and from their final work location back home at the end of the day are not reimbursable. Mileage incurred between the Emily Griffith campus and a school, or from that school to a subsequent school, is reimbursable.
Talent Acquisition
Hiring Tip: Respond Quickly to Applicants
It's critical to respond to applicants in a timely manner, particularly when hiring for hard-to-staff positions. When you post a position, schedule time to review candidates at least three times a week. If you know you won't consider some candidates, immediately send a letter notifying them they aren't being considered for the position. Encourage them to apply to other open positions for which they may be more qualified.

Prompt response time has a tremendous impact on our recruiting efforts, and it makes our applicants feel respected. Remember that every applicant is a potential future hire and they share their experience with others applying to DPS.
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