Executive order to provide time off for state employees to substitute in Utah schools

FILE PHOTO - Happy teacher and her students wearing protective face masks in the classroom. Teacher is giving them their test results.

SALT LAKE CITY – Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order on Jan. 31 allowing state employees to take approved leave time from their state jobs to fill staffing gaps in Utah schools.

“We know that kids learn best in the classroom, so we want to do what we can to help schools stay open,” Cox said.  “Our teachers and our children deserve our support during this difficult phase of the pandemic.”

A press release from the Office of the Governor reports as Omicron variant COVID-19 cases are on the rise, schools have experienced unprecedented absenteeism among teacher and education staff with the problem being intensified by labor shortages.

Executive Order 2022-02 was signed as an attempt to help schools continue to provide in-school learning by giving state employees the option to substitute teach, help in the cafeteria or perform other duties.

State employees would have up to 30 hours of paid administrative leave to help public or private schools with different staffing needs between now and the end of June 2022.

Participating state employees would need to go through a district or school hiring process, including passing a state mandated background check. Qualifying employees would be eligible for both state pay as well as compensation from the school district they assist.

“We hope many of the state’s 22,000 employees will take advantage of this opportunity to help our schools,” Cox said.

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