State Employees Responding as Volunteers Program (SERV)
The State Employees Responding as Volunteers Program (SERV) gives state employees the opportunity to provide volunteer services to assist in the improvement of the community at accredited non-profit organizations and public entities (including schools).
Please reference the Commonwealth's SERV website for program information. Please note: an employee's SERV leave request must be approved by Labor Relations prior to the employee taking such leave. Please allow two weeks to complete the pre-approval process.
Absences from work must be coordinated with, and approved by, an individual's employing department consistent with use of other voluntary absences (eg, vacation time).
To request paid time off under SERV (at least two weeks prior to the date of volunteer services):
- Provide UMass Labor Relations the date(s) for which you are requesting SERV leave, the organization with which you will be volunteering and the type of services you will be providing.
- Once approved, perform the voluntary service and ensure you have the Commonwealth's SERV Verification Form of Volunteer Services completed by a representation of the organization. Submit the completed form to UMass Human Resources Time and Labor by the end of the pay period in which volunteer services were performed.
- Report approved time under the SERV program using the "VSL" time/labor code.