SCA NYSPC Policies on Time Off:
Members in the SCA NYSPC program may only have one calendar week under 14 reported service or training hours before potentially losing access to their AmeriCorps Education Award.
Members should serve an average of 39.5 hours per week across the 43-week term to hit 1700 service or training hours, with NO TIME OFF.
Members are advised to keep an average of 42.5 hours per week to allow for ample time off.
Member time off should be cleared in advance by the SCA Site Supervisor (ideally weeks/months in advance) and should not impact the function of their position.
There are some caveats and limits that may not be as obvious:
If time off occurs during a planned hitch, the member is responsible for ensuring that they have logistics covered to exit and rejoin without impacting the service or resources.
Repeat weekly hours under an average of 39.5 will increase the overall needed average per week moving forward.
Members can only serve up to 55 hours per week, citing workplace regulations.
Site Supervisors are only required to offer up to 45 hours per week of planned service and are not required to allow members to "find hours elsewhere" if problematic. While members will hit higher numbers at events and on hitch, only time actually serving is "service hours."
This creates a mathematical function where a member might need a certain average of hours that the Site Supervisor may not want/can't offer, leading to an inability to hit he 1700-hour benchmark after egregious time off.
While NYS Parks Corps supervisors help, it's your responsibility as a member to plan out your service hours to ensure you receive your education award. It's always a good idea to bolster service hours with opportunities when offered throughout the season. Your end date will "sneak" up on you sooner than you think, and you want to be in a comfortable place when that happens.
In addition, NYS Parks Corps supervisors have been tasked with creating furfulling, engaging schedules for members in the corps. Site Supervisors have the ability to give members time to explore their own interests, and look for opportunities outside of their position. If it contributes to your professional development, upholds SCA’s mission, and doesn’t violate AmeriCorps' prohibited activities, it can probably be counted as hours! With that being said, the needs of your position come first.
Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific activities. Good time management enables an individual to complete more in a shorter period of time, lowers stress, and leads to career/position success. Always try and practice the "Four P's" of good time management:
Prioritization- It's not how much time you have, it's what you do with it that counts. You can start to learn to prioritise our tasks to align with desired outcomes and timelines.
Planning- Write a to-do-list! Keep an ongoing list of tasks for the season. By planning, you can ensure that the tasks you set yourself actually move you toward your ultimate goals, instead of filling your day with chores that don't actually get you anywhere!
Productivity- By using some simple tools and techniques, you can increase your productivity in the areas where you want to get things done quickly. Using techniques such as the following can save a lot of time if done correctly.
Chunking - splitting tasks into small chunks and really focusing on each one individually - with no distractions!
Little and often - having a plan to do 20 mins a day for certain chores or activities, instead of leaving things and then needing to find the time to do it all in one go
80/20 rule - If a task doesn't need to be perfect, making a commitment to do it to your 80% perfection level is normally good enough and gets things done much quicker
SMART Goal Setting - Sometimes it's not about the to-do-list, it's about what you're putting on it! Making sure goals are set using the right structure makes each one easier and makes you more productive overall. Plenty of resources are availiable if you Google "SMART Goals."
Positivity- It is important that you celebrate your success every step of the way and that you feel good about how far you have come. This will then (hopefully) create a positive feedback loop.