Memorandums

I. Purpose

In consultation with the Governor’s office and pursuant to State Personnel Board Rule 1.7.7.14(A) NMAC, the State Personnel Office Director is hereby authorizing executive agencies to grant administrative leave with pay for up to 20 consecutive workdays to State employees: 1) adversely affected by, or 2) working as volunteer firefighters to combat, the wildfires in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to the Salt Fire and South Fork Fire (“Emergency Extended Administrative Leave”). The goal is to provide assistance and minimize stress and financial harm to State employees in these categories until the situation becomes stabilized.

II. Background

On June 18, 2024, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued Executive Order 2024-033, declaring a State of Emergency to exist in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation that began on Monday, June 17, 2024.

State Personnel Board Rule 1.7.7.14 NMAC provides:

1. An agency may authorize leave with pay for up to five consecutive workdays when it is in the best interest of the agency to do so. Administrative leave in excess of five consecutive workdays must have the prior written approval of the director except for administrative leave granted in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of 1.7.8.19 NMAC or Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of 1.7.8.19 NMAC or 1.7.11.12 NMAC.

III. Definitions

“Adversely affected” means the wildfires have caused severe hardship to the employee or to a family member of the employee that requires the employee to be absent from work. Severe hardship includes, without limitation, evacuation orders or other displacement from home, evacuation orders or other displacement from the normal in-person worksite, or a disruption to normal transportation services or traffic routes to the worksite.

“Volunteer firefighter” means an employee who is a member of a New Mexico volunteer fire department and is reporting to a call or being deployed for volunteer firefighter duty to help combat the Salt Fire and South Fork Fire.

IV. Guidelines

1. Employees shall submit requests for Emergency Extended Administrative Leave to agency Human Resources in writing, together with a written explanation of how they have been adversely affected or documentation verifying their volunteer firefighter status and duty, as applicable. Human Resources will verify that the employee is a resident of the impacted area.
2. Upon determination that an employee has been adversely affected or is providing volunteer firefighter services, a grant of Emergency Extended Administrative Leave shall be issued to the employee in writing, signed by the Cabinet Secretary or Agency Head or designee.
3. Employees granted and utilizing Emergency Extended Administrative Leave shall enter time as “99 ADMLV” and insert “Emergency Extended Administrative Leave – Summer 2024 Wildfires” into the SHARE timesheet comments.
4. Under no circumstances shall leave taken as a result of the Salt Fire or South Fork Fire be entered into SHARE as inclement weather or office closure.