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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST RESEARCH STATION (PSW)
ALBANY, CA
FSM 6100 – PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6140 – PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AWARDS
Supplement No.: PSW_6100-2007-01.
Effective Date: September 17, 2007.
Duration: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
Approved: JAMES R. SEDELL
Station Director
Date Approved: 09/10/2007
Posting Instructions: Supplemental directives are numbered consecutively by Manual
number and calendar year. Post by document at the end of the chapter. Retain this transmittal as
the first page(s) of this document. The last supplemental directive was PSW_6100-2006-01 to
chapter 6160.
New Document
6140
6 Pages
Superseded Document(s)
by Issuance Number and
Effective Date
6100_transmittal (PSW_6100-2002-01,
6/21/2002)
6140 (PSW_6100-2005-01, 10/28/2005)
1 Page
6 Pages
Digest: In order by code, summarize the main additions or revisions of direction in this
directive.
6145.02 – Remove repetition of national direction.
6145.2 - Remove repetition of national direction.
6145.3 – Increase allowed time to 3 hours per week and authorized time period from 5 a.m. to 10
p.m.
PSW SUPPLEMENT PSW_6100-2007-01
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2007
DURATION: This directive is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 6100 - PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6140 - PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AWARDS
Table of Contents
6143 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ................................................................ 3
6143.03 - Policy ...................................................................................................................... 3
6145 - WELLNESS ......................................................................................................... 3
6145.02 - Objectives ............................................................................................................... 3
6145.03 - Policy ...................................................................................................................... 3
6145.1 - Health Risk Screening .................................................................................................. 3
6145.2 - Physical Fitness Programs ............................................................................................ 4
6145.3 - Expenditure of Funds (FSM 6511.13h) ........................................................................ 5
PSW SUPPLEMENT PSW_6100-2007-01
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2007
DURATION: This directive is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 6100 - PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6140 - PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AWARDS
6143 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
6143.03 - Policy
1. Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) employees are covered under adjacent
field unit CONCERN Program contracts in Region 5. The designated PSW key contact person is
the Safety Officer. Each PSW field unit shall designate a key contact person to coordinate and
perform liaison duties with the adjacent National Forest.
2. An employee covered by the USDA Forest Service - NFFE Forest Service Council
Master Agreement may bring a Union representative to the initial discussion with the
CONCERN program service provider.
6145 - WELLNESS
6145.02 - Objectives
PSW establishes a Wellness Program Plan.
6145.03 - Policy
Units shall designate an individual within their local safety committee to coordinate or manage
the Wellness Program. Questions on the Wellness Program may also be addressed to the PSW
Safety Officer. The PSW program provides wellness education, health and life-style evaluations
and fitness or exercise activities for all employees (permanent, term, and temporary), Human
Resource program enrollees, and volunteers. While employee participation is strongly
encouraged, all aspects of the program are voluntary. Wellness education activities and health
and life-style evaluations may be contracted.
6145.1 - Health Risk Screening
1. Employees wishing to participate in fitness or exercise activities under the program
must first complete a health and life-style evaluation Wellness Agreement, form PSW-6700-01,
that determines the employee's present physical condition, identifies any potential problems, and
recommends corrective measures for individual and group therapeutic treatment.
2. A Wellness Agreement must be completed annually by the employee and approved by
that employee's supervisor and unit leader (Project Leader, Group Leader, Assistant Director, or
Deputy Station Director), and if using Forest Service memberships in health and fitness facilities,
approved by a health care provider, prior to participation. All medical information that becomes
available during the health and life-style evaluations shall be confidential between the employee
and the health care individual providing the evaluation service. Follow-up health and life-style
evaluations may be offered.
PSW SUPPLEMENT PSW_6100-2007-01
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2007
DURATION: This directive is effective until superseded or removed.
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CHAPTER 6140 - PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AWARDS
3. Evaluations may include:
a. Individual health history and life-style questionnaire
b. Flexibility and strength test
c. Exercise tolerance test to determine aerobic capacity
d. Blood lipid profile
e. Individual counseling to explain evaluation findings
4. Units may provide smoking cessation and nutritional or weight management classes,
conduct health risk assessments and health screening.
6145.2 - Physical Fitness Programs
1. Program-sponsored fitness/exercise activities are those meeting the needs identified in
individual program-sponsored health and life-style evaluations. If the evaluation indicates that
the employee is not presently capable of safely withstanding the rigors of fitness/exercise
activities, the employee should contact a personal physician for advice on how to proceed with
an exercise program. Employees not approved to participate in physical fitness activities
because of these restrictions, are still encouraged to participate in wellness education activities
and may have a follow-up program-sponsored health and life-style evaluation 6 months after the
initial evaluation. Employees shall cover the expenses.
a. Employees may not use free weights under the PSW sponsored program. As part of
the fitness program, employees may engage in non-contact sport activities.
b. Units may contract for services to provide wellness program activities. Such services
may include agency memberships in a health and fitness facility. Membership must be
by agency name, not by individual employee name. Employees wishing memberships in
health and fitness facilities should get approval from their supervisors, then contact the
local administrative support services supervisor to set up a membership.
c. Government vehicles cannot be used to travel to wellness facilities, unless employees
are away from their normal duty stations. Under these conditions, an employee may
drive to a facility, if arrangements can be made in the immediate area that meet
requirements set up in the employee's individual wellness agreement.
2. Wellness Education and Health Fairs
a. The objective of seminars by health educators and professionals trained in a variety of
health-related topics is to provide employees with holistic information to improve their
PSW SUPPLEMENT PSW_6100-2007-01
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2007
DURATION: This directive is effective until superseded or removed.
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health and promote healthy life-styles, if they choose to do so. Examples of potential
topics for seminars and other educational activities include nutrition, stress management,
weight control, smoking cessation, exercise science, first aid, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, and disease prevention. Employees with chronic conditions or diseases
may be offered specialized training to enable them to cope with and reduce the risks of
complications.
b. Health fairs set up by the unit, local communities or health care providers are an
excellent source of information, health risk appraisals and life-style evaluations. Health
care providers at health fairs can provide clearances for employees to participate in
physical fitness activities.
3. Employees may participate in self-help groups such as weight control, self-esteem, and
recovery programs.
See Forest Service Handbook 5109.17, chapter 20, section 23.3, for employees who may perform
research activities during active fire suppression.
6145.3 - Expenditure of Funds (FSM 6511.13h)
1. Expenses are from applicable unit operating budgets upon approval of the unit leader who
retains the right to deny gym fees or dues based on budget concerns.
a. The cost of all program sponsored wellness education activities, health risk appraisals,
and lifestyle evaluations shall be paid by the employee’s unit funds. There is no charge
to employees. Employee spouses and children may participate in program-sponsored
education activities on a space-available basis if there is no cost to PSW.
b. For an employee to participate in a fitness program involving the use of Government
funds, a specific wellness agreement between that employee and that employee's
supervisor must be made and renewed annually, including an annual health check
provided by a health care provider.
c. PSW unit leaders may approve up to $100 per year per employee on health fitness
activity fees.
2. Incentive Programs. Group and individual incentives to recognize employee
achievements are important to a successful wellness program. See Forest Service Manual
6511.11t for non-monetary awards.
3. Use of Official Time.
a. Employees are encouraged to participate in wellness education activities of particular
interest or benefit to them. Supervisors may authorize official time to employees who
PSW SUPPLEMENT PSW_6100-2007-01
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2007
DURATION: This directive is effective until superseded or removed.
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CHAPTER 6140 - PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AWARDS
wish to participate in any wellness education activity sponsored by the PSW program and
approved by the Station Director, provided that the employee’s work allows for the
absence.
b. Supervisors are encouraged to grant short periods of excused absences for employees
to participate in officially authorized special or one-time educational or awareness
programs, such as Federal Fitness Day activities, a medical fitness screening procedure as
part of joining a fitness program, or any agency sponsored health fair.
c. Supervisors are encouraged to facilitate employee participation in health and fitness
activities that take place over extended or indefinite periods (such as use of fitness
centers, running, aerobic classes) through use of non-duty time. Non-duty time includes
lunch periods, as well as before and after working hours. Supervisors are encouraged to
accommodate, to the extent possible, employee requests for flexible work schedules and
the use of annual leave, credit hours, or compensatory time to participate in health and
fitness activities.
d. PSW employees shall be allowed up to 3 hours of paid official time per week for
exercise activities contingent upon:
(1) The employee uses an equivalent amount of matching personal time for fitness
activities.
(2) The supervisor approves the absence.
(3) The employee has a current Wellness Agreement, form PSW-6700-01, in effect.
The Wellness Agreement must specify the authorized activity/activities which are being
performed (FSM 6142.2) and the authorized time within the specific hours between 5
a.m. and 10 p.m. at which they will be performed.
(4) PSW is not funding $100 toward health activity fees for the employee.