NEW CUMBERLAND — The use of “dock days” may no longer be allowed in Hancock County Schools if an amendment is adopted to the district’s policy governing absences without pay.

An amendment to Policy GCC, “Professional and Service Staff Leaves and Absences Without Pay,” currently is listed for the 30-day public comment period on the Hancock County Schools website.

Superintendent Dan Enich explained Monday, during a meeting of the county board of education, he had been working with the board’s legal counsel at Bowles Rice to amend the existing policy in a manner to no longer recognize dock days in the county, while adding language involving insurance coverage.

“The term ‘dock day’ is not a legal term in West Virginia schools,” Enich said. “It’s not a legal term in the state of West Virginia.”

Last updated in 2017, the policy currently includes a section on dock days titled “Willful Absence from Employment and/or Abuse of Paid and/or Unpaid Leave,” noting “the term dock day is not a legal term in W.Va. School Law but is commonly used by employees and employers. A dock day is used to mean a work day on which the employee does not report to work and for which the employee has no remaining paid leave to cover.”

The proposed amendment would add the statement “Dock days are not recognized by the Hancock County Board of Education,” while then removing language which would have allowed employees to apply for up to five dock days per school year, as well as language discussing possible dock days for unforeseen circumstances or opportunities which would need special consideration.

“It’s correcting an error in policy, and, to be honest with you, it’s being abused a little bit,” Enich said.

School board Vice President Ed Fields noted the language change concerning insurance coverage under the proposed policy amendment.

“I’m sure we’re going to get questions,” Fields said.

Those changes include the addition of language which reads “An employee who has been granted a leave of absence shall continue to pay 100 percent of the premium costs for the insurance under the West Virginia Employees Insurance Agency program and any other insurance or benefits in which the employee may be enrolled. If any employee fails to pay any premium due, the employer may terminate insurance coverage.”

A sentence also has been added under the Unpaid Medical Leave section, which states “If an employee fails to pay any premium due, the employer may terminate insurance coverage.”

Enich said the changes would bring the county’s policy up to standard with state policy.