1. Introduction
   1. Definitions: This document follows the definitions identified in Section 1: Definitions, of FCPS Collective Bargaining Resolution, approved on March 9, 2023.
   2. Policies & Regulations: refer to all Policies, Regulations, and Notices approved by FCPS School Board. 
   3. Applicability: these guidelines apply to all FCPS employees, associations, and external parties of interest, pursuing exclusive representation of any of FCPS’s bargaining units:
      1. Operational Employees
      2. Licensed Professional
      3. Administrators and Supervisors.

1. Schools
   1. Any employee interested in visiting a school for the purpose of campaigning must obtain permission from the school principal of the school they would like to visit.
      1. To ensure safety and avoid disruptions, the principal will determine an appropriate time, location, and length of the visit that does not impair the efficient operation of the school.
      2. The visiting employees will adhere to the following guidelines:
         1. Will meet employees only in the designated area.
         2. Will remain in their assigned location. If they need assistance, they must go to the principal’s office.
         3. Will not interact directly with any students. 
         4. Will not use students’ restroom facilities. 
         5. If they need additional time, they must request it from the principal’s office to ensure the space remains available.
         6. Must check out at the principal’s office when their time expires.
      3. Organizations must obtain permission from the principal of the school prior to visiting a school location for the purpose of campaigning.
         1. The principal will determine the terms (time, location) of the visit and communicate to the requester.
         2. All individuals (FCPS employees or non-FCPS employees) must follow the visitor’s check-in procedures at any school they visit. 
         3. The event should not interfere with work hours, and their presence should be limited to the space assigned (i.e., they cannot be roaming the hallways). 
         4. Visitors must all stay in the designated area and only for the time that the principal approves for them. They must check out per standard procedures. 
         5. Non-FCPS visitors must go through the regular check-in that visitors to the school follow.
2. Guidance for Visits to Bus Lots
   1. FCPS policies regarding employee access are designed to strike a balance between allowing for open communication, maintaining a productive work environment, and ensuring the safety of all parties involved. 
      
      Recommended times to meet employees are 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., because in the morning, employees arrive to conduct pre-trip inspections and other job duties prior to their departures. This, added to the darkness in the lots during early mornings, creates a safety issue as buses move around the lot with little visibility. 
      
      The recommended time is ideal to meet with the drivers because all the drivers return to the lots – starting as early as 9 a.m. Another group arrives starting at 12 p.m. – these times allow organizers to engage with employees safely and without interfering with job duties. 
      
      FCPS remains fully committed to upholding the rights and interests of our employees, including their rights to engage in union activities, as protected by law. We recognize and respect the rights of our employees to make informed decisions about union representation, free from interference or coercion.

1. All applicable provisions of Regulation R6410 - Appropriate Use of Fairfax County Public Schools' Network and Internet Resources shall apply to all persons engaged in organizing activities on FCPS property or that involve the use of FCPS network and Internet resources. Applicable provisions include but are not limited to:
   1. Visitors must ensure that their use of a school’s public Wi-Fi network does not violate any FCPS Policy or Regulation or local, state, or federal law.
   2. Employees must not provide or share their network passwords with any visitor or allow unauthorized access to FCPS digital networks to any visitor.

1. Employees or organizations can hold formal meetings before or after school hours on behalf of outside organizations, under the terms allowed within Regulation R8420: Community Use of School Facilities.
2. Organizations can reach out directly to employees before or after work hours as long as it does not interfere with the school or office operations.

1. Employee with issues related to activities related to collective bargaining should forward their concerns to the Office of Labor Relations ([email protected]).
2. The Office of Labor Relations will provide guidelines for resolution within the framework of the FCPS Collective Bargaining Resolution, or Policies, Regulations, and Notices approved by the School Board.
3. Communications among employees or between organizations and employees that take place outside of FCPS property or on communications platforms not controlled by FCPS are not within the scope of FCPS policies and will not be addressed unless they cause a disruption at the workplace or impede work.

Principals/Program Managers will not:

1. Dominate or interfere with the administration of any Employee Association, provided that the use of FCPS property or communications systems, as may be permitted by this Resolution or a collective bargaining agreement, will not be deemed encouragement prohibited by this section. 
2.  Interfere with, restrain, discharge, discipline, discriminate or retaliate against or otherwise coerce employees in relation to any of the following:
   1. To encourage or discourage membership in any Employee Association; however, taking action to preclude an employee's conflict of interest with the duties of their position is not prohibited by this article. 
   2. Because the employee has formed, joined, supported, assisted, or chosen to be represented by any Employee Association, or authorized deduction of dues or fees to an Employee Association, or engaged in other protected concerted activities for collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, or refrained from any or all such activities. 
   3. Because the employee participated in collective bargaining, testified in a hearing, or filed a statement, petition, complaint, or grievance under this Resolution or a collective bargaining agreement; or 
   4. Because the employee exercised any of the rights provided in this Resolution. 
3. Principals/Project Managers must allow all Employee Associations to have equal access to employees during organizational or representation campaign activity.

FCPS Employees:

1. All FCPS employees remain guided by all terms regarding behavior as stated in FCPS policies and procedures.
   1. Regulation R4429 Conduct & Discipline: Support Employees
   2. Regulation R4293 - Dismissal: Definition of Just Cause
   3. Regulation 4423.5 - Additional Responsibilities and Behaviors
2. It is expected that all FCPS employees will remain committed to their work and responsibilities during this process.

Organizations Seeking Representation will not:

1. Interfere with, restrain, coerce, or discriminate or retaliate against an employee in relation to:
   1. Encouraging or discouraging the joining or refusing to join or any Employee Association; however, taking action to preclude employee member conflict of interest in relation to Employee Association membership and the individual’s position with the division is not prohibited by this article;
   2. An employee exercising any rights granted by this Resolution;
   3. Because the employee has formed, joined, supported, assisted, or chosen to be represented by any Employee Association, or authorized deduction of dues or fees to an Employee Association, or engaged in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, or refrained from any or all such activities; or
   4. Because the employee participated in collective bargaining, testified in a hearing, or filed a statement, petition, complaint, or grievance under this Resolution or a collective bargaining agreement.

2. Engage in conduct that is plainly in direct conflict with any applicable collective bargaining agreement.

3. All visitors are required to comply with the most recent version of Regulation R1361 - Visitor Conduct on FCPS Grounds

Guidelines for FCPS Visitors During Collective Bargaining Campaigns

Point #1

Visitors to Fairfax County Public Schools and Facilities must adhere to Regulations governing access to our buildings. Our regulations require that visitors sign-in at our “schools” utilizing the Visitor Management System (VMS) and obtain a visitor identification badge. Our visitors must also enter and exit from a school or center at the main entrance and return their visitor’s badge.

• Note: all visitors shall report to the school or division facility’s administrative office to sign in, receive permission to visit, and wear a visitor’s badge throughout the visit.

Point #2

Visitors will limit their visit to the length of time necessary to fulfill the purpose/s of the visit.

Point #3

Visitors can not engage in any conduct that would disrupt the learning or working environment of the school and/or office building.

Point #4

If a visitor violates the provisions and regulations set-forth for “visiting” FCPS facilities, it could lead to immediate termination of the current visit, limitation, or denial of future visits.

Summary

Representatives from the Unions advocating and recruiting membership should not leave their assigned space locations and access the hallways during the school day because of the potential of interacting with students (inadvertently); becoming a distraction to both students and staff; and potentially impeding hallways unnecessarily while conversing with staff.
The educational environment cannot be disrupted, nor can safety and security protocols be violated. Activities for the Union should be confined to the space agreed upon by the school administrative team.

Regulation 4215.8 - Duties, Responsibilities, and Rights of Employees / Identification Badges

Section IV - Visitor Badges / School Responsibility

Please review the “snapshots” below of various regulations/policies concerning the governance of visitors to FCPS schools and facilities.

1. Each school and special education center shall inform staff of the visitor badge requirements.
2. Visitors must report to the main office. Signs approved by the Office of Safety and Security shall be posted on all exterior doors in a conspicuous manner
3. Visitors and non-renovation contractors must show photo identification and sign-in at the main office using the designated system, manual or automated.
4. Visitors are required to use the automated Visitor Management System (VMS) in the main office. Notification signs shall be posted at the main entrance.
5. Only automated Visitor Management Systems (VMS) approved by FCPS may be utilized. All installations must be coordinated through the Office of Safety and Security.
6. Visitors and non-renovation contractors will be issued a school identification badge and display it in a conspicuous manner while on FCPS property.
7. Visitors and non-renovation contractors must exit the school and/or center at the main entrance and return identification badges prior to leaving the main office. The school is responsible for retrieving the badge when the visitor departs and for periodically checking the badge inventory to determine if any badges are missing.
8. Staff observing individuals without identification badges will politely direct that person to report to the main office.
9. Individuals failing to comply will result in access to the school and/or center being denied and may also be reported to an administrator for action and, if necessary, to the police and may be subject to prosecution for trespassing.
10. Special provisions for large events and unique occasions are allowed at the discretion of the administrator in charge. These provisions may include not requiring all visitors to wear an identification badge.
11. An adequate supply of visitor badges, obtained from the Department of Human Resources, will be maintained by each school. Visitor badges must contain the word visitor and may be numbered for control purposes. The name of the school and the school year should also be included.
12. Visitor badges should be of durable material, preferably laminated cards, and be constructed so that they can be securely fastened to the visitor's clothing or worn on a neck chain. Visitor sticker-type badges, supplied by the school, may also be used.
13. A designated employee at each school will be responsible for maintaining a log to record visitor entries and badge issuances. Schools must designate an employee to be responsible for maintaining the automated visitor management system and the integrity of the sign-in process. Any manual log will include the visitor's name, date and time of entry, destination, and time of exit.

Policy 1360.3 - Local School Organization and Administration Visitors to Schools

Section III

Principals and teachers shall welcome the routine visits of patrons of the schools. Outside organizations wanting to arrange visits to schools or central FCPS offices should contact the Office of Communication and Community Relations (OCCR). OCCR will attempt to ensure that the number of such visits does not interfere with ongoing school and school system operations. Each person entering a school shall go immediately to the principal’s office and obtain a visitor’s pass. Those who do not obtain permission from the principal’s office to visit the school shall be considered trespassers.

Regulation 1361 / Visitor Conduct on FCPS Grounds

Definitions

Section E

Visitor: A visitor shall be defined as any person on FCPS property who is neither employed by FCPS nor attends a Fairfax County Public School. This includes, but not be limited to, parents; guest speakers; salespersons; representatives of the news media; students who are not enrolled in FCPS; an FCPS student who is not enrolled at the school or office they are visiting; FCPS volunteers; business partners; and representatives from a college or university.

III. Procedures for Visitors and Authorized Individuals

Section A / Generally

#1 

Conduct Expectations. All visitors, including parents or guardians, are expected to be professional, respectful, and courteous in their interactions with students, employees, and others. Any visitor who disrupts the educational environment or physically or verbally abuses, threatens, or harasses students, employees, or other visitors; either while on FCPS property, by telephone, or in a virtual setting, or through other electronic communications, may have their access to FCPS property restricted in accordance with this regulation.

#3 

Scope of Visit. Visitors will limit their visit to the length of time necessary to fulfill the purpose(s) of the visit. If the purpose of the visit is to conduct an observation, it must be approved in advance by the school principal or principal’s designee to minimize disruption to the educational environment.

Section B / Conduct Expectations While at a Fairfax County Public School or Facility

1. Visitors shall enter a school building or facility through the entrance designated by the school or division facility and utilize the access control system in place. Once inside, visitors shall immediately report to the administrative office for authorization to be in the building or on school property.
2. During school and operating hours, all visitors shall report to the school or division facility’s administrative office to sign in, receive permission to visit and receive and wear a visitor’s identification badge throughout the visit. Visitors to schools must utilize the in-place visitor management system to register and receive an identification badge. Persons who fail to do so may be considered trespassers.
3. Outside Organizations or representatives of the news media seeking to arrange visits to schools or division facilities shall contact the director of Communications and Media Relations prior to visiting.

Section C / Violations of Regulation

A visitor in violation of this regulation may be prohibited from physically entering FCPS property, attending virtual meetings, or be subject to other actions deemed necessary to preserve a safe and productive school and work environment for FCPS students and staff. A single incident can constitute a violation of this regulation.

#1

A visitor in violation of this regulation may be prohibited from physically entering FCPS property, attending virtual meetings, or be subject to other actions deemed necessary to preserve a safe and productive school and work environment for FCPS students and staff. A single incident can constitute a violation of this regulation.

#3

Violations of this Regulation would include, but are not limited to visitors: 1) using profanity directed toward any employee, student, or other visitor; 2) yelling, screaming, or badgering any employee, student, and other visitor; 3) using offensive and aggressive gestures; 4) threatening any employee, student, and other visitor with physical harm; 5) engaging in any action to intimidate or coerce any employee, student, or other visitor; 6) physically assaulting any employee, student, and other visitor; 7) violating local, state, and federal laws during their visit; 8) violating current FCPS policy and regulations during their visit; 9) engaging in any other conduct that would disrupt the learning or working environment of that school or office building.

#4 

Penalties for violation of this section could include immediate termination of the current visit, limitation or denial of future visits, prosecution under applicable criminal laws and procedures that limit the length of a visitor’s stay and that limit locations in the school that are available to visitors.

1. All questions or concerns related to any stage of the collective bargaining (CB) process should be first addressed to the Office of Labor Relations. 
2. The Office of Labor Relations provides strategic leadership and direction to FCPS’s labor relations initiatives and collective bargaining functions.
3. Email = [email protected]
4. Office of Labor Relations Employee Hub webpage
5. Collective Bargaining Video Resources (available on the FCPS Employee Hub)
6. FCPS Collective Bargaining Resolution