Sick Leave Policy

It is recognized that employees might be absent from work on a short-term basis under certain circumstances. Employees will receive compensation for sick time as set forth below. This policy works in conjunction with the Leave of Absence Policy and the Family Medical Leave Policy.

All full-time, non-exempt and exempt employees working 12 and nine months per year and whom the College has employed for a period of at least three consecutive months will be granted authorized sick leave with compensation (if paid leave has been accrued) under the following conditions:

Compensation for sick time for employees shall be accrued based on the length of service and in accordance with the rules outlined in this policy. A summary of the benefits and guidelines are as follows:

Full-time Administrative and Professional Employees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category

Qualifying Period

Time Earned for

Maximum Days

Maximum

Excessive

Return to Work

 

Before Sick Time

Each Full Month of Full-time

Earned Per Year

Benefit

Absenteeism

Release Form

 

Can Be Earned/Used

 

Employment

 

Accumulation 

 

Required

Full-time

90 Days

0.75 Days

9 Days

130 Days

6 Unexcused Days

3 Absence Days

Fiscal Year

 

 

 

 

in any 12 Consecutive

for the Same

 

 

 

 

 

Months

Illness

Full-time

90 Days

0.75 Days

7 Days

130 Days

4 Unexcused

3 Absence Days

Academic Year

 

 

 

 

Days in an

for the Same

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year

Illness

Part-time

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

6 Unexcused Days

3 Absence Days

Fiscal Year

 

 

 

 

in any 12 Consecutive

for the Same

 

 

 

 

 

Months

Illness

Part-time

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

4 Unexcused

3 Absence Days

Academic Year

 

 

 

 

Days in an

for the Same

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year

Illness

 

 

Full-time Support Staff Employees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category

Qualifying Period

Time Earned for Each

Maximum Hours

Maximum Benefit

Excessive

Return to Work

 

Before Sick Time

Full Month of Full-time

Earned Per Year

Accumulation

Absenteeism

Release Form

 

Can Be Earned/Used

Employment

 

 

 

 

Equivalent

Required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

40Hrs/Wk

35 Hrs/Wk

40Hrs/Wk

35 Hrs/Wk

40Hrs/Wk

35 Hrs/Wk

 

 

Full-time

90 Days

6 Hours

5.25 Hours

72 Hours

63 Hours

1040 Hours

910 Hours

6 Unexcused

3 Absence

Fiscal Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days in any 12

Days for the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Consecutive Months

 Same Illness

Full-time

90 Days

6 Hours

5.25 Hours

54 Hours

47.25 Hours

1040 Hours

910 Hours

4 Unexcused

3 Absence

Academic Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days in an

Days for the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year

 Same Illness

Part-time

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

6 Unexcused

3 Absence

Fiscal Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days in any 12

Days for the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Consecutive Months

 Same Illness

Part-time

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

4 Unexcused

3 Absence

Academic Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days in an

Days for the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year

 Same Illness

 

All Full-time Fiscal Year (12-month) Employees (administrative, professional and support staff)

1.      First ninety days of employment – none.

2.      After the 90 day qualifying period, the employee will begin to earn the equivalent of 0.75 day for each full month of service up to a maximum equivalent of nine per fiscal year.

3.      An employee may not borrow ahead beyond the current fiscal year period.

4.      Unused days will be accumulated to a maximum equivalent of 130 days for use in future fiscal years in the event of an extended leave or short-term disability. However, authorized use of these accumulated days must be approved by the Human Resources Department and in accordance with the established polices of the College. Authorization will be granted only for absence resulting from sickness (extended illness), FMLA, or accident. (Please refer to the Leave of Absences and Family Medical Leave Policies for additional information.) The Human Resources Department shall notify employees when they have exhausted their accumulated days of paid absence.

5.      Absences incurred once an employee has exhausted the number of days earned will be without pay.

6.      The College recognizes the need to provide an equitable accumulation of days for full-time fiscal year administrative and professional employees to coincide with this policy revision. As such the following guidelines will be utilized to establish a sick leave bank for exempt employees hired prior to July 1, 2007:

·        Each exempt employee will be credited with nine (9) sick days for each year of full-time service. (I.e. 9 days x 10 years of service = 90 days of sick leave accumulation.)

·        Effective July 1, 2007, and every fiscal year forward, each full-time exempt employee will accrue the equivalent of 0.75 day for each full month of service up to a maximum equivalent of nine (9) per fiscal year. These days can be accumulated to a maximum total of 130 days to utilize in the event of illness or short-term disability.

 

All Full-time Academic (less than 12 months) Year Employees (administrative, professional and support staff):

1.      First ninety days of employment – none.

2.      After the 90 day qualifying period, the employee will begin to earn the equivalent of 0.75 day for each full month of service up to a maximum equivalent of seven per fiscal year.

3.      An employee may not borrow ahead beyond the current fiscal year period.

4.      Unused days will be accumulated to a maximum equivalent of 130 days for use in future fiscal years in the event of an extended leave or short-term disability. However, authorized use of these accumulated days must be approved by the Human Resources Department and in accordance with the established polices of the College. Authorization will be granted only for absence resulting from sickness (extended illness), FMLA, or accident. (Please refer to the Leave of Absences and Family Medical Leave Policies for additional information.) The Human Resources Department shall notify employees when they have exhausted their accumulated days of paid absence.

5.      Absences incurred once an employee has exhausted the number of days earned will be without pay.

6.      The College recognizes the need to provide an equitable accumulation of days for full-time academic year administrative and professional employees to coincide with this policy revision. As such the following guidelines will be utilized to establish a sick leave bank for exempt employees hired prior to July 1, 2007:

·        Each exempt employee will be credited with seven sick days for each year of full-time service. (i.e. 7 days x 10 years of service = 70 days of sick leave accumulation.)

·        Effective July 1, 2007, and every fiscal year forward, each full-time exempt employee will accrue the equivalent of 0.75 day for each full month of service up to a maximum equivalent of seven per fiscal year. These days can be accumulated to a maximum total of 130 days to utilize in the event of illness or short-term disability.

Part-time employees

There is no sick leave accumulation for part-time employees.

Applicable to All Categories

When an employee is authorized to be absent for the equivalent of three or more consecutive workdays, it will be necessary upon his/her return to work to submit a completed Work Capabilities Form to the Human Resources Department before the start of their shift. If this form is not presented, the employee will be sent home until the documentation is provided.

College efficiency, as well as common courtesy, necessitates notifying the supervisor of an impending absence as far in advance as possible, but no later than the employee’s normal starting time. Repeated non-compliance could result in dismissal.

Sick leave earned but not used will be cumulative from year-to-year, with a 130 day limit. The current year’s unused sick days should not be considered as a means of taking personal time off. It will have no monetary value on termination, nor can it be applied as additional vacation. No sick days will be paid to an employee in the last two weeks of employment.

Employees who have an unauthorized absence for the equivalent of three consecutive workdays without just cause shall have voluntarily resigned their employment with the College. Please refer to the Attendance and Punctuality Policy for more information.

The employee’s supervisor will indicate on an absence report the amount of time that should be charged to sick leave.

Authorization

In order for sick days to be considered authorized and potentially eligible for compensation, employees must obtain approval for the absence from their supervisor and provide a physician statement for the absence. Employees should give their supervisor 30 days advance notice of the anticipated absence or as much advance notice as possible under the circumstances. Under no circumstances should notice to their supervisor be later than their normal starting time.

Unauthorized absences and absences equaling or greater than what is defined as excessive under this policy will be considered abuses of this policy and are grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination. Employees who falsify the reason for an absence will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Excessive Absenteeism

Excessive absenteeism for employees who work a full calendar year is defined as taking the equivalent of six or more unauthorized sick days in any 12 consecutive months. This excludes an approved leave as defined under the Leave of Absence or Family Medical Leave Policy.

Excessive absenteeism for employees who work an academic year is defined as taking the equivalent of four or more sick days during the academic year. This excludes an approved leave as defined under the Leave of Absence or the Family Medical Leave Policy

An employee who has been placed on probation for excessive absenteeism at any time during the last three fiscal years may not be eligible for short-term disability salary continuance under the Leave of Absence Policy.

 

 

Effective Date: 7/1/07