Sick Leave - Staff

Last Updated 04/03
Applies to Staff

Policy

The University offers paid sick leave benefits to provide continued income when a staff member’s personal illness, the illness of an immediate family member, or the need for time to conduct personal business necessitates absence from work.

Eligibility

Staff members who work a regular schedule of twenty hours or more per week are eligible for paid sick leave. Part-time staff working less than 20 hours per week, temporary, and on-call employees are not eligible for paid sick leave.

Personal Illness

Sick leave benefits may be used for the staff member’s absence due to personal illness or injury or due to personal medical or dental appointments which cannot be scheduled outside of working hours. Absences of four days or longer require a physician’s statement upon return to work, and the supervisor may request a physician’s statement for absences of less than four days if circumstances warrant.

Family Illness

Up to five (5) days per calendar year of accumulated sick leave may be used for the illness or medical/dental appointments of a spouse, child/stepchild, or parent. Unused family leave is not available for use as family leave in the following year, but the time remains in the employee’s sick leave accumulation.

Personal Days

Up to two (2) days per calendar year may be used for personal business. Personal days may be taken in one-half day increments and must be pre-arranged with the supervisor. Unused personal days are not available for use as personal days in subsequent years, but the time remains in the employee’s sick leave accumulation.

New staff members hired in the first six months of the calendar year (January 1 through June 30) will be eligible for one personal day upon completion of their 90-day orientation period. Staff members hired in the second six months (July 1 through December 31) will be eligible for personal days on January 1 following completion of their 90-day orientation period.

Accrual of Sick Leave

Sick leave begins to accrue immediately upon employment and becomes available for use after the completion of the staff member’s 90-day orientation period. Maximum accumulation is not to exceed 90 work days and is pro-rated according to the employee’s work schedule (720 hours for a 40-hour per week work schedule, 540 hours for a 30-hour per week work schedule, and other schedules prorated accordingly).

Sick Time Accumulation

Paid Hours Worked Accrual Per Pay Period Maximum Accrual Per Calendar Year (13 days)

Accrual for Biweekly Pay Schedules
0-39.99 0 0
40-59.99 2 hours 52 hours
60-70.00 3 hours 78 hours
70.01-199.99 4 hours 104 hours

Accrual for Semi-Monthly Pay Schedules
0-43.32 0 0
43.33-64.99 2.16 hours 52 hours
65-75.84 3.25 hours 78 hours
75.85-216.64 4.33 hours 104 hours

Procedures

Requesting Sick Leave

  • Personal Illness
    Staff members should notify their department at the beginning of each workday when an illness occurs. Specific reporting procedures may be determined by the supervisor as appropriate to the department and circumstances. Illnesses extending beyond four days require a physician’s statement to return to work.
  • Personal Days
    Personal days should be scheduled with the supervisor in advance. Approval of personal days is based on the operational needs of the department.

  • Family Illness
    As with Personal Illness, staff members should notify their supervisor at the beginning of each workday when a family illness occurs.

Reporting Use of Sick Leave

  • Semi-monthly paid staff – Absences for semi-monthly paid staff are reported on the Report of Absences and Overtime Worked form. Absences should be reported within one week of the occurrence of absence.

  • Hourly paid staff - Absences for hourly paid staff are reported on the time card or electronic timekeeping system during the pay period in which it is used.