Sick Leave

SCOPE:

The college provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees for periods of temporary absence due to illnesses, injuries, doctors' appointments and, to a limited degree, for the same purposes for the employee's dependents or family members.

Employees who are eligible for paid sick leave benefits are Regular Employees and Administrators as defined in Procedure 2755.

RATE OF ACCRUAL:

Eligible full-time employees shall accrue sick leave benefits at the rate of one and one half days per month. Eligible part-time employees will have their sick leave benefits pro-rated based on the number of hours they are employed.

USE OF SICK LEAVE FOR RELATIVES' ILLNESS:

Eligible employees may use up to six days per year of sick leave to care for immediate family members or dependents, when such family members or dependents are ill, injured or require the employee's assistance in traveling to doctor's appointments. Immediate family members are defined as husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparent, grandparent-in-law, grandchild, sister, sister-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, or other individual who is claimed by the employee as a dependent on his/her federal income tax form.

These six days do not have to be classified as FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) leave in order to be used. Any days taken under this provision will be counted against the total sick leave available to the employee.

LIMITATIONS ON USE OF SICK LEAVE:

An employee accrues sick leave from the date of entry into a Regular full-time or part-time position.

An employee who has not accrued sufficient sick leave to cover their own illness, injury or doctor's appointment, or those of included family members or dependents shall have the time charged to annual leave or leave without pay as applicable.

PROCEDURE FOR USE OF SICK LEAVE:

1. Any employee who is unable to report to work for any of the permissible reasons for sick leave use shall notify their supervisor before the start of the normal workday if possible, or, if that is not possible, within one-half hour after the workday begins. The employee should also notify the supervisor before or within one-half hour after the start of the workday for each continued day of absence, unless the supervisor gives the employee specific instructions to the contrary.
   Any employee who fails to notify their supervisor and is absent from their work assignment for three consecutive days will be considered to have voluntarily abandoned their job and may be immediately terminated by the College without further disciplinary process.
2. Employees using sick leave for any of the purposes listed above shall report it on a Leave Request form, as specified in the following alternatives:
   1. If the need for sick leave is known in advance (as for a doctor's appointment) a Leave Request form is to be submitted in advance.
   2. If the need for sick leave use is not anticipated, the employee shall notify the supervisor. On the employee's behalf, the supervisor may in turn complete and submit a Leave Request form to the payroll office.
3. A doctor's statement may be required for three or more days of consecutive sick leave usage unless waived by employee's supervisor. If an employee fails to submit a doctor's statement as requested or required, the time requested for sick leave will be charged to annual leave or to leave without pay, as applicable.
4. Sick leave may be accumulated up to 130 days.
5. When an employee separates from service for any reason, all accrued sick leave shall be forfeited.