Human Resources

Date: July 2012

Policy: The College provides paid sick time as outlined below for employees who are incapacitated due to personal illness or non-occupational injury, including the first seven days of an occupational illness or injury.

Eligibility: All regular full-time and part-time faculty and exempt staff are eligible for paid sick time, including staff working an academic-year schedule. Adjunct faculty members who are not eligible for insurance benefits are not eligible for paid sick time. All regular full-time and part-time non-exempt staff members are eligible for paid sick time.

Accruals. During the first year of employment, thirty (30) work days of paid sick time are available to regular full-time faculty and exempt staff for personal illness, including those working an academic-year schedule. Regular part-time faculty and exempt staff in their first year of employment, including those working an academic-year schedule, are eligible for a pro-rated sick leave benefit. After one year of employment, the College will provide salary continuation during the waiting period for long-term disability benefits (or the equivalent time period for an employee not eligible for long-term disability coverage) subject to the following limitations:
1. In no event will the College provide more than six months paid sick time in a twelve-month period, whether for a single illness or multiple illnesses.
2. In no event will the College provide more than six months paid sick time for absence due to a single illness, regardless of whether it occurs in one or more calendar years.

Sick time for non-exempt staff accrues based on hours worked and is independent of length of service, allowing for an annual accrual of 12 days for a 1.0 FTE employee (0.046154 hrs accrual for each hr worked or 1.845 hrs/per 40 hrs worked). A maximum of 1040 hrs (6 months) of sick time may be accumulated, which corresponds with the waiting period for long term disability benefits. Once an employee reaches the maximum balance of sick time, no further accrual will be earned until hours are deducted from the balance by using them. Accruals also cease if an employee transfers to a position with fewer than 20 scheduled hours per week.

*The annual accrual and maximum balance listed above is based on a full-time, year-round schedule of 40 hours per week (1.0 FTE). Prorated accruals and maximal balances are provided for employees with part-time and academic year schedules.

Sick time is not vested, and payment is made only for absence due to illness or unscheduled emergency. There is no payment for unused sick time upon termination of employment.

Minimum Balance. The College provides a generous sick time benefit with the expectation that it will be more than enough to cover normal absences due to illness or injury. Employees should not expect to use their entire annual accrual each year simply because it is provided. Over time, this should allow employees to build up a sick time balance to help to cover longer absences due to a serious health condition. In normal circumstances, employees are expected to maintain a reasonable sick time balance. By "reasonable" sick time balance, the College expects employees will have at least enough sick days available to cover the waiting period before short term disability benefits become effective (e.g., 15 days (=80 hrs) for short term disability Plan A; or 60 days (=320 hrs) for short term disability Plan B). Failure to maintain reasonable balances may indicate excessive absenteeism, which may subject the employee to disciplinary action.

Use of Sick Time. In the event of personal illness, eligible employees may draw upon sick time (or vacation, if there is not enough sick time to cover the absence) for personal illness up to the amounts accrued. Employees who are enrolled in short-term disability benefits may use accrued sick time or vacation when short-term disability benefits are payable only during the waiting period, or up to 30% of regularly scheduled hours to supplement approved short-term disability benefits. Sick time may not be used to supplement Workers' Compensation benefits. Employees enrolled in long-term disability benefits may not use accrued sick time or vacation during any period when long-term disability benefits are payable.

The employee should notify the supervisor or department head of any absence as specified by the Attendance and Punctuality Policy. An employee may be required to present proof of illness to draw upon sick time as well as certification by a physician of ability to return to work.

Sick time (or vacation) may be used for time lost due to employee medical or dental visits, providing the appointments (unless of an emergency nature) are scheduled in advance and with supervisory approval. Whenever possible, these appointments should be scheduled on regular days off, before or after work or during lunchtime.

An employee who is scheduled to work on a College holiday and cannot work due to illness should consult with his/her supervisor about how to record the absence. With supervisor approval, the employee may use accrued sick time and save the holiday for future use (In accordance with this policy, the supervisor may require an employee to present proof of illness to draw upon sick time). Or, at the supervisor’s discretion, it may be more appropriate to record the absence on the holiday as holiday time.

Personal Emergency Time. In addition to the use of sick time for personal illness, employees may use up to 2 days (16 hours) of accrued sick time per calendar year (prorated for part-time employees) as Personal Emergency Time.

Leave of Absence. Absences of two weeks or more due to personal illness, whether or not they are covered by sick time, vacation, or disability benefits, must be documented by a leave of absence. A physician's certification is required for any medical leave of absence, and may be required for illnesses of shorter duration.

Unpaid Leave of Absence. An unpaid leave of absence ordinarily begins after the employee has used all of his/her accumulated vacation and, in the case of non work-related illness or injury, sick time. An employee may leave a maximum of 24 hours vacation on the books for use upon return to work, except as otherwise required by law.