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5410 Sick Leave
I. Eligibility
All staff who work at least 1040 hours (half time, 12 months or equivalent) per year are eligible to earn and accrue sick leave.
To earn sick leave, staff must be actively employed. Actively employed includes all paid leaves of absence, but excludes periods of unpaid absence. The only exception is for staff on Military Leave (see policy 5470 “Military Leave”).
II. Accrual
Eligible staff who work less than full-time during their assignment period shall accrue sick leave on a pro-rated basis.
Sick leave accruals for full-time, 12-month staff are:
Sick leave is awarded at the beginning of the fiscal year based on the following:
Annual accrual ÷ 12 months x number of months staff member works x full time equivalency
Sick leave is not fully earned until the end of the fiscal year. If a staff member uses more leave than is earned at termination of employment, the College shall deduct the difference from the staff member's final paycheck.
For example: A full-time, 12-month Classified Staff member is awarded 12 days (96 hours) of sick leave on July 1. A staff member who takes 5 sick days (40 hours) in August and resigns on September 15 has only earned 2.5 days (20 hours) of sick leave. The staff member would owe the College 2.5 days (20 hours) of sick leave, which would be deducted from their final paycheck.
12 days (96 hours) ÷ 12 months x 2.5 months worked = 2.5 days (20 hours) earned
5 days (40 hours) taken - 2.5 days (20 hours) earned = 2.5 days (20 hours) owed back to the College from final paycheck
III. Minimum Usage and Maximum Accrual
Sick leave accrual cannot exceed five (5) times a staff member’s annual accrual rate. For example, if a staff member’s annual accrual rate is 12 working days (96 hours), their maximum accrual would be 60 working days (480 hours).
Hourly staff may take sick leave in quarter to one-hour increments. Salaried staff may take sick leave in half or full day increments.
Regardless of the amount of accrued sick leave any staff member has accumulated, the College reserves the right to terminate the employment of any staff member who cannot perform their job for more than six (6) months out of any 12-month period (see policy 5540 “Dismissal.”) For Family and Medical Leave, see policy 5430 “Family and Medical Leave.” For disability accommodations, see policy 5600 “Nondiscrimination.”
IV. Usage
Sick leave may be used for the following purposes:
- Illness or injury of the staff member
- Illness or injury of a staff member’s or staff member’s spouse’s immediate family member*
- Death of a staff member’s or staff member’s spouse’s immediate family member* (Death includes funeral arrangements, estate planning and/or disposition of the remains)
- Birth and/or care of a newborn
- Health related appointments
*For purposes of this policy, immediate family members include spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, mother- and father-in-law, grandparents, siblings, step-parents, step-siblings, step-children, and foster children.
Staff must notify their supervisor or their supervisor’s supervisor, if supervisor is unavailable, at the earliest opportunity.
When a staff member is out of the office for their own or a family member’s sickness or injury for more than five consecutive work days, or shows a pattern of frequent use, the supervisor may request, in consultation with Human Resources, a doctor’s certification and/or work release. This doctor’s certification and/or work release shall be provided to the supervisor and Human Resources Director. This certification is needed in order to determine whether or not the leave falls under the purview of the Family and Medical Leave Act, whether the staff member may need disability accommodations to be considered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and to ensure the staff member can safely perform the essential functions of their role. For Family and Medical Leave Act information, see policy 5430 “Family and Medical Leave.” For disability accommodations, see policy 5600 “Nondiscrimination.” For safety on the job, see policy 6800 “Occupational Health and Safety.”
For prolonged illnesses and birth/adoption of children, please see policy 5430 “Family & Medical Leave” and policy 5420 “Sick Leave Bank.”
Staff must report their used leave via Web Time Entry.
V. Payout for Unused Sick Leave
Staff cannot be paid in lieu of taking sick leave while employed.
When employment ends, staff shall be compensated for 50% of any earned and unused sick leave hours at the federal minimum wage. Staff must have a minimum of 144 hours (18 days) earned sick leave to qualify for this benefit. This payout shall be part of the staff member’s final paycheck.
The last physical working day shall determine how much leave is earned for the last month of employment. The last day of employment may not be used as annual leave, sick leave, or be an unpaid day.
