2.1-1 SICK LEAVE POLICY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE/PROFESSIONAL STAFF HOLDING REGULAR POSITIONS
Grant of Sick Leave Days
- The University grants a yearly sick leave allowance to regular full-time administrative/professional staff members based on the number of years of service at the University in accordance with the following schedule:
| Year of Service | Gross Sick Leave Days |
|---|
| 1st full fiscal year |
14 |
| 2nd |
25 |
| 3rd |
37 |
| 4th |
48 |
| 5th |
57 |
| 6th or more |
75 |
- Sick leave days are granted according to the above schedule at the beginning of the University fiscal year. Staff members who begin work prior to January 1 will receive 14 days during that partial fiscal year. Those beginning after January 1 will receive seven days.
- Administrative/professional staff members who are part-time (at least 20, but less than 40 hours per week, or for less than 12 months per year) on a regular basis will be entitled to sick leave benefits on a prorated basis.
- Sick leave days stated in the schedule are the maximums intended for the respective years of service. Unused balances do not carry over into the following year, nor shall the staff member receive payment for unused sick leave balance at the time of termination.
- Whenever a staff member is eligible for benefits under the University's disability program, the provisions of the program supersede this sick leave program.
Use of Sick Leave
- Salaried employees will be required to record leave time only in half day increments. For full-time salaried employees, this means standard half-day increments (four hours) or their full work shift. Hourly employees will be required to record leave time on an hour-for-hour basis. Sick leave days may not be used for illness of family members. (See "Family Illness Time" below.)
- Employees must notify their unit supervisor at the earliest opportunity when they will be absent because of illness. Employees must schedule medical, dental or optical appointments which occur during normal working time with the approval of their supervisor.
- Employees who are receiving workers' compensation as a result of a work injury incurred at Saginaw Valley State University may choose to supplement their compensation with their sick leave, but the total dollars received may not exceed their normal bi-weekly gross pay.
- Any employee absent in a sick leave status may be required to submit a statement from his/her physician or a physician appointed by the University confirming illness or ability to return to work. Until such statement, if requested, is filed, all absences will be considered as lost time and the staff member's pay will be reduced accordingly.
- Employees who have exhausted all of their sick leave will be removed from the payroll until they report back to duty. Additional leave may be provided through the Sick Leave Committee process described below.
Sick Leave Committee
An advisory Sick Leave Committee of three members shall be appointed by the President which shall include two administrative staff members. Any administrative/professional staff member, who by reason of sickness or disability, has or will have exhausted all authorized paid absence time (individual allocation of sick leave and/or vacation leave allowance) may petition the Sick Leave Committee by contacting the Human Resources Office for an additional allocation of paid absence time. This petition must be accompanied by a physician's statement which sets forth the nature of the sickness or disability, prognosis and expected duration of incapacitation. The Committee will review this documentation as well as any other employment records it deems appropriate before making a recommendation to the President or his/her designee.
Family Illness Time
In the event an employee must miss work to care for an immediate family member who is ill, with the approval of the immediate supervisor, the employee may record up to three (3) work days per fiscal year as Family Illness Time. Family Illness Time will not be charged against the employee's vacation or sick leave balances and should be indicated as Family Illness Time ("I") on the employee's attendance record. In exceptional circumstances, and with the approval of the employee's supervisor and the Human Resources Office, Family Illness Time in excess of three (3) work days per fiscal year may be granted. Immediate family members are defined as the employee's spouse, child, step-child, parent or step-parent.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
See Operations Manual Policy 2.1-2.
Long-Term Disability (LTD)
When a staff member has been absent from work due to sickness or disability for a continuous period which exceeds 90 days and medical documentation acceptable to the University supports their condition, the employee will receive a monthly income benefit equal to 66.67% of their monthly salary base at the commencement of the period of continuous total disability. The University retains the right to secure a medical opinion from a physician of its choosing prior to authorizing any payments under this program. In no event will the sum of the monthly income benefit exceed $8,000. The University pays the monthly income benefit from the 90th day of disability until the first day of the month following one hundred eighty (180) days of continuing disability. After one hundred eighty (180) days, and upon approval from the insurer, the LTD insurance program provides coverage.
There is a one-year waiting period before an employee is eligible for this coverage, but the waiting period may be waived if the employee has been covered by a group long-term disability plan within the three-month period prior to employment at SVSU.
Records
The University shall maintain a sick leave record on all administrative/professional staff members. Deductions will be made from the employee's paycheck for all absences from work other than approved sick leave, vacation or other approved absences with pay.
Continuation of Status
The University reserves the right to determine that an attendance record and/or job performance demonstrates an on-going inability to perform their job. When the University makes such a determination, the employment relationship will be terminated.
Discussion and Rationale
Following is a question and answer document that explains how leave time will be recorded by salaried employees.
Adopted 8/11/80 BC
Revised 7/20/98 VP-ABA
RECORDING OF LEAVE TIME BY SALARIED EMPLOYEES
Questions/Answers
Leave time is expected to be scheduled and approved by the employee's supervisor in advance whenever possible.
What happens if I am gone for a one-hour dentist appointment?
Salaried employees do not need to record any absences that are less than a half day (4 hours). In this case the employee would not record any leave time.
Does it matter why I am gone? What if I am gone for 2 hours to deal with personal family matters?
Again, salaried employees do not need to record any absences that are less than a half day. In this example, no leave time would be recorded. In cases where salaried employees record leave time in half-day increments, the reason they are gone would determine if the time were charged (e.g., sick, vacation, etc.)
What happens if I am gone for five hours?
The salaried employee would report a half-day absence and charge it to the appropriate leave time category. Since recording of time is in half-day increments, the employee would not have to record any time in excess of the half-day until it becomes a full day.
What happens if I normally work an 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule, and I come in late, like 1:00 p.m., but I work until 9:00 p.m?
Salaried employees are eligible for short-term flexible work schedules as approved by their supervisors. Either the President or a Vice President must approve longer-term flexible schedules. If the supervisor approves this sort of flexible work schedule, the employee would not have to record any leave time. If the employee misses critical work assignments or does not have the flexible schedule approved by the supervisor, then the employee would have to charge a half-day of leave time to the appropriate leave category. Since there are many high-level employees with a great deal of independence in this group, we recommend that they discuss with their supervisor in advance what sort of scheduling flexibility they have, rather than dealing with it on a case-by-case basis. It should be noted that not all positions can be granted flexible work schedules due to the nature of the work.
If I am expected to work on a weekend, or in the evening, can I take time off during the normal work day without charging time?
If a supervisor approves this flexible work schedule, the answer would be yes. There is no compensatory time for salaried employees and, therefore, this is not an hour-for-hour exchange. It does not even need to occur within the same work week. It is not unusual for salaried employees to have to work evenings or weekends in addition to normal office hours.
How do I record the extra hours I work?
Salaried employees are not eligible for overtime. There is no way to record additional hours in the University system, since salaried employees are paid their regular bi-weekly salary and only exceptions (time when leave time is reported) are recorded in the system, now in half-day increments.
Salaried employees are required to fulfill the responsibilities of their position. This recording requirement does not prevent the supervisor from inquiring about schedules or assuring that the employee is meeting the expectations of the position either from an attendance or productivity perspective.
