Section 1. Sick leave accrual is provided as a form of insurance to minimize loss of compensation to eligible employees due solely to reasons specified below.
Section 2. One day of sick leave credit shall be granted for each month in which an eligible full-time employee is in pay status for fifteen or more calendar days. Sick leave credit for eligible part-time employees shall be pro rated.
Section 3. Eligible employees may elect to receive monetary compensation for accrued sick leave as follows:
In January of each year, and at no other time, an employee whose sick leave balance at the end of the previous year exceeds 480 hours may elect to convert the sick leave hours earned in the previous calendar year, minus those hours used during the year, to monetary compensation.
No sick leave hours may be converted which would reduce the calendar year-end balance below 480 hours.
Monetary compensation for converted hours shall be paid at the rate of 25 percent and shall be based upon the employee's current salary.
All converted hours will be deducted from the employee's sick leave balance.
Employees who separate from University service due to retirement or death shall be compensated for their unused sick leave accumulation from the date of most recent hire at the rate of 25 percent. Compensation shall be based upon the employee's wage at the time of separation.
No contributions are to be made to the Department of Retirement System (DRS) for such payments above, nor shall such payments be reported to DRS as compensation.
Section 4. An eligible employee who separates for any reason other than retirement or death shall not be paid for his/her accrued sick leave.
Section 5. Former eligible employees who are re-employed within two years of their separation from service shall be granted all unused sick leave credits, if any, to which they were entitled at time of separation for the purpose of using sick leave for the reasons prescribed below. Upon any subsequent retirement or death of a re-employed employee, only unused sick leave accrued since the original separation minus that taken within the same period may be compensated per the conversion provisions above.
Section 6. Accumulated sick leave shall be granted when an eligible employee is required to be absent from work for any of the following reasons:
Section 7. When an eligible employee becomes ill or disabled while on vacation leave, the employee shall be granted accrued sick leave as provided above for the condition (in lieu of the approved vacation leave) provided that the employee requests such sick leave within one day after return to work and submits a physician's statement affirming the illness or disability.
Section 8. Sick leave shall be reported at the beginning of the absence and in accordance with Department of Printing procedure.
Upon returning to work the employee shall report the reason or circumstances for the sick leave.
Section 9. An employee shall file an application for Worker's Compensation in accordance with State law for a period of absence from work due to injury or occupational disease resulting from University employment.
An employee may elect to receive only time loss compensation rather than utilize any available sick leave credits. The University shall make such option known to the employee.
Should an employee elect to receive both time loss compensation and paid sick leave, sick leave credits may be used only to the following extent:
Total number of hours which would have been charged to sick leave, minus number of hours at regular salary for which payment was made by the Worker's Compensation Fund.
If an employee has no sick leave accumulated, the words "vacation leave" may be substituted for "sick leave" above.
Should any employee apply for time loss compensation and the claim is then or later denied, sick leave and vacation leave may be used for the absence in accordance with other provisions of this rule.
Until eligibility for Worker's Compensation is determined by the Department of Labor and Industries, the University may pay full sick leave, provided that the employee shall return any subsequent overpayment to the University.
Section 10. An employee may voluntarily donate eligible sick leave to another employee under the University Shared Leave Program. Upon notification by the personnel office that the donated leave is approved, the sick leave hours will be deducted from the donor's current sick leave balance.