Administration and Operations Manual

4.12 Sick Leave

Scope

This policy applies to regular and extended temporary staff in all offices and divisions of Gallaudet University, unless specifically covered by collective bargaining agreements made between Gallaudet University and certified bargaining agents.

Policy

Paid sick leave provides eligible employees with a means of financial security during periods when medical conditions, including pregnancy related disabilities, make it impossible for the employee to work. Medical conditions normally fall into one of the following categories: (1) inability to work because of illness, disability, or injury and (2) inability to work because of medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment.

Eligible employees earn sick leave, beginning from the first day of employment, according to the following schedule:

AMOUNT OF SICK LEAVE EARNED PER PAY PERIOD
Number of Paid Hours Per Pay Period	Number of Hours Earned Per Pay Period
80	4
60-79	3
40-59	2
20-39	1
1-19	0

Whenever possible, leave must be approved in advance by the supervisor. This policy is not intended to provide compensation for absences caused by other personal reasons or for illnesses of family members. Sick leave may not be borrowed in advance, unless approved through the Sick Leave Loan Program.

Faculty members who have not accrued sick leave and who are involuntarily transferred to staff status within their division are credited with a bank account of nine days of sick leave for every full year of continuous service at Gallaudet. Prior service is not recognized when establishing the bank of sick leave.

Procedures

1. The employee is required to notify his/her supervisor or a person designated by the supervisor of the absence as early as possible but generally no later than the scheduled starting time. Except in emergency situations, requests for medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment must be made in advance.
2. Sick leave accounts may accumulate indefinitely as a form of insurance against medical difficulties; however, employees are not paid for any unused sick leave upon their separation from Gallaudet University.
3. For absences of more than three consecutive work days, a supervisor may require the employee to submit acceptable evidence of illness or medical problems. Further, the supervisor may request a medical certificate or other acceptable evidence if he/she has reason to believe the employee is abusing or misusing the Sick Leave Policy.
4. Sick leave may not be substituted while on another type of leave. If an approved holiday occurs while an employee is on sick leave, those hours are not charged to sick leave.
5. When an employee has exhausted all of his/her sick leave, the employee may use annual leave. There may be circumstances when an employee has used up all sick leave and annual leave and is still unable to return to work. In these circumstances, an employee may be put on leave without pay with the approval of the supervisor. (See the Leave Without Pay Policy.)
6. Employees who are on paid sick leave continue to accrue leave in the usual manner.