HUMAN RESOURCES INFORMATION

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HUMAN RESOURCES INFORMATION

Personal Leaves

Sick Leave

            Eligible employees earn sick leave at the rate of eight hours per month or a fraction of a month’s service.  Part-time eligible employees earn sick leave in the same proportion as their work is to full-time employment.  Sick leave may be accumulated without limit and there is no waiting period before sick leave may be taken.

            A continuing employee who reduces employment to less than is necessary to qualify as an eligible employee shall earn no additional sick leave nor use any sick leave while holding the non-qualifying position.

            Sick leave may be taken when sickness, injury, or pregnancy and confinement prevent the employee’s performance of duty, or when the employee is needed to care for and assist a member of the employee’s immediate family who is actually ill.  For purposes relating to sick leave, immediate family is defined as those individuals related by kinship, adoption, marriage, or foster children who are certified by the Department of Human Services who are living in the same household.

            An employee’s use of sick leave for family members not residing in that employee’s household is strictly limited to the time necessary to provide care and assistance to a child or parent of the employee or parent of the employee’s spouse that needs such care and assistance as a direct result of a documented medical condition.

            A sick leave pool is available for all eligible employees who have exhausted their sick and vacation leave due to a catastrophic illness or injury.  The pool is intended to ease the hardship caused by an illness or injury which would otherwise force the employee to lose income from the state.  For purposes of this procedure, a catastrophic illness or injury is a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the mental or physical health of the employee or the employee’s immediate family which requires the services of a licensed practitioner for a period of time in excess of thirty calendar days.

Military Leave

            Leaves of absence are granted for military training and active duty.  Military leave is generally unpaid.  However, if an employee is a member of the National Guard or Reserves, he or she will be granted paid leave for up to fifteen days each federal fiscal year for military training or duty.  Such an employee is also entitled to emergency leave with pay if he or she is a member of a National Guard unit called to emergency active duty by the Governor.

Civic Duty

            Jury Duty Leave is authorized as an excused absence for full-time faculty in order to meet the institution’s civic responsibilities.  It is the faculty member’s responsibility to notify the respective department chair and the Provost in order to make appropriate arrangements.  The faculty member must submit a completed Leave of Absence form and a Jury Duty Certification form to the Office of the Provost to cover the leave of absence.  Forms should be forwarded to the Human Resources Office.  A faculty member will be granted a leave of absence with pay for jury service.  A deduction shall not be made from the salary or wages of any faculty member who is called for jury service, nor shall such faculty members be required to account to the University for any fee or compensation received.

Emergency Leave of Absence

            Emergency leave with pay will be granted to eligible employees upon request because of the death of the employee’s spouse, or the employee’s or spouse’s child, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, or grandchild.

Parental Leave of Absence

            Employees are entitled to a parental leave of absence, not to exceed twelve weeks, for the birth of a natural child or the adoption of a child under three years of age.  This period begins with the date of birth or the first day the adoptive child is formally placed in the home.  Employees may elect to use any combination of available vacation leave, compensatory time off, or leave without pay for this period.

Family and Medical Leave

            The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave each fiscal year for the following family and medical reasons:

• For the care of the employee’s child immediately following birth or placement in his or her home for adoption or foster care;
• For the care of the employee’s spouse, child or parent who has a serious health condition; or
• For a serious health condition that causes the employee to be unable to perform his or her job.

            Employees are eligible if they have at least one year of service with the state and have worked 1,250 hours for the state in the twelve calendar months immediately prior to the beginning of the leave.

            All eligible paid leave must be taken before using unpaid leave, and advance notice and medical certification is required prior to the commencement of leave.  If medically necessary, intermitted or reduced leave may be taken.

            Jobs and benefits are protected while on FMLA leave.  Upon return from FMLA leave, employees are restored to the original or equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms, unless the employee would not otherwise have been employed at that time.

            For the duration of FMLA leave, the state will pay its contribution toward employees’ insurance coverage under the condition coverage would have been provided if the employee had continued working.

Vacation

            Details are available from the Office of Human Resources, and they will be provided to a new faculty member during his or her orientation.

            If a faculty member is to be absent from normal duties, he or she is expected to prepare a Faculty Leave Request and submit it to his or her department chair or Dean prior to the absence, or as soon thereafter as possible.

Other Human Resources Information

           Information regarding benefits, salary schedules, and payroll deductions is available in the Office of Human Resources, and will be provided to new faculty members during their orientation.  Faculty members will be notified when changes occur.