Voluntary Transfer of Accrued General Leave

G-3100 GCCG

PROFESSIONAL/SUPPORT STAFF VOLUNTARY TRANSFER OF ACCRUED GENERAL LEAVE

(Sick Leave Bank and Medical Leave Assistance Program)

The District recognizes the existence of circumstances under which non-job related, seriously incapacitating, and extended illnesses or injury may exhaust accrued leave of District employees. To provide some measure of relief in such situations, two limited mechanisms, based upon voluntary transfer of accrued leave, are established. The mechanisms are Sick Leave Bank and Medical Leave Assistance Program. These programs allow full-time employees (30 plus hours weekly) to pull from the banked general leave or request donations of accrued general leave time from full-time employed colleagues and peers, to assist during this critical time period. The donated time is limited to thirty (30) days of assistance in any school year. Unless extenuating circumstances exist, the leave requested may not be utilized on an intermittent basis. The Superintendent has discretion to review requests on a case by case basis and may allow extenuating circumstances to modify the limits and/or eligibility of the utilization of these two mechanisms. It is considered a benefit to the District to establish this mechanism to reduce the annual accrued sick leave and promote efficiency by ensuring constant service.

SICK LEAVE BANK

Sick Leave Bank Limits:  Full-time (30 plus hours per week) administrative, professional and support staff employees who have been employed by the District for at least one full year are eligible to enroll and participate in the Sick Leave Bank program. Part-time, substitute or temporary workers are not eligible to enroll or participate in the bank.  Employees may contribute one to ten (1-10) non-refundable accrued days to the Sick Leave Bank. Only contributing employees may participate in the Sick Leave Bank.  Sick Leave Bank may not be utilized for intermittent absences unless authorized by the Superintendent.  Each approved applicant is limited to a single-use thirty (30) days of the available Sick Leave Bank in any school year. The Bank is established to be utilized in circumstances where an employee has a non-job related extended illness or injury for a single use not to exceed 30 consecutive days.  Any unused portion of the requested time will be replenished to the Sick Leave Bank.  Contributions to the Sick Leave Bank must be from the donor’s earned/accrued general leave.  Days of leave, not the actual wage of the donor employee, will be donated. A day donated equals a day requested regardless of classification.  Additional leave will not be earned/accrued during the use of the Sick Leave Bank.  All unused banked sick leave will expire at the end of each fiscal year.  Employee must have exhausted all paid leave before accessing the Sick Leave Bank.  Employee will not be eligible for the Sick Leave Bank after having qualified for short-term disability or long term disability benefits.

of 4  Sick Leave Bank cannot be used for non-complicated maternity leave for an enrolled employee. Ordinarily, childbirth is not considered a serious illness. Maternity leave for childbirth will not exceed beyond six (6) weeks for a normal delivery or eight (8) weeks for Cesarean delivery without a physician’s verification documenting the medical necessity to extend the maternity leave.

Eligibility:  Must be a full-time (30 plus hours per week) District employee of any employment class.  Must be employed with the District for one (1) full year prior to drawing from the Bank.  Have a non-job related, seriously incapacitating, extended illness or injury. May be used for illness or disability of the employee or to care for terminally or critically ill immediate family members to be defined as the employee’s spouse, children, as well as parents of the employee or spouse.  Enrollment is open for thirty (30) days for participation beginning August 1st of every year.  Employee must have exhausted all paid leave (including Vacation Leave, if applicable) before accessing the Sick Leave Bank.  Must not be eligible for any disability benefits, including but not limited to Social Security, provided at the District’s expense.  Employee will not be eligible for the Sick Leave Bank after having qualified for short-term disability or long-term disability benefits.

Voluntary Contributions:  Any full-time employee may donate one to ten (1-10) non-refundable accrued general leave days for each school year at any time. Employees with more than fifty (50) accrued general leave days may donate up to twenty (20) non-refundable general leave days for each school year to the Bank.  An employee may designate donated general leave days that they have contributed to a specific employee who is enrolled in the Sick Leave Bank of any employment class.  Each employee contributing leave to the Sick Leave Bank must acknowledge an uncoerced, voluntary release of the leave they have donated.  When the Sick Leave Bank becomes depleted, the Human Resource / Payroll Department may solicit new contributions for the Bank in order to replenish.

Determining Eligibility for Use of the Sick Leave Bank:  A written request, which can be obtained from the Human Resource / Payroll Department, must be submitted to the District Office for approval and verification by the Assistant to the Superintendent of Human Resources. The request must be sent to the Human Resources Department along with a physician’s letter confirming the conditions required for receipt of assistance from the Bank. The Human Resources Department must receive the written request within (10) days following the applicant’s beginning unpaid leave status.  An Enrollment Form, as well as a Sick Bank Donation Form, can be obtained from the Human Resource / Payroll Department.

of 4 MEDICAL LEAVE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

In the event that an employee chooses not to participate in the Sick Leave Bank Program, the Medical Leave Assistance Program is a mechanism that will allow some measure of relief in circumstances under which non-job related, seriously incapacitating, and extended illnesses or injury may exhaust accrued leave of District employees. This program allows full-time employees (30 plus hours weekly) to solicit uncoerced donations of accrued general leave time from full-time employed colleagues and peers, to assist during this critical time period. It is not necessary for the employee to enroll into the Sick Leave Bank in order to benefit from this program.

Medical Leave Assistance Program Limits:  Full-time (30 plus hours per week) administrative, professional and support staff employees who have been employed by the District for at least one full year are able to participate in the Medical Leave Assistance Program. Part-time, substitute or temporary workers are not eligible to participate in the Medical Leave Assistance Program.  Employees may contribute one to ten (1-10) non-refundable accrued general leave days to the employee soliciting donations of leave.  Medical Leave Assistance Program may not be utilized for intermittent absences unless authorized by the Superintendent.  The program is established to be utilized in circumstances where an approved applicant has a non-job related extended illness or injury for a single use not to exceed 30 consecutive days.  Uncoerced contributions to the requestor must be from the donor’s earned/accrued general leave.  Days of leave, not the actual wage of the donor employee, will be donated. A day donated equals a day requested regardless of classification.  Additional leave will not be earned/accrued by the requestor during use of the Medical Leave Assistance Program.  Employee must have exhausted all accrued paid leave time before participating in the Medical Leave Assistance Program.  Must not be eligible for any disability benefits, including but not limited to Social Security, provided at the District’s expense.  Employee will not be eligible for the Medical Leave Assistance Program after having qualified for short-term disability or long term disability benefits.  Medical Leave Assistance Program cannot be used for non-complicated maternity leave for an approved applicant. Ordinarily, childbirth is not considered a serious illness. Maternity leave for childbirth will not exceed beyond six (6) weeks for a normal delivery or eight (8) weeks for Cesarean delivery without a physician’s verification documenting the medical necessity to extend the maternity leave.

Voluntary Contributions:  Any full-time employee may donate one to ten (1-10) non-refundable accrued general leave days for each school year. Employees with more than fifty (50) accrued general leave days may donate up to twenty (20) non-refundable general leave days for each school year to the Medical Leave Assistance Program.  An employee may designate donated general leave days to the approved applicant of their choice.  Each donating employee must acknowledge, in writing, an uncoerced, voluntary release of their general leave days to the approved applicant.

of 4 Determining Eligibility for Use of the Medical Assistance Program:  A written request, which can be obtained from the Human Resource / Payroll Department, must be submitted to the District Office for approval and verification by the Assistant to the Superintendent of Human Resources. The request must be sent to the Human Resources Department along with a physician’s letter confirming the conditions required for receipt of assistance from the Medical Leave Assistance Program. The Human Resources Department must receive the written request within (10) days following the applicant’s beginning unpaid leave status.  A Medical Leave Assistance Program Donation Form can be obtained from the Human Resouce / Payroll Department.