S E C T I O N
4 0 0 : L E A V E
Orig Date:
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Subsection
.200: Sick Leave
400.200 Sick Leave ‑Accrual
1. Full‑Time: 12 days/96 hours of sick leave will be
granted each year. Sick leave is accrued
each payroll period in which an employee (except a temporary employee employed
for less than three months) is in pay status for the complete payroll period.
2. Part‑Time: Sick leave for salaried part‑time
employees (except temporary employees employed for less than three months) will
be allowed under the same conditions as for full‑time employees and will
be prorated.
3. Nonaccrual: Employees with temporary appointments of
three months or less will not be eligible for sick leave.
4. Posting: Sick leave will be posted to an employee's
account at the end of each payroll period in which the sick hours are earned.
5. Maximum
Accrual: There will be no maximum
accrual of sick leave hours. However,
payment for accrued sick leave upon termination or retirement will be computed
using a maximum accrual of 960 hours for full‑time employees and the
appropriate prorated amount for part‑time employees.
6. Sick
leave hours will continue to accrue during the time an employee is absent on
any paid leave or compensatory time off, but will not accrue during leave
without pay.
400.210 Sick Leave ‑ Allowance
1. First
Use: Sick leave may be used after
completion of the first payroll period in which an employee has been in full
pay status.
2. Sick
leave with pay will be granted to the extent of accumulated hours when an
employee is required to be absent from work for one of the following reasons:
a. Injury,
illness, medical or dental care of the employee.
b. Injury,
illness, medical or dental care of the employee's immediate family members. Family members are defined as spouses,
parents, grandparents, in-laws, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, or members
of an employee=s household.
c. Disability
of the employee, including disability due to pregnancy or childbirth, or for a
father to attend to his wife or children while the mother is disabled due to
pregnancy or childbirth.
3. If
an employee is absent for illness in excess of the employee's accrued sick
leave, the excess will be charged to the following in the order listed:
a. Any earned compensatory time.
b. Any accrued vacation leave.
c. Leave without pay. (see Family and Medical Leave Policy: Section
400.610-640)
4. Sick
leave may be used in minimum units of one hour.
5. See
also the section of this policy titled "Holidays ‑ Occurring During
Paid Leave" (Section 400.030).
6. See
also the section of this policy titled "Bereavement Leave ‑
Allowance" (Section 400.310).
400.220 Sick Leave ‑ Workmen's Compensation ‑
Adjustments
1. An
employee will file an application for workmen's compensation in accordance with
state law for a period of absence from work due to injury or occupational
disease resulting from Stevens County Library District employment.
2. An
employee may elect to receive only time loss compensation rather than utilize
any available sick leave.
3. Should
an employee elect to receive both time loss compensation and paid sick leave,
sick leave may be used only to the following extent: total number of hours which would have been
charged to sick leave, minus the number of workmen's compensation fund hours
paid, so that compensation per day does not exceed normal compensation.
4. If
any employee has no sick leave accumulated, the words "vacation
leave" may be substituted for "sick leave" above.
5. Until
eligibility for workmen's compensation is determined by the Department of Labor
& Industries, the Library District may pay full sick leave and vacation
leave only to the extent that the employee has accumulated such hours.
400.230 Sick Leave ‑ Reporting
1. An
employee will report sick leave as follows:
a. The
absence will be reported to the employee's supervisor at the beginning of the
absence.
b. Employees
should be advised to contact the Director to determine if employee absence
qualifies for Family or Medical leave.
2. If
any employee's use of sick time does not seem justified, the District may
require a medical certificate from a licensed physician explaining the reason
for the absence and certifying that the employee is able to resume work.
If the employee has been hospitalized
or absent from work in excess of three consecutive working days, the employee
may be required to provide his/her supervisor with information including but
not limited to (1) a doctor=s certification
regarding the employee=s inability to work
and the anticipated period of recovery to verify eligibility for sick leave
benefits and/or leave of absence status; (2) a doctor=s
certification regarding the employee=s
continuing inability to work and status on a reasonable basis but no more often
than every thirty (30) days; (3) a written statement from the employee
confirming the employee=s intent to return to
work; and (4) a doctor=s certification that
the employee is able to return to work and specifying any limitations
imposed. The District may, at its own
expense, require a second opinion from a physician or health care provider of
its own choosing to verify the employee=s
inability to work or the employee=s
ability to return to work or the nature of limitations imposed.
3. Misrepresentation
of any material fact in connection with paid sick leave by any employee may
result in suspension or discharge by the Director.
4. If
an employee has a short-term disability and is ready to return to work, the
District may require a medical certificate from a licensed physician certifying
the employee is able to work in his/her assigned position without
accommodation. If accommodation is
required, see District policy Section 600.010-030.
400.240 Sick Leave ‑ Rate of Pay
Employees
using sick leave hours will be paid their normal rate of pay while on sick
leave only to the extent that such sick leave hours have been accumulated.
400.250 Sick Leave ‑ Terminal Pay
1. Accrued
sick leave will be paid upon voluntary resignation or layoff to an employee who
has a minimum of thirty‑six (36) full months of paid Library District
employment preceding such termination and meets the following conditions:
a. The
minimum employment period was continuous and unbroken by resignation, layoff,
retirement, or dismissal.
b.
An unpaid leave of absence neither breaks the
continuous employment period nor applies toward the minimum.
2. With at least three (3) years, but
less than fifteen (15) years service, compensation will be given for 33.3% of
accrued sick leave up to 960 hours. With
at least fifteen (15) years service, compensation will be given for 50% of
accrued sick leave up to 960 hours.
3. The
entire payment will be made at one time and will not be carried through to
subsequent pay periods.
400.260 Sick Leave ‑ Reimbursement ‑ PERS
Retirement
1. If
retiring, as defined by the Washington Public Employees Retirement System,
employees will receive compensation for unused, accrued sick leave in a manner
that does not result in excess compensation as defined by RCW 41.50.150
“Payment of Excess Compensation” and House Bill 1102 (Chapter 221, Laws of
1997).
2. Compensation
for those in PERS PLAN I will be given as follows:
a. Payment
will be made on the percentage basis described in Paragraph 2, section 400.250
(above), in a single payment with the last paycheck for that portion of unused
sick leave earned outside of the twenty‑four (24) consecutive month
period used by the Department of Retirement Systems to calculate average final
compensation (AFC) for pension purposes.
b. Using
a "first in, first out" basis from the beginning of employment, that
portion of unused sick leave earned during the twenty‑four (24)
consecutive month period used to calculate the AFC will be used as paid leave
on the percentage basis described in Paragraph 2, section 400.250 (above).
c. The
earned paid leave will be taken immediately preceding the employee's
termination date. The employee’s actual
retirement date will be at the conclusion of the paid leave. During this leave, the employee will receive
all benefits but will not accrue vacation or further sick leave.
3. For
those in PERS PLAN II, compensation for all unused sick leave will be made on
the percentage basis described in Paragraph 2, section 400.250 (above), in a
single payment with the last paycheck.
400.270 Maternity
Leave
Employees
will be granted leave for absences associated with pregnancy or
childbirth. A pregnant employee may work
as long as, and return as soon as, her doctor states she may work. Following delivery, the employee must have a
written authorization from her physician stating that she is able to resume
working. An employee on maternity leave
is required to first use available paid sick leave and, second, available
vacation pay. Any additional leave
required, if any, will be unpaid.
Maternity leave may also fall under FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act:
see Policy 400.600). Maternity leave
will be allowed as follows:
1. For time off prior to delivery requested in
conjunction with a doctor=s statement indicating
inability to work; and
2. For time off following delivery not to exceed
six (6) weeks unless additional time is requested and supported with a doctor=s
statement indicating inability to work.
The
employee=s physician=s
statements will be used in determining the beginning and ending dates of the
period of time that the employee is sick or temporarily disabled, i.e., unable
to work, because of pregnancy or childbirth.
Leave in excess of six (6) weeks following childbirth will be granted
only when the period of actual disability (inability to work) relating to
childbirth extends beyond six weeks. In
that case, leave will continue until the end of the actual period of
disability. If the employee returns to
active, full-time employment at the end of the six weeks of leave or at the end
of the actual period of disability relating to childbirth, if that extends
beyond six weeks, the employee will be permitted to return to the same job, or
similar job of at least the same pay.
Business necessity may require departure from this policy. If the employee elects leave for longer than
the actual period of disability, and that leave extends beyond six weeks after
childbirth, the employee=s return to employment
will be at the District=s sole discretion.
Maternity
leave requires a letter of intent be given to the employee=s
supervisor stating: (1) At what point in the pregnancy the employee intends to
stop working; and (2) whether the employee plans to return to work following
the baby=s birth and, if so, when she
will return. This allows a structured
time frame for the employer to schedule for a replacement. The letter of intent should be submitted not
later than the beginning of the sixth month of pregnancy.