TEMPORARY AND PERSONAL ILLNESS LEAVES c. Whether the request is in compliance with Board policies;

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1 Administrators The administrator s immediate supervisor may approve a request from an administrator for temporary leave and/or personal illness leave after considering these factors: a. The purpose for which the leave is requested; b. The length of the requested leave; c. Whether the request is in compliance with Board policies; d. Whether the absence of the administrator from employment duties will have a detrimental impact on operations in the District; and e. The best interests of the District. Requests for temporary and personal illness leaves shall be submitted in the manner prescribed by the Human Resources Department. Temporary Leave Administrators are eligible to receive up to 20 days of paid temporary leave from their employment duties for reasonable and necessary purposes each fiscal year. Temporary leave shall not accumulate from year to year. The District shall not provide compensation for unused temporary leave. Administrators may use temporary leave for the following reasons: a. Illness of a spouse, son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, or those same members of spouse s family; b. Bereavement due to the death of a family member, including spouse, child, parent, parent-inlaw, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, cousin, or resident of the employee s household (no more than five days of temporary leave may be used for bereavement on one occasion); c. Attendance at a funeral; d. Observance of a denominational religious holiday; e. Personal business (limited to business that cannot be conducted outside of normal business hours - typically 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday); or f. Appearance in a court of law as a litigant or witness pursuant to a subpoena.

2 Administrators may not use temporary leave for the following purposes: a. Interviewing for other employment positions; b. Vacation; c. Personal business during the first or last week of school; or d. Personal business on the day prior to or following any school holiday. An administrator s temporary leave shall not be charged against the 45 days of personal illness leave available during each 12-month period. Personal Illness Leave Administrative employees are eligible to receive up to 45 days of paid personal illness leave from their employment duties for reasonable and necessary purposes during each 12-month period. Personal illness leave shall not accumulate from year to year. The District shall not provide compensation for unused personal illness leave. Administrators may use personal illness for the following reasons: a. Any illness or injury to the administrator; b. An administrator s disability due to prenatal care; c. Birth of a child; d. Recuperation following delivery of an infant; or e. Adoption. An administrator s personal illness leave shall not be charged against the 20 days of temporary leave available each fiscal year. An administrator whose personal illness leave extends beyond five consecutive work days may be required to submit to the Human Resources Department a written request for personal illness leave accompanied by a physician s written statement. If requested, the physician s written statement shall describe the nature of the illness or incapacitation and verify the employee s ability to return to duties. The District shall reserve the right to delay an employee s return to work until appropriate certification is provided to and the Human Resource Department gives approval.

3 If the need for leave is due to personal illness or injury that precludes an administrator from performing essential job duties for a period of 45 days or longer, benefits may be available through a long-term disability plan provided through the District. In such cases, the administrator should contact the Human Resources Department as soon as reasonably possible to coordinate the application process for long-term disability benefits. Leave for any purpose not addressed by this policy must be requested in writing, with approval given by the Superintendent or his or her designee. An administrator must report any absence or anticipated absence from work to his or her immediate supervisor or another designated person prior to the start of the school day. Any leave taken by an administrator must be recorded in the manner specified by the District. The District shall reserve the right to require additional documentation to determine eligibility for leave. Failure to provide appropriate documentation may result in a suspension of pay until such documentation is provided to and approved by the Human Resources Department. The District shall reserve the right to refuse to return an administrator to work if it is deemed by the District that such action poses potential harm or hardship to the employee, other employees, and/or students. Unusual circumstances may occur that necessitate modification of leave as defined in this policy. Based upon written appeal, approval of leave modification may be granted by the Superintendent or his or her designee. A second appeal may be made to the Superintendent or his or her designee. Other benefit programs, policies, and/or procedures may coordinate with an administrator s temporary leave or personal illness leave. Information relating to these plans, programs, policies, and procedures shall be provided in administrative guidelines. Professional Employees Professional employees shall report all absences to the principal and record such absences as prescribed by the Human Resources Department. Classified Personnel This policy shall apply to all classified employees of the District. It shall not apply to substitute or temporary employees, nor shall it apply to any employee whose individual employment agreement contains specific terms concerning temporary leave.

4 Temporary Leave Each classified employee shall accumulate temporary leave at the rate of one-half of their average daily hours per pay period (semi-monthly). The calculation of an employee s average daily hours is based on the employee s weekly hours divided by 5 days. Temporary leave may be accumulated without limit. Upon termination of employment with the District, classified employees shall forfeit any accumulated temporary leave. The District shall have no obligation to compensate a classified employee for any unused or accumulated temporary leave, except as a death or KPERS retirement benefit for an employee with 10 years of service. If a classified employee has accumulated temporary leave and is entitled under this policy to use that temporary leave, such employee shall receive full pay for any period of absence from employment duties until his or her accumulated temporary leave is exhausted. A classified employee for the following reasons may use accumulated temporary leave: Personal illness, including disability due to prenatal care, birth of a child, and recuperation following delivery of a child; Illness of the classified employee s spouse, son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, or those same members of the classified employee s spouse s family; Bereavement due to the death of a family member, including spouse, child, parent, parent-inlaw, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, cousin, or resident of the employees household (no more than five days of temporary leave may be used for bereavement on one occasion). Up to three days of such bereavement shall not be deducted from accumulated temporary leave; however, additional days shall be deducted from accumulated temporary leave. Attendance at a funeral; Observance of a denominational religious holiday; Appearance in a court of law as a litigant or witness pursuant to a subpoena; and Personal leave days. Personal leave days shall be deducted from the employee s accrued temporary leave. Personal leave days not utilized during one school calendar year may not be carried over to a following year. Employees shall submit requests for personal leave to their building principal or department administrator at least 5 days in advance of the leave. Approval of the building principal or department administrator is required.

5 After 4 months of service with the District, a classified employee may use 2 days of temporary After 1 year of service with the District, a classified employee may use 3 days of temporary After 3 years of service with the District, a classified employee may use 4 days of temporary After 5 years of service with the District, a classified employee may use 5 days of temporary Personal leave shall not be used during the first or last week of the school schedule. If a classified employee desires use of a personal day during the first or last week of school due to an emergency condition or extraordinary circumstance, the request should be submitted in writing to the Director of Human Resources/Classified for consideration and approval. Temporary leave may not be used for interviewing for other employment positions or for vacations. Temporary leave hours shall be paid in accordance with the pay period provided the employee has returned to work or has been placed on an approved leave of absence. Payment for temporary leave hours may be delayed if an employee has not returned to work or has not been placed on an approved leave of absence. Classified employees shall immediately report any absence or anticipated absence from work to the principal and/or supervisor in the manner indicated by the District. Applications for temporary leave shall be prepared on forms provided by the Human Resources Department and shall contain all information necessary to determine eligibility for temporary leave. Any classified employee who is absent from employment duties because of personal injury or who is absent from employment duties for a period of more than one week due to personal illness will be required to present a completed District s Return to Work Medical Certification Form (available on the District s Web site or through the Benefits Department) to the Benefits Department. This form must be completed prior to the employee returning to work, even if no work restrictions apply. If work restrictions apply, then the Blue Valley Benefits Department will work with the appropriate supervisor and/or Human Resources Department to determine whether or not the work restrictions can be accommodated. If work restrictions cannot be accommodated, the employee will be notified and will not be able to return to work until such time as the physician releases the employee from the work restrictions as documented on the District s Return to Work Medical Certification Form. The employee is responsible for paying any cost incurred in conjunction with the completion of this form. A classified employee may be required to submit to a physical and/or mental examination prior to returning to work. The District shall pay any cost incurred in connection with a physician s

6 statement. If as the result of all information available, the Human Resources Department determines that a classified employee is physically or mentally unable to perform his or her employment duties with reasonable accommodation, or if the Human Resources Department determines that the employee s condition is such that a return to work could be hazardous to the employee or other employees of the District, then the Human Resources Department may postpone the employee s return to work until such time as the employee s physical and/or mental condition no longer poses a hazard to such employee, other employees, or students of the District. Upon the death or KPERS retirement of a classified employee with at least 10 years of service in the District, any accumulated temporary leave shall be reimbursed according to the following formula: Years of service in the District x 4 percent x the current daily rate of a classified substitute pay x the accumulated unused temporary leave days. The maximum number of temporary leave days for which compensation may be granted shall be 125. Temporary leave hours (excluding personal leave hours) shall not be counted as time worked for the purposes of computing overtime. Temporary leave hours cannot be used to extend an employee s length of service with the District. B.O.E. Amended 13 Aug 1979 B.O.E. Adopted 13 Feb 1989 B.O.E. Adopted 09 Apr 1990 B.O.E. Amended 14 Oct 1991 B.O.E. Amended 13 Dec 1993 B.O.E. Amended 13 Apr 1994 B.O.E. Amended 10 Feb 1997 B.O.E. Adopted 12 Oct 1998 B.O.E. Amended 10 Jul 2000 B.O.E. Amended 14 May 2001 B.O.E. Amended 08 Sep 2003 B.O.E. Amended 13 Jun 2005 B.O.E. Amended 08 Oct 2007 B.O.E. Amended 11 Jan 2010 B.O.E. Amended 12 July 2010 B.O.E. Amended 08 Aug 2011 B.O.E. Amended 11 Jun 2012 B.O.E. Amended 11 Sep 2017