Sick Leave Accrual and Use
Sick leave will be earned by a regular full-time employee at the current rate of eight (8) hours per month or a fraction of a month of employment. A regular part-time employee will earn a pro rata share based on the percent time worked. Sick leave accrual will terminate on the last day of duty.
Sick leave with pay may be taken when sickness, injury, pregnancy or adoption prevents the employee’s performance of duty or when a member of her or his immediate family is actually ill. Immediate family is defined as those individuals related by kinship, adoption or marriage, as well as foster children certified by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
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 spouse, child or parent of the employee who needs such care and assistance as a direct result of a documented medical condition.
This provision for taking sick leave does not extend to an employee’s parent-in-law if they do not live in the same household.
Sickness occurring during a vacation period may be charged to sick leave. When an employee is ill for a continuous period of more than three (3) days while on vacation, in order to be eligible for accumulated sick leave with pay, she or he will be required to furnish a doctor’s certificate showing the cause and nature of the illness or some other written statement of facts concerning the illness which is acceptable to the supervisor.
Sick Leave Pool
An employee may be eligible to request time from the sick leave pool or through the sick leave exception if, because of injury or illness, the employee exhausted all the sick leave time to which that employee is otherwise entitled. University Policy 3.12 provides additional information. This policy, and/or an application is available in the online University Policy Manual, or you may contact the Office of Human Resources for a copy.
TRS Service Credit for Sick Leave
If, on your last day of employment before retirement, you have credit for at least 50 days or 400 hours of accumulated State of Texas sick and/or personal leave, you are eligible to purchase one year of TRS service credit. You may accumulate only five days per year of leave toward the 50 days or 400 hours. You may purchase a maximum of one year of service credit.
Absences Due to Illness
Staff employees are required to notify supervisors prior to absences. In the event of emergencies, when prior notification is impossible, employees are obligated to notify their supervisor of their absence at the earliest possible time. Staff employees are responsible for keeping their supervisor informed of the status of their absence and an expected return-to-work date.
Absences due to illness continuing for three (3) work shifts or more will require a doctor’s certificate showing the cause and nature of the illness or some other written statement of the facts concerning
the illness which is acceptable to the supervisor. The University may, at its discretion, request a doctor’s release, or other documentation after any absence due to illness before a staff employee would be allowed to return to work. A doctor’s statement and/or appropriate documentation will be maintained by the employing department. Absences due to illness or injury that continue for more than three (3) work shifts may fall under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and must be reported to the Office of Human Resources.
Employee Attendance, Vacation, Sick, and Other Leave Policy
Sick Leave Pool Policy