Sick Leave Benefits

307 Sick Leave Benefits

Effective Date:

Revision Date:

Sni Valley provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees for periods of temporary absence due to illnesses or injuries. Eligible employee classification(s):

* Regular employees* Shift employees

Eligible employees will accrue sick leave benefits at the rate of 10 days per year for regular employees and 5 days for shift employees. Sick leave benefits are calculated on the basis of a "benefit year," the 12-month period that begins when the employee starts to earn sick leave benefits. Employees shall accrue sick leave benefits from the first day of employment.

Employees can request use of paid sick leave after completing a waiting period of ninety (90) calendar days from the date they become eligible to accrue sick leave benefits. Paid sick leave can be used in minimum increments of two (2) hours. Only twenty-four (24) hours of sick leave may be taken in increments of no less than two (2) hours at a time. Eligible employees may use sick leave benefits for an absence due to their own illness or injury or that of a family member who resides in the employee's household. A maximum of sixteen (16) hours per year for regular employees and twenty-four (24) hours of paid sick leave may be utilized for the incapacitation of a family member who resides in the employee's household.

Employees who are unable to report to work due to illness or injury should notify their direct supervisor no less than one (1) hour before the scheduled start of their workday. The direct supervisor must also be contacted on each additional day of absence. If a regular employee is absent for two or more consecutive days due to illness or injury, a physician's release to work must be provided upon his/her return. Shift employees have the same requirement when they are absent due to an illness or injury for more than a single shift. The District reserves the right in all cases of illness or injury to require that sick leave benefits not be payable where an employee fails to promptly furnish a physician's certificate of illness or injury when notified that such certificate is required, is found to have violated or abused the District's sick leave policy or is absent from work due to intentional injury or injury sustained in employment for someone other than the District.

Employees who are found to be violating or abusing the District's sick leave policy shall be subject to disciplinary action. The District reserves the right to deny the payment of sick leave benefits on grounds other than those specifically set forth herein. Sick leave taken preceding or following a Kelly Day, vacation day or holiday will require a physician's certificate.

Sick leave benefits are not payable retroactively for illness or injury incurred while on vacation.

Sick leave benefits will be calculated based on the employee's base pay rate at the time of absence and will not include any special forms of compensation, such as incentives, commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials. The combination of any disability payments and sick leave benefits cannot exceed the employee's normal weekly earnings. Excessive use of sick leave will become a part of the employee's evaluation, which will determine the overall rating of the employee.

Unused sick leave benefits will be allowed to accumulate to a maximum of two hundred and forty (240) hours for shift employees and a maximum of one hundred and eighty-four (184) hours for regular employees. If the employee's benefits reach this maximum, further accrual of sick leave benefits will be suspended until the employee has reduced the balance below the limit. Sick leave benefits are intended solely to provide income protection in the event of illness or injury, and may not be used for any other absence. Unused sick leave benefits will not be paid to employees while they are employed or upon termination of employment. An employee shall not engage in other compensated work while on sick leave from Sni Valley.

Policy No.  307  Issued  6/29/2000  Applicable  1/17/2005