Medical Leave

Board Policy

Request For Leave

Medical Certification from Healthcare Provider

• Family
• Employee

Fitness to Return to Work

Request for Temporary Disability Leave

Sick Leave

Summary of Leave Benefits

Paid Leave

State Personal Leave - Five days
Local Sick Leave - Five days
State Sick Leave - earned before May 30, 1995
Sick Leave Bank/Pool - up to 30 days per contract year, 60 days lifetime max (membership required)

Unpaid Leave

Family Medical Leave (FML) - 12 weeks for standard FML and 26 weeks for military caregiver leave
Temporary Disability Leave (TDL) - 180 calendar days (granted only to employees in positions requiring SBEC certification)

State Personal Leave

• Available for use at the beginning of the year
• Prorated for employees who start after the first duty day of the year or leave before the end of the year
• Discretionary - taken at the individual’s discretion and scheduled in advance.
• These limitations apply: Must be approved by supervisor before leave is taken
• Non-Discretionary—for personal or family illness, family emergency, death in the family, or active military service
  • Medical certification required if absence is more than 5 consecutive days
  • Runs concurrent with FML and TDL when applicable
• Accumulates without limit

Local Personal (or Sick) Leave

• Available for use at the beginning of the year
• All employees shall earn 5 paid local leave days per school year in accordance with administrative regulations
• Accumulates without limit
• Shall be used according to the terms and condition so state sick leave accumulated before 1995-96 school year, except that an employee may contribute local leave to the sick leave bank

Sick Leave Bank

• Contact Karen Gonzalez for paperwork
• Must be a Sick Leave Bank member
• Must be certified by an approved healthcare provider
• Leave reimbursed with full pay
• Available after all paid leave has been exhausted
• May be used for the employee only
• Maximum 30 days reimbursed per contract year
• Maximum 60 days lifetime max reimbursement

Family Medical Leave (FML)

• Contact Karen Gonzalez for required forms
• Medical certification is required
• Runs concurrent with paid leave and TDL
• Unpaid leave if employee has exhausted all paid leave
• Qualifying events:
  • Employee’s serious health condition
  • A serious health condition of a child, spouse, parent
  • Birth, adoption or foster placement of a child
  • Qualifying exigency because of a family member’s covered active military duty
  • To care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness sustained in the line of duty
• Must be employed with the district for 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours to be eligible
• Provides job reinstatement and continued health insurance coverage

Temporary Disability Leave (TDL)

• Contact Karen Gonzalez for required forms
• Unpaid leave if employee has exhausted all paid leave
• Runs concurrent with district paid leave and Family Medical Leave
• Must be certified by a doctor
• May not be taken on intermittent basis
• For own personal illness only

Medical Certification

Any employee who is absent more than 5 days because of a personal or family illness must submit a medical certification from a qualified health care provider confirming the specific dates of the illness, the reason for the illness, and in the case of personal illness the employee’s fitness to return to work.

An employee’s failure to provide Human Resources with medical certification from a physician may make the employee ineligible for leave.

Other Leave Benefits

• Jury Duty
• Truancy Court Appearances
• Religious Observance
• Military Leave

Neutral Absence Policy (DEC Local)

If an employee does not return to work following the exhaustion of all available leave, the District shall provide the employee with written notice that the maximum allotted District leave time has been exhausted and that the employee’s employment shall be terminated regardless of the reason for absence. [See DF series] The employee’s eligibility for reasonable accommodations, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), shall be considered before termination. If paid leave has been exhausted, the employee shall remain on unpaid leave during the ADA consideration period. [See DAA(LEGAL)] If terminated, the employee may apply for reemployment with the District.