818.1 Sick Leave for Support and Administrative Personnel

818.1 Sick Leave for Support and Administrative Personnel

A. Background

The Furman University sick leave policy is designed to assist employees during periods of illness. It is not designed to provide additional time off from work.

B. Policy

The university will provide payment during specified illness-related absences for support and administrative employees for the purpose of maintaining the earnings of such employees for a reasonable period during the time they are unable to work.

C. Guidelines

1. All permanent, full-time employees who work a minimum of thirty (30) hours per week for nine (9) consecutive months are eligible. Part-time employees and employees classified as "temporary" are not eligible for benefits regardless of the number of hours worked in a week.

2. Sick leave is defined as absence for personal injury (either on or off the job) or sickness (including dental care, examination by doctors, etc.) of the employee, and/or necessary absence because of personnel sickness, injury or compelling personal reasons in his immediate family or of dependents. The immediate family is defined as spouse, grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, children and members of the immediate household. A dependent is defined as anyone who resides permanently with the employee.

3. Employees will accrue sick leave during a fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) at the rate of one (1) day for each full month of service with a maximum of two (2) weeks (ten working days) in any calendar year. (Employment commencing on or before the 15th of the month shall be counted as one (1) full month for the purpose of this policy.)

4. A week will be the equivalent of the employee's regular scheduled work week.

5. When an employee is eligible for workers' compensation payments, the university will pay the difference between such payments and the employee's regular pay up to accumulated sick leave. After ninety (90) days, the employee may apply for the benefits for which he or she is eligible under the long term disability program.

6. Unused sick leave can be accumulated from year to year up to a maximum of ninety (90) days. On termination, employees will not be entitled to additional compensation for unused sick leave.

7. Employees making false statements in order to receive sick pay are subject to dismissal.

8. Sick leave time should be indicated on the support employee's time card or by submitting the Salaried Absence Report to Personnel for each sick leave period taken. The Payroll Department in the Accounting Office will maintain records of the sick leave pay taken by each support employee. The Personnel Office will maintain records of the sick leave pay taken by each administrative employee.

9. At the request of the budget unit head or department supervisor, an employee may be required to submit a medical doctor's certification (or other similar affidavits) as proof of eligibility for sick leave before sick leave pay is granted.

10. When earned sick leave is inadequate to cover absences caused by the employee's illness, the time lost may be charged against earned but unused vacation time due the employee if the employee grants written permission to do so.

11. Employees who are on an approved leave of absence may be required to use their sick leave balance during the leave of absence. (See File 815.1.)

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