UM System

HR-404 Sick Leave (Prior to Jan 2024)

Summary

The university provides paid sick leave to eligible employees to encourage time off to care for one’s own health, and the health of immediate family members. The following sick leave applies to all benefit-eligible administrative, service and support staff and certain non-regular academic employees as approved by the chancellor and president.

Employees with primary titles that are administrative, service and support who are exempt from classification because their positions are primarily directing instructional, or research activities are not subject to this policy.

If any part of this policy does not reflect the Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR), the provisions of the CRR will govern.

CRR and Policy Provisions below will sunset as of 12/31/2023. Please refer to updated HR-404 Sick Leave (As of Jan 2024) policy for absences on or after 01/01/2024.

Per Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR) 340.030: Sick Leave (amended Bd. Min. 6-21-18):

  1. Sick Leave
    The university provides paid sick leave to eligible employees to encourage time off to care for one’s own health, and the health of immediate family members. The following sick leave applies to Regular Administrative, Service and Support employees and certain non-regular academic employees as approved by the Chancellor and President.
  2. Accruals
    1. Sick leave is accrued from the first day of eligible employment 
    2. Eligible employees accrue sick leave at the rate of 12 working days per year accrued over each pay period.
    3. Credit for sick leave accumulates during vacations, sick leave, excused absence with pay and any leave of absence without pay granted for an on-the-job injury compensable under Workers' Compensation. Credit does not accumulate when an employee is receiving shared leave. Sick leave accruals will be available to the employee only after returning to work in regular status.
  3. Using Sick Leave
    1. Sick leave is available for use once it is accrued, subject to appropriate supervisory approval.
    2. Eligible employees may use accrued sick leave to cover absences related to:
      1. the employee’s own illness, injury, pregnancy, or preventative care; or
      2. an immediate family member’s illness, injury, pregnancy, or preventative care.
    3. Eligible employees also may use accrued sick leave subject to limits stated below to cover absences related to:
      1. the placement of an adoptive or foster child in the employee’s home or care of that child within twelve (12) months after placement; or
      2. the care of an employee’s child within twelve (12) months after birth.
      3. When used in these instances, the amount of accrued sick leave plus all other forms of paid leave (e.g., vacation, personal) used by an employee may not exceed 480 hours for each instance of placement and associated care of child or care of child after birth. This 480-hour limit will apply on a basis of 100% full-time equivalence and will be reduced on a pro-rata basis for an employee working on a basis of 75 percent – 99 percent full-time equivalence. In instances where both parents are eligible employees, each will have a 480-hour limit.
  4. Separation of Employment
    Upon separation of employment, employees will not receive payment for any unused accumulated sick leave.
  5. Retirement
    Employees will receive additional creditable service in calculating retirement benefits for all unused accumulated sick leave, subject to the terms of the applicable retirement plan. Sick leave credit is allowed only upon retirement, and does not apply to deferred vested benefits.

Further HR Policy Provisions

Additional HR-404 policy provisions below in accordance with CRR 340.030:

  1. Accruals
    1. Eligible employees who are in active status on the Monday of each week are eligible for the accrual for the corresponding week.
    2. Eligible accruals are posted in the employee’s sick bank every other week.
    3. Partial weekly accruals are not granted.
    4. Summary chart of accruals (based on 1.0FTE)
      Type of Position Years of Services Days Earned Per Year Hours Earned Per Week Hours Earned per Pay Period Maximum Accrual
      Non-Exempt (hourly paid) All eligible employees, regardless of length of service 12 1.85 3.69 No maximum limit
      Exempt (monthly paid) All eligible employees, regardless of length of service 12 1.85 Based on number of Monday's in the month No maximum limit
    5. Unless otherwise noted in a corresponding policy (e.g., Shared Leave, Furlough), sick time continues to accrue during vacation; sick time; leaves of absence with pay of at least 75 percent FTE; and leaves of absence without pay granted for disability compensable under Workers’ Compensation. Sick accruals will be available to the employee only after returning to work in regular status.
  2. Using Sick Leave
    1. Employees needing to take time off during their probationary period are eligible for sick leave as it is accrued.
    2. Eligible employees unable to work because of an illness or injury may use accumulated sick leave to continue their straight-time pay (including shift differentials where applicable) for any absence from work for which they were scheduled during the first 40 hours of the workweek.
    3. Employees unable to work because of an illness or injury compensable under Workers' Compensation may elect to use accumulated sick leave as one (1) full day for each day of their normal, scheduled workweek which falls within the "waiting period" during which no Workers' Compensation is payable. After the three (3)-day waiting period, a regular employee may elect to use sick leave in an amount equal to the portion of the employee's total compensation which is not paid by Workers' Compensation Benefits. In no case can the combination of sick leave and Worker's Compensation benefits exceed the employee's base pay.
    4. Employees who have exhausted their sick leave may, with supervisory approval, take vacation, personal days, or leave without pay.
  3. Definition of “immediate family”
    1. For purposes of this policy, immediate family is defined as spouse, sponsored adult dependent, children, other individuals with whom the employee is standing in loco parentis, parent, individual who stood in loco parentis to an employee when the employee was a child, siblings, and persons for whom the employee is legally responsible.
    2. Children are defined as biological, adopted, foster child, stepchild, a legal ward, or a child with whom the employee is standing in loco parentis.
  4. Unused Sick
    1. Any balance of unused sick leave is transferred with an employee transferring from one department or campus to another.
    2. Employees changing from benefit-eligible to a variable hour status will not be paid accrued sick.
    3. For employees changing from administrative, service and support to academic positions, see HR-113.
  5. Procedure Information
    1. Sick leave must be recorded in the university's central payroll system as part of the regular payroll processing cycle.
    2. Employees may be required to furnish satisfactory proof of illness, injury, or of medical or dental appointment.

See Also

CRR Section 340.030: Sick Leave

HR-113 Transfers Between Academic and Administrative Positions
HR-404 Sick Leave
HR-404 Sick Leave Q&A
HR-407 Family & Medical Leave Act

Date Created: 09/26/1997
Updated: 09/01/2000; 07/19/2002; 09/01/2004; 09/01/2005; 02/01/2012; 01/01/2014; 07/01/2018; 08/01/2020; 10/01/2023

Reviewed 2023-10-02