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10: Leave Programs
The leave programs described in this section are
part of the University's benefits program for regular employees.
All types of leave require notification to and approval
by supervisory staff. Absence without prior approval of supervisory
staff or failure to inform supervisory staff and receive approval
for an absence constitutes absence without approved leave (AWOL).
Absence without approved leave is always unpaid. No annual or sick
leave is accrued for the month in which AWOL occurs. Absence without
approved leave may result in disciplinary action up to and including
termination or may be considered job abandonment. See Section
7 for termination categories.
The University reserves the right to modify or discontinue
its benefits programs in whole or in part at any time.
10.1 Paid Leave
10.1.1 Annual Leave
All regular full-time and regular part-time employees
are provided with annual leave for various types of approved absences
from work. You must request the use of annual leave in advance
and have your request approved by your supervisor.
Annual leave is accrued on the basis of a full
calendar month of employment and is credited on the last working
day of each month. You must use your annual leave in the fiscal
year in which you accrue it. With the approval of your supervisor,
you may use annual leave in advance of accruing it. Except as
provided below, you may not carry over annual leave across fiscal
years. Any accrued leave that is not used by the end of each fiscal
year is forfeited. The fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on
June 30.
You are not eligible for annual leave during your
introductory employment period. However, if you successfully complete
your introductory employment period, you will be credited with
any annual leave that would have accrued during this period. You
will not be paid for annual leave if you leave the University
for any reason during your introductory employment period.
If you are hired on or after March 1 and successfully
complete your introductory employment period, you may be granted
a one-time exception to permit carryover of annual leave to the
next fiscal year.
Upon transfer from regular full-time to regular
part-time status, a maximum of 16 hours of accrued annual leave
may be carried over to a regular part-time position. All accrued
annual leave may carry over upon transfer from a regular part-time
to regular full-time position.
You will be paid for accrued but unused annual
leave upon termination of employment. If you have used more annual
leave than you have accrued at the time of your termination, the
excess leave will be subtracted from your final paycheck.
Regular full-time employees accrue annual leave
according to the schedule listed below.
| Accrued Days per Month |
| Years of Employment |
Nonexempt Employees |
Exempt Employees(1) |
| 1st through end of 2nd |
1(2) |
1 1/4 |
| 3rd through end of 4th |
1 1/4 |
1 1/2 |
| 5th through end of 15th |
1 3/4 |
1 3/4 |
| After 15th |
2 |
2 |
(1) Full-time research employees accrue
leave at the rate of 1 3/4 days per month. The accrual rate for
full-time researchers does not change with years of service. Hospital
residents should consult the Resident Manual provided by
the Office of Graduate Medical Education.
(2) An additional day of leave will
be earned after the 6th and 18th months during the first 2 years
of employment.
The accrual rate for annual leave for regular part-time
employees is calculated using the percentage of effort, which
is based on the number of hours worked per week divided by 40.
The accrual rate is the percentage of effort times 1 1/4 days
per month for exempt employees and 1 day per month for nonexempt
employees. The accrual rate for part-time research employees is
calculated by multiplying the percentage of effort times 1 3/4
days per month. The accrual rate for regular part-time employees
and part-time researchers does not change with years of service.
10.1.2 Sick Leave
Paid sick leave is provided for absence from work
due to illness and medical or dental treatment. Accrued sick leave
is credited on the last working day of each month and may not
be used prior to accrual. Supervisory staff may require a physician's
statement documenting an absence prior to approval of sick leave.
Employees will not be paid for unused sick leave upon termination
of employment.
Regular full-time employees accrue 1 day of sick
leave per month, up to a maximum accrual of 180 days. For eligible
employees, income protection for absence beyond the period of
accrued leave is provided through the University's long-term disability
and salary continuation plans defined in Section
9.4.1.
Regular part-time employees accrue two hours of
sick leave per month if the percentage of effort is less than
50 percent, and four hours per month if the percentage of effort
is 50 percent or more.
Upon transfer from regular full-time to regular
part-time status, a maximum of five days of accrued sick leave
may be carried over. All accrued sick leave may carry over upon
transfer from regular part-time to regular full-time status.
Employees may use a maximum of 22 days of sick
leave per year for the medical care of a dependent, whether a
child, spouse, or parent.
10.1.3 Bereavement Leave
Bereavement leave is paid time off in the event
of the death of an immediate family member. Members of the immediate
family are a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sister, brother,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law.
Bereavement leave for a period not to exceed three days must be
requested in writing to supervisory staff. Bereavement leave does
not accrue or pay out upon termination.
When circumstances warrant, bereavement leave may
be granted upon the death of a person not included in the immediate
family as defined above. Requests for exceptions should be submitted
in writing. When bereavement leave does not cover a specific situation,
annual leave may be used.
10.1.4 Jury Duty
Jury duty leave is provided to employees who are
summoned to jury duty. You will be granted paid leave for scheduled
work hours and workdays missed to comply with the summons. You
must request leave in writing to supervisory staff as far in advance
as possible and must include supporting court documents. You must
remit to the University any remuneration received from the court,
except for food or transportation allowances. You are required
to report to work on those days or partial days when attendance
in court is not required.
10.1.5 Holiday Leave
The University generally recognizes 11 paid holidays:
Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving (2 days); Winter Holidays
(2 days); New Year's Day (2 days); Martin Luther King, Jr.'s,
Birthday; President's Day; and Memorial Day. Specific dates for
observance of these holidays will be announced annually by memorandum
to department heads. Collective bargaining agreements or policies
of specific units may supersede this general policy. In the case
of a specific unit, a memorandum will be issued by the appropriate
vice president. Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement
should consult their agreement.
Because of the nature of University and Medical
Center operations, some employees often work on scheduled holidays.
If you work on a holiday, you will be paid on the same basis as
if the day were not a holiday, but you may be provided with a
substitute day off determined by your department. If your employment
is pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, its provisions
will supersede this policy.
10.1.6 Birthday Leave
As part of the University's Service Award Program,
you are eligible for one day of paid birthday leave if you have
completed the equivalent of 10 years of full-time service. This
leave is credited annually, starting with the birthday following
the end of the fiscal year in which you earn a 10-year service
award, provided that you remain in a regular position.
You must take birthday leave within 10 calendar
days before or after your birth date. It is not compensable upon
termination or transfer to a temporary position.
10.2 Other Leave
10.2.1 Military Duty Leave
Military duty leave may be requested by an employee
for the period necessary to perform military duty. Military duty
leave is unpaid, but you may request the use of available annual
leave for part or all of the period of military duty. You must
request such leave in advance and in writing to your supervisor.
You may be required to provide supporting documentation.
Under federal law, if you leave a regular position
voluntarily or involuntarily for the purpose of performing military
duty, including reserve duty, you have a right to reinstatement
without loss of seniority if certain conditions are met. When
requesting reinstatement, you should consult with the Department
of Human Resource Services for information on eligibility for
reinstatement, applicable salary issues, and benefits.
10.2.2 Family and Medical Leave
A period of absence due to the serious health condition
of an employee, the birth or adoption of a child, or the serious
health condition of a family member or a person with whom the
employee shares a mutual residence and with whom the employee
maintains a committed relationship may be protected under the
D.C. or federal Family and Medical Leave Acts (FMLAs). You may
be placed on FMLA leave pending the receipt of appropriate medical
or other documentation to qualify for the leave. The D.C. Act
provides for up to 16 weeks of family leave and/or 16 weeks of
medical leave in a 24-month period after you have been employed
for at least one year and worked at least 1,000 hours in the 12-month
period immediately preceding the request for family or medical
leave. In most cases, benefits under the D.C. Act are more generous
than those under the federal Act, but you are entitled to the
most favorable benefits. You may request the use of accrued sick
leave and/or available annual leave for some or all of an approved
FMLA period, provided that the occurrence qualifies for the use
of such leave under University policy. Any period of paid leave
will count as part of the allowable period of FMLA leave provided
for in the Acts.
The provisions of the D.C. or federal Acts complement
and replace University policies for temporary disability leave
and maternity leave.
The University will continue to make its contributions
to benefits premiums during periods of family and medical leave,
but you are responsible for your portion of benefits premiums.
Your supervisor will work with the Benefits Division
to place you on family or medical leave and to notify you of your
status or you should seek the assistance of the Benefits Division
if you believe you may be eligible for this leave.
10.2.3 Temporary Disability Leave
Employees who are physically or mentally unable
to work and who have not met the eligibility requirements for
family and medical leave, as identified in Section
10.2.2, may request temporary disability leave for a period
up to and including 90 calendar days. You must make the request
in writing, provide supporting documentation from a physician,
and receive approval from your department head. You must use all
accrued sick and annual leave prior to being placed in a temporary
disability status. Temporary disability leave is always unpaid
leave.
10.2.4 Maternity Leave
The University provides leave for medical disability
resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions
on the same basis for which leave is provided for other medical
disabilities. Therefore, the Family and Medical Leave Acts and
policies governing the use of sick, annual, and temporary disability
leave for medical disability purposes may also apply.
Non-medical absences for birth or adoption of a
child may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Acts, depending
on eligibility, or by use of annual leave or a leave of absence.
10.2.5 Leave of Absence
A leave of absence is always unpaid leave. You
may request a leave of absence for personal situations that do
not fall within the provisions of other University leave categories,
or if you have exhausted the leave period in another category,
such as FMLA. You must request a leave of absence in writing to
your department head. The amount of time that may be approved
depends on your length of service and the operational needs of
the department.
10.2.6 Parental Leave
The University adheres to the District of Columbia
Parental Leave Act. This Act provides an employee who is a parent,
guardian, custodian, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or spouse of any
of the aforementioned, with a total of 24 hours of leave during
any 12-month period to attend or participate in school-related
events for his or her child. A school-related event is an activity
sponsored by either a school or an associated organization such
as a parent-teacher association. You must provide your supervisor
with at least ten calendar days advance notice prior to the event,
unless the need to attend the school-related event could not be
reasonably foreseen. Parental leave may be denied if it will result
in the disruption of departmental operations. Parental leave is
unpaid unless you request annual leave.
© September 1999 The
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