OBJECTIVE

The University provides time off to employees due to such reasons as illness or injury of the employee or other personal or family circumstances.

WHO IS AFFECTED?

All regular full time (exempt and non-exempt) employees who will not be doing work for the university for at least two weeks. Departments must initiate leaves of absence when appropriate.

PROCEDURE

Decisions to grant a leave of absence shall be based on continuous service with the University, reason for the leave, employee performance and personnel needs of the department. Supervisors recommending a leave of absence shall process the request through the departmental chain of command. If the leave is approved the department has responsibility for initiating the PIF and the exit clearance process.

The University recognizes the following types of leave:

1. Administrative Leave. May be either leave with or without pay and is approved at the sole discretion of the University.
2. Educational Leave. Refer to HR Procedure #335, Educational Leave
3. Family and Medical Leave. Refer to HR Procedure #338, Family and Medical Leave
4. Military Leave. Refer to HR Procedure #370, Military Leave
5. Personal Leave. Always is leave without pay, except for the personal leave day provided staff non-exempt employee under HR Procedure #373 Personal Leave Day. Personal leave is approved or disapproved on an individual basis and predicated on the departmental needs and requirements. An employee who has exhausted all accumulated sick leave and cannot or does not wish to use accumulated annual leave for this purpose with approval of the supervisor may be granted a leave without compensation for the remainder of an illness.
6. Worker’s Compensation Leave. Refer to HR Procedure #397, Workers Compensation
7. Paid leave vs. unpaid leave. An employee who takes leave that is designated as medical leave must first exhaust, in order, all unused compensatory time, sick leave, annual leave, and personal leave. However, an employee may opt to retain up to five (5) days or 40 hours of sick leave, whichever is less. Once the employee has exhausted his or her paid leave, he or she will go on unpaid leave for the remainder of the medical leave period.
8. Benefits While on Leave Without Pay. Employees are eligible for certain benefits while on leave without pay in accordance with University guidelines. See Leave of Absence policy HR0355.
9. Benefits While on Leave With Pay. Employees on leave with pay are provided benefits as if they were at work with the exceptions noted below.
   • Leaves of absence with pay qualify as creditable service for retirement and contributions will be made by the University during the leave period except in the case of an educational leave which has been approved by TCRS. Refer to HR Procedure #355, Educational Leave.
   • Normally annual and sick leave do not accrue during administrative leaves of absence.
10. Reinstatement from Leave. When an employee returns from a leave of absence it is the responsibility of the department to process the PIF to return the employee to work.