ARTICLE 18 – SICK LEAVE
A. Sick leave is provided to continue the salary of eligible employees who would otherwise be on pay status but who are unable to work because of illness, injury or disability. Sick leave is also provided for medical, dental and/or appointments for examinations or treatment by a licensed practitioner and, on a limited basis, in the event of death or illness of a family member.
B. Definitions
For purposes of this Article, a sick leave accrual period is defined as one calendar month for those employees who are paid monthly or quadri-weekly (i.e., two biweekly pay periods) for those employees who are paid bi- weekly.
C. Eligibility
An employee shall accrue full or proportionate sick leave credit for a sick leave accrual period. The following criteria shall apply:
- An employee must be on pay status at least one-half the working hours of the sick leave accrual period to accrue sick leave for that accrual period.
- Sick leave shall accrue during leave with pay.
D. Accrual
Sick leave accrues each sick leave accrual period based on the percent of time or number of hours on pay status during that accrual period. Sick leave accrues at the rate of .046154 hours per hour for full-time employment.
- Sick leave for each sick leave accrual period shall accrue at the end of the sick leave accrual period, except that an eligible terminating employee shall accrue proportionate sick leave through the last day on pay status.
- Sick leave shall not accrue for time on pay status in excess of forty (40) hours in any workweek.
- There is no maximum on the amount of sick leave that may be accrued.
- A full-time career employee who is on approved leave without pay accrues full sick leave credit for that sick leave accrual period provided the employee is on pay status at least one-half the working hours of the sick leave accrual period.
E. Use Of Sick Leave
An employee shall be permitted to use accrued sick leave as provided below:
- An employee shall not use sick leave prior to the time it is accrued.
- Sick leave, which shall be reported and available for use, will be the full accrual rounded down to the nearest quarter hour. The balance not available for use shall be retained in the employee’s sick leave accrual account.
- An employee shall not use accrued sick leave beyond a predetermined date of separation, including retirement or layoff, or any leave without pay.
- Proof of illness or disability may be required from an employee when a pattern of abuse is apparent to the supervisor. When a request for proof of illness or disability is to be made, the supervisor shall seek approval from the designated University manager. The employee shall be given written notice prior to returning to work that they will be required to provide such documentation.
- The use of accrued sick leave is allowed for pregnancy-related illnesses or disabilities as in the case of other illnesses, but not beyond a predetermined date of separation or leave without pay.
- In addition to use of sick leave as stated in paragraph 5 above, a pregnant employee on approved leave without pay on the date of confinement is entitled to use accrued sick leave beginning on the date of confinement and continuing through the period that she is physically unable to perform the normal duties of her job.
- An employee shall be permitted to use not more than thirty (30) days of accrued sick leave in any calendar year when required to be in attendance or to provide care because of the serious illness of the employee’s mother, father, husband, wife, son, daughter, brother or sister; or of any other related person who is residing in the employee’s household.
- An employee who becomes ill while on vacation shall be permitted to use accrued sick leave if that employee is under the care of a physician and submits a physician’s statement but may not use accrued sick leave in the event of illness of a family member.
- An employee who has accrued sick leave but who is presently employed less than one-half time may use accrued sick leave, but not in excess of that employee’s present scheduled hours of work for any day.
F. Bereavement Leave
An employee shall be permitted to use not more than five (5) days of accrued sick leave when that employee’s attendance is required due to the death of the employee’s mother, father, husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister, mother-in-law, father-in-law, or grandparents; or of any other related person who resided in the employee’s household. If the employee needs additional time, based on a personal obligation, the employee may request vacation time and, subject to operational needs, that vacation time will not be unreasonably denied. Management may, at its discretion, request documentation regarding the need for the additional time.
G. Transfer and Reinstatement of Sick Leave
- An employee who is transferred, promoted, or demoted from one University position to another University position in which sick leave accrues and can be transferred shall have the sick leave transferred. An employee who is transferred, promoted, or demoted to a position in which sick leave does not accrue or in which sick leave cannot be transferred shall not have accrued sick leave transferred. However, if the employee later transfers to a position in which sick leave accrues, the previously accrued sick leave shall be reinstated.
- An employee who is reemployed after a break in service of less than fifteen (15) calendar days shall have all accrued sick leave from prior service reinstated.
- An employee who is reemployed after a break in service of fifteen (15) calendar days or more but less than six (6) months shall have accrued sick leave from prior service not in excess of eighty (80) hours reinstated.
- State of California service is included as University service for the purpose of applying paragraphs 2 and 3 above.
- An employee who has been laid off and who is recalled or preferentially rehired within the employee’s period of recall or preferential rehire eligibility shall have all accrued sick leave from prior service reinstated.
H. Conversion of Sick Leave Upon Retirement
Upon retirement, members of the University of California Retirement System shall have their accumulated sick leave converted to retirement service credit at the rate authorized by the University of California Retirement System for each day of unused accrued sick leave.