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Faculty, Administrative Staff, & Professional Staff Employees
SICK LEAVE
Faculty, Administrative, and Professional Staff will be eligible for sick leave benefits in accordance with the following:
Accruable (regular) sick leave
Faculty and Administrative staff on full-time academic or fiscal year continuing appointment earn 7.2 days per fiscal year, at the beginning of the contract appointment. Should a Faculty or Administrative staff with an academic appointment have a Summer contract, accruable sick leave is credited July 1 or the first day of the summer contract, whichever is later.
Professional staff on a full-time fiscal year regular & durational earn one sick day per month.
Employees on a continuing or regular appointment of less than 100% will earn sick leave prorated to their appointment percentage. Employees who are hired mid-year will earn sick leave adjusted to their length of contract (.6 days per month will be earned for a fiscal year employee and .8 days per month will be earned for an academic year employee for the hiring year). This includes fiscal appointments that are effective after July 1st and academic appointments that are effective after August 16th of a year.
Faculty and Administrative staff employees on term appointments are not eligible to earn accruable sick leave. However, they will not lose any previously accrued but unused accruable sick leave.
At the end of a fiscal year, any accrued but unused accruable sick leave will carry over to the following fiscal year. There is no limit to the amount of accruable sick leave an eligible employee may earn and carry over.
One-time grants of sick leave
Professional staff employees with a regular appointment, hired previous to July 1, 2000, earned a one time grant of 60 sick leave days adjusted to their appointment percentage and proportionate to their annual period of service. Professional staff employees on durational appointments were not eligible for this one-time grant of sick leave.
Professional staff employees hired after July 1, 2002 earn a one time grant of 15 sick leave days adjusted to their appointment percentage but without regard to their annual period of service.
At the end of a fiscal year any amounts of unused one-time grant sick leave will carry over to the following fiscal year. Employees will not earn additional amounts but will continue to carry over from each year any unused amount of one-time grant sick leave.
Non-accruable sick leave
Faculty and Administrative staff on full time academic or fiscal year continuing or term appointment earn 43 non-accruable days per fiscal year, at the beginning of the contract appointment. Employees on a continuing appointment of less than 100% will earn sick leave prorated to their appointment percentage. Employees who are hired mid-year will earn sick leave adjusted to their length of contract (3.5834 days per month will be earned for a fiscal year employee and 4.7778 days per month will be earned for an academic year employee for the hiring year). This includes fiscal appointments that are effective after July 1st and academic appointments that are effective after August 16th of a year.
Non-accruable sick leave that is unused will not carry over to the following fiscal year because employees earn time each year.
Extended sick leave
Professional staff earn a one-time grant of extended sick leave of 20 sick leave days. The extended sick leave is for documented major medical problems for the employee only. Physician’s documentation and approval from the Benefits staff in the Office of Human Resources is required before an employee can use this leave. The extended sick leave will be available for use after all other sick leave has been exhausted. Any unused extended sick leave days carry over each fiscal year. When these days are used, they do not accrue again.
Temporary Days
A temporary leave of absence with pay may be granted upon request for reasons, such as emergency illness of family, funeral leaves, jury duty and military leaves. Temporary leave with pay shall not exceed two weeks (10 working days) during any fiscal year.
In accordance with the definitions appearing below, employees may be granted a leave of absence for a period not exceeding two weeks. Approval must be obtained from the Office of Human Resources. Additional documentation supporting the need of leave will be required for approval. If applicable, employees may be required to take leave under the Family Medical Leave Act.
The following definitions shall apply to requests for temporary leave with pay:
1) Emergency Leave - hospitalized, critically ill members of the employee's immediate family: Immediate family is defined as spouse, domestic partner recognized under the State of Illinois insurance plan, child, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, and corresponding in-laws of an employee.
2) Funeral Leave - funeral of immediate members of the employee's family. Immediate family is defined as the spouse, a domestic partner recognized under the State of Illinois insurance plan, child, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, and corresponding in-laws of the employee.
3) Military Leave - temporary duty not to exceed two weeks.
4) Jury Duty - a leave of absence without loss of pay will be granted for time actually spent on jury duty.
Eligible use of sick leave
Faculty, Administrative and Professional staff employees may use their sick leave for personal medical and dental appointments and for illness or injury of themselves, their spouses, their children and members of their immediate family living in their household. Immediate family includes parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, and corresponding in-laws.
Sick leave (regular sick) and order used
Through the years, the university has made changes to sick leave benefits. Because of those changes, accrued balances of sick (regular) leave are referred to by the following types:
Sick leave earned before January 1, 1984 (pre – 1984)
Sick leave earned from January 1, 1984 until December 31, 1997
Sick leave earned after January 1, 1998 to present (post 1997)
Sick leave for eligible Faculty and Administrative staff employees will be used in the following order, all leaves may or may not be applicable to each employee:
a. non-accruable sick leave for the current year
b. sick leave earned and unused before January 1, 1984
c. sick leave earned and unused after January 1, 1998
d. sick leave earned and unused January 1, 1984 through December 31, 1997.
Sick leave for eligible Professional staff employees will be used in the following order, all leaves may or may not be applicable to each employee:
a. sick leave earned and unused before January 1, 1984
b. sick leave earned and unused after January 1, 1998 (including the 60 or 15 day one time grant of sick leave)
c. sick leave accrued January 1, 1984 through December 31, 1997
d. extended sick leave.
A Benefits staff employee will assist the employee and the department in determining how to record the usage of sick time.
In accordance with Illinois Public Act 83-976, employees who terminate and have a sick leave balance of time accrued and unused from January 1, 1984 through December 31, 1997, shall be paid for one half the balance. This is the only sick leave payable upon termination or retirement.
Sick leave is not earned during periods of leave when an employee is not in pay status. While an employee is in a pay status leave continues to accrue.
Holidays recognized by the University will not be included in sick leave.
Weekends are not charged unless they are a part of a scheduled work assignment and sick leave is utilized.
Sick leave will be transferred within the Southern Illinois University system only.
All records of annual and extended sick leave benefits shall be maintained by the department fiscal officer with annual reports calculated as of June 30th of each year and forwarded to the Office of Human Resources. Administrative reports and instructions for departments can be found at the end of this section.
Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement will need to refer to the most recent contract for more information.
The University reserves the right to refer an employee for medical examination by a physician of the University’s choice for the purpose of determining the employee’s mental or physical fitness to perform the essential functions of the employee’s position. The University will assume all responsibilities related to the cost of the examination.
The University may refuse to pay sick leave pay if it is determined that the claim for sick leave is fraudulent based on authorized purposes. Sick leave abuse occurs when an employee uses sick leave for unauthorized purposes or misrepresents the actual reason for charging an absence to sick leave. Sick leave abuse may also occur when an employee establishes a pattern of sick leave over a period of time, such as the day before or after a holiday, on a Monday and/or Friday, after a payday, any one specific day, half-day, or a continued pattern of maintaining zero or near zero sick leave balances. The University reserves the right to require acceptable evidence of illness, injury, or disability before allowing any sick leave benefits. Employees who misuse sick leave may be subject to the University’s progressive disciplinary process which could lead to suspension or discharge.
If an employee needs to file for SURS disability, contact Benefits in the Office of Human Resources. Employees who have at least two years of SURS credit or have less than two years but have incurred a disability as the result of an accident, and may be off work longer than 60 calendar days, should file for disability benefits through the State Universities Retirement System. If an employee believes they will be off work longer than 60 days, the employee should contact the Benefits department who will mail the employee an Application for Disability. It is recommended employees start the process during the 60 days instead of waiting until they have reached 60 days off work. If an employee meets the criteria, they will be sent an Application for Disability. Once completed and returned to Benefits, the application will be forwarded to the State Universities Retirement System.
If an employee carries the optional Long Term Disability insurance and needs to file for disability benefits, contact Benefits in the Office of Human Resources. Per the Long Term Disability insurance, employees must be off work longer than 90 calendar days before they are eligible to file for disability benefits through this insurance. If an employee believes they will be off work longer than 90 days, the employee should contact the Benefits department who will mail an Application for Disability. It is recommended employees start the process during the 90 days instead of waiting until they have reached 90 days off work. Once the application is completed and returned to Benefits, the application will be forwarded to the Long Term Disability insurance carrier.
When an employee receives their last payroll check from the University, Benefits will send an Employer's Report of Disability notice to SURS. This provides SURS with the payroll information they need to process the disability claim.
SURS disability payments will be sent directly from SURS. Employees should expect to receive a check or electronic deposit from SURS after the following occur:
1) employees have been off longer than 60 calendar days and have exhausted all sick leave and any vacation leave they elected to use;
2) SURS has received the required documentation from the employee’s doctor and has determined the employee is eligible for benefits; and
3) SURS has received the Employer's Report of Disability from Benefits.
Faculty and Administrative staff employees will be eligible for vacation leave benefits in accordance with the following:
Vacation leave policies and accrual rates vary for employees based on classification.
Represented Professional Staff employees
Represented employees should refer to their most recent collective bargaining agreement for more information if necessary.
Professional staff employees on 100% appointment, except lecturers, who were employed by the University on or before June 30, 1999 earn 2.0834 vacation leave days per month prorated to their percentage of appointment (exclusive of overtime).
Professional staff employees for less than six months during any fiscal year are not eligible to earn vacation leave.
Professional Staff employees hired after July 1, 1999, will earn vacation with the accrual rate changing on the anniversary of the employee’s hire:
Professional Staff – Head Start
Represented employees should refer to their most recent collective bargaining agreement for more information if necessary.
Employees in the position of Teachers, Teacher aides, or Home visitors in the SIUE Head Start Program will earn ten vacation days per year of which seven are designated by the University as "scheduled vacation days" and the remaining three to be designated by the employee.
The only exception to this shall be Teachers, Teacher Aides, or Home Visitors who work a Fiscal Appointment of 12 months will earn 17 vacation days per year. Seven of these days are designated by the university as "scheduled vacation days" and the remaining ten will be designated by the employee.
Employees in the position of Head Start Teacher, Teacher aides, Home visitors, and Family consultants who are full-time 12 month contractual employees and who were hired before July 1, 1999, will receive 25 days of vacation. Employees in these same positions hired on or after July 1, 1999 accrue vacation based on years of service as displayed in the schedule above, beginning with .8334 days earned per month in their first year. All Head Start Teachers, Teacher Aides, Home Visitors and Family Consultants shall have seven (7) of these vacation days designated by the university as "scheduled vacation days."
Years of service will be considered the total years of employment at the University in a position eligible to earn vacation.
Employees may not use anticipated but unearned vacation credit. Vacation is earned at the end of each month and cannot be used until it is earned.
Vacation benefits may accumulate up to a maximum of 2 years worth of accrued vacation credit or 50 days for eligible employees. Vacation records are viewed on June 30 of each year to ensure that employees do not exceed this limitation. Excess vacation leave time is not carried forward and cannot be used. Vacation leave up to 50 days may carry over to succeeding years regardless of whether the appointment is continuing or term, for eligible employees.
However, Faculty, Administrative, and Professional staff employees fully paid from a grant account are required to use their vacation before the end of the grant term. These employees are not eligible to carry over unused vacation leave. An exception to this is, Head Start employees will be permitted to carry over unused vacation leave past the end of the grant period provided that the vacation leave is used within 90 days following the end of the grant period.
An employee who changes from a fiscal year to academic year appointment or who transfers from one position to another within the University will carry forward their accrued and unused vacation balance within the approved limits.
Employees who terminate will be paid at their normal rate, a lump sum of all applicable accrued and unused vacation leave within the approved limits. In the event of death, such payment will be payable to the estate of the deceased employee.
Employees continue to earn vacation credit while on leave with pay such as vacation, sabbatical leave, and sick leave. Employees will not earn vacation credit while on leave without pay.
Vacation leave must be scheduled in advance with an employee’s department and will be at the discretion of the supervisor depending upon the operational needs of the department. Supervisors may allow employees to use vacation time if not previously scheduled. However, the University may have the right to cancel any pre-approved vacation request, especially in circumstances where staff shortages occur as a result of illness or your job is considered an essential service position. Departments must consult with the Office of Human Resources before canceling any pre-approved vacations. All employees must communicate with their supervisor before making any vacation plans.
Holidays recognized by the University are not chargeable to vacation.
