Harrison School District Two

District Policy Index Section G Index: Personnel

DISTRICT POLICY GBGE         Employee Leave Date of revision:  January 24, 2013

Employee Leave

Harrison School District values its employees and their contributions. Because of their importance, it is vital for them to be at work when scheduled. However, the Board of Education and the District Administration acknowledge that employees of the District may, occasionally, have legitimate need to be absent from regularly scheduled employment duties.  Accordingly, the following types of identified leave are recognized and are applicable to employees under the conditions and terms described below.

Annual Leave

Annual Leave is not provided as vacation days, but is intended to be used as income protection for absences from employment when an employee is absent because of a medical need of the employee; a medical need of the employee's family; a death of a family member or friend; a major family/individual event (e.g. weddings, graduations, religious holidays and unusual or special awards/honors); personal legal/court appearances (other than jury duty or court-ordered appearances); emergencies or a personal reason (up to three [3] days of Annual Leave may be used for this reason each year).

Except in highly unique and rare situations, illness, or emergencies, Annual Leave may not be granted the first or last week of the academic year, the day before or after a holiday or school vacation, or if the District must add additional days to the calendar to make up for snow days or other school closures.  Annual Leave days may not be used in lieu of notice given to resign or retire from the District.  Employees will be reimbursed for accrued Annual Leave upon retirement or termination of employment based on the guidelines outlined in District Policies GBGF, GBGF-E and GBGF-R.

Leave of Absence Without Pay

Leave of Absence without pay shall apply in those cases where other types of leave are not applicable or have been exhausted.  Employees shall not be eligible to work for the District in any capacity during the term of an approved Leave of Absence without pay.

Part-Time Staff

Part-time employees who work less than four (4) hours a day are not entitled to Annual Leave, Sick Leave or extended Leaves of Absence exceeding five (5) consecutive workdays.  When part-time employees must miss work due to illness or other reasons, they are required to notify their Supervising Administrator prior to the absence and keep their Supervising Administrator informed as to the anticipated length of the absence.

In the event a part-time employee fails to keep his/her Supervising Administrator informed, the Supervising Administrator determines the anticipated length of the absence is unreasonable, or the absence extends beyond the agreed upon length or has reached a maximum of five (5) consecutive workdays, the Supervising Administrator may declare the job abandoned.

Legal Leave

The Board recognizes the important role citizens play in our legal system, including the obligation to serve as jurors under appropriate circumstances and to appear in proceedings pursuant to subpoena or other court order.

Pursuant to subpoena or other court order, all employees of the District shall be excused for jury duty, when ordered to appear in a proceeding for District related court cases, or subpoenaed to appear in court for non-personal matters, with no jeopardy to their employment, compensation, Annual Leave or other leave.  Prior notice shall be given to the Supervising Administrator.

For non-school related legal issues of a personal nature, an employee may be allowed to use Annual Leave.  A copy of the subpoena or summons to court, covering all absences required, must be submitted in conjunction with the leave request.

Staff Military Leave

An employee, as a member of a Reserve or National Guard unit or any other branch of the military organized under state or federal law, shall be granted Military Leave with a right of reinstatement in accordance with state and federal law.

Military leave of absence without pay shall be granted to any regular, full-time employee who enlists for military duty with any branch of the United States armed forces or who is called into active military service in time of war or other emergency declared by the proper authority of the state or United States.  The employee shall be considered on a Leave of Absence during military service.

Professional Leave

Professional Leave is an absence from regularly assigned duties for attendance at professional activities, not charged to an employee's Annual Leave account, provided the employee has received prior approval from his/her Supervising Administrator.  Professional Leave provides professional development opportunities to employees for the purpose of visiting schools, attending professional trainings, workshops, etc.  The number of employees granted Professional Leave shall be contingent upon approved budget appropriations.

Sick Leave Bank

The District's Sick Leave Bank (SLB) is intended to provide short term assistance from employees for fellow employees who have exhausted their Annual Leave and experience a catastrophic illness or accident.  SLB is not an income replacement or insurance program, nor is it intended to provide short or long term disability benefits.  SLB is also not intended to provide assistance to an employee in the case of a catastrophic illness or emergency with the employee's family member (Compassionate Leave should be requested in such a case).  The Sick Leave Bank is not intended for covering employees in cases of abuse of Annual Leave or elective procedures.

Compassionate Leave

The purpose of Compassionate Leave is to allow co-workers the opportunity to help and support each other at their greatest time of need.  Employees, as an act of compassion, may donate a portion of their accrued Annual Leave to minimize the loss of income to a fellow employee who has exhausted all benefits covered under other employee leave.

Compassionate Leave may be requested for personal medical needs or the death or illness of a family member.  Family member is defined as an employee's child (including foster, adopted or step-child), an adult child incapable of self-care, a parent (including an individual who fills the role of a parent), a spouse, a legal dependent for whom the employee is the primary care-giver or another person living in the employee's household for whom the employee is the primary care-giver.  Compassionate Leave is not intended for covering employees in every case.

Federally-Mandated Family and Medical Leave

Federally-Mandated Family and Medical Leave shall apply to all family and medical leaves of absence covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ("FMLA").  Terms used under the guidelines of FMLA, such as "serious health condition," "qualifying exigency," "covered active duty," "covered servicemember" and "serious injury or illness" shall be as defined by the FMLA and its implementing regulations.  Federally-Mandated Family and Medical Leave is administered concurrently with any paid leave or vacation covered under other District Policies for any part of the twelve (12) weeks of leave to which the employee is entitled.  An employee who qualifies for employee leave or vacation shall take the paid leave or vacation concurrently.

To be eligible for a family and medical leave of absence (FMLA leave), an employee shall have been employed for at least twelve (12) months and shall have worked at least one thousand two hundred and fifty (1,250) hours during the twelve (12) month period preceding the commencement of the leave.  An eligible employee shall be entitled to a combined total of twelve (12) weeks leave per year for the birth and care of the employee's newborn child; the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care; to care for an employee's spouse, parent or child with a serious health condition; when the employee is unable to perform the essential functions of his or her position because of the employee's own serious health conditions; or any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee's spouse, son, daughter or parent is a covered military member and is on covered active duty in support of the Armed Forces or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces.

Employee Leave Procedures

The procedures to implement the various forms of employee leave addressed in this policy may be found on the Human Resources (HR) website under HR Guidelines.