1. Illness
 

A. Building Service Employees employed on a twelve month working year basis, shall be allowed a maximum of ten (10) days at full pay for absence due to personal illness each year. Such allowance shall be accumulative to 225 full days of sick leave.

B. Building Service Employees employed on less than an eight (8) hour per day basis, shall be allowed a maximum of ten (10) one-half (1/2) days pay for absence due to personal illness each year. Such allowance shall be accumulative to 225 one-half (1/2) days of sick leave.

C. Employees shall be allowed up to three (3) days leave per calendar year (Not accumulative and deducted from accumulated personal illness days) in the case of serious illness, major surgery, or serious accidents involving the employee's spouse, son, daughter or parent. The purpose of the leave is to care for ill or disabled spouse, son, daughter or parent.

A. Building Service Employees employed on a full time basis, shall be eligible for three (3) full day personal leave days per year. (See approved form in Appendix B)

B. Building Service Employees employed on part time basis shall be eligible for three (3) one-half (1/2) days personal leave per year.

C. Unused personal leave days shall be added to accumulated sick leave at the end of the year.

A. If an employee incurs an injury during the course employment, which prevents the employee from performing his/her work assignment, the first five (5) work days will be at full compensation without deduction from personal illness leave. Any workmen's compensation benefit received for the above five (5) days will be returned to the school employer.

B. At the time of injury, the employee will complete an accident report form and will be given in writing the options that may be used regarding an injury resulting in incapacitation of more than five (5) days. During the first seven (7) days of incapacitation to such injury, the employee, if physically able, will meet with the Assistant Superintendent or his designee to receive information and consultation on the alternative benefits. In lieu of meeting with the school administration, an employee may make an election in writing of one of the options listed below within the seven (7) day period after the injury on the job.

An employee may elect one of the following:
 

(1) The employee may choose to preserve accumulative personal illness days and vacation days and apply for an unpaid leave of absence in accordance with this Article and accept the amount of workmen's compensation benefit. A person, opting not to use personal illness leave and vacation days, will receive board reimbursed insurance contribution at the 66 2/3% for a period of seven (7) months paying the remainder of the insurance premium due.

(2) An employee may receive a supplemental salary in addition to the workmen's compensation disability salary benefit, the total of the two benefits not to exceed the full compensation of the employee. Accordingly, deductions from personal illness accumulative days will be made on a pro rata basis so that the equivalent of one day of wages will equal one day of personal illness deduction. The supplemental salary benefit will equal one day of personal illness leave.


C. An employee who expends his/her personal illness days during the course of disability due to injury during the course of employment, will be provided Board premium contribution under the group life, hospitalization, dental, and major medical insurance programs for an additional period of thirty (30) days. After that period of time in the event that sick leave is expended, employees may continue to participate in the group plans set forth above by paying in advance the following share of the premium:

(1) A custodial employee who has a combination of 40 days of accumulated sick leave and vacation entitlement with vacation entitlement being used first may opt to take the following payment schedule for insurance. The custodial employee must use a combination of accumulated sick leave and vacation entitlement to maintain wage payments at 100% and at 90% of medical insurance plan reimbursement until it is expended. The pro rate share will be charged between the amount received from workmen's compensation insurance and the regular wage daily rate amount. The compensation received under this plan shall not exceed 100%.

4. Physician's Release or Verification
 

A. An employee who is absent for four consecutive days or more shall be required to submit a physician's statement indicating that the employee has a medical condition rendering him/her unfit for duty on the days of absence.

B. Employees returning to duty after lengthy illness, disability, injury, etc. may be required to provide a physician's statement of ability to perform assigned duties.

C. Where there is a pattern of use of sick leave, such as, Monday - Friday absences, absences on the days before or after a holiday or break, absences on the days before or after a vacation, multiple day absence patterns, or consistently uses all sick leave days, the employee shall be formally counseled and advised that future sick leave use may require the submission of a physician's verification that the employee was unfit for duty on the day(s) of absence.

All cases where counseling has occurred will be reviewed yearly to determine if the employee's attendance has improved.

D. In the case of personal illness or personal business leave, the employee shall notify the appropriate supervisor or his/her designee by the evening prior to the absence, but no later than two (2) hours prior to the time that the custodian's work day begins unless a bona fide emergency makes it impossible to meet such requirement, except Class I & Class II evening employees will give three (3) hour notice of such leave.

A. In case of death in the immediate family, each Building Service Employee shall be entitled to five (5) full week days with pay if a full-time employee, and five (5) one-half (1/2) days with pay if a part-time employee.

B. Such absence shall not be charged against the regular sick leave account.

C. Immediate family is defined as spouse, child, sister, brother, parents, step-parents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and for any person the employee and spouse are responsible. Five (5) calendar days for the death of a grandparent, grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law.

D. Unused days of the maximum number of days from a death in the immediate family cannot be transferred to another death where leave may be taken.

A. Leave Entitlement

An unpaid leave of absence for a period of up to twelve (12) weeks will be granted to an employee for the following purposes:
 

(1) For the birth, or the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care. Such leave must be taken within the twelve (12) months following the date of birth, adoption or placement.

(2) For a serious health condition of the employee which makes him or her unable to perform the functions of his or her job.

(3) To care for the employee's spouse, son, daughter or parent who has a serious health condition.

(4) A serious health condition is defined as an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility or involves continuing treatment by a health care provider.

(5) The employer may require the employee to provide medical certification for a medical leave or upon returning from a medical leave. The employer may at its expense obtain a second medical opinion. If the employee's health care provider and the employer's health care provider (who cannot be a regular employee of the employer) disagree, a third opinion may be required by a health care provider agreed upon by the employer and the employee and paid for by the employer.


B. Intermittent Leave and Reduced Schedule Leave

Up to twelve (12) weeks of leave in a year may be taken on an intermittent or reduced schedule for the following reasons:
 

(1) For a serious health condition of the employee which makes him or her unable to perform the functions of his or her job.

2) To care for the employee's spouse, son, daughter or parent who has a serious health condition.


C. Notification to Take or Return From Leave
 

(1) When practicable and foreseeable an employee shall give not less than thirty (30) days notice to the employer of the intent to take a leave. Notice shall be given to the employer by completing the appropriate leave form.

(2) When possible an employee shall inform the employer at least two (2) weeks in advance of the date the employee will return from a leave of absence.


D. Benefits While On Leave
 

(1) An employee on leave for the following reasons shall maintain insurance benefits on the same basis as if the employee was an active employee for a period of twelve (12) weeks following the commencement of the leave:
 
a) For the birth, or the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care.

b) For a serious health condition of the employee which makes him or her unable to perform the functions of his or her job.

c) To care for the employee's spouse, son, daughter or parent who has a serious health condition.


(2) An employee on leave shall not lose any benefits accrued prior to the date of the leave, and shall continue to accrue seniority while on leave.


E. Return From Leave
 

(1) An employee returning from a leave of absence will be restored to the position he or she had at the time the leave commenced.

(2) If the position the employee had at the time the leave commenced has been eliminated the employee will be returned to an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions.

A. A leave of absence may be granted to a custodial bargaining unit member for the following purposes: physical or mental disability substantial in nature which prevents the employee from performing regular and normal duties, military service, or for other reasons approved by the Board of School Trustees for a period of up to one (l) year. A leave will not be granted for the purpose of seeking employment elsewhere.

B. Anticipated Disability - Where disability can reasonably be anticipated as in the case of a scheduled operation or childbirth, the following regulations shall apply:
 

(l) The employee will notify the Superintendent or his designee of the expected time of leave as soon as practicable. In the case of pregnancy, the employee will notify the employer by the end of the fourth month of pregnancy of intent to take leave.

(2) Where the employee's condition raises any serious problem to the employee's health or ability to perform work, the school employer may require the submission of a physician's statement as to the ability of the employee to fully perform required duties.


C. Request for a Leave of Absence - A request for a leave of absence without pay must be filed in writing with the Superintendent or his designee at least three (3) weeks before the leave is to commence stating the reason in detail and specifying the length of time for which the leave is desired. The school employee may request the verification of a physician that the employee is disabled and unable to perform duties.

D. Return to Duty - An employee on a leave of absence of four(4) weeks or more will give at least two (2) weeks notice of intent to return to duties. An employee returning from leave of one (l) year or less will be restored to the position at the time the leave commenced unless that position has been eliminated. An employee may return to duty prior to the expected date of return by giving three (3) weeks notice and tendering a physician's unlimited release to return to duty.

E. An employee on a paid leave of absence will retain group insurance benefits. An employee on an unpaid leave may retain group insurance benefits by prepaying the monthly premium costs of the insurance plan.

F. Upon request to the Superintendent or his designee, a leave of absence may be extended for good cause shown not to exceed a total of one (l) year. Any extension beyond one (l) year will be at the discretion of the school employer.

8. Leave Utilization
The school employer does not condone or favor the use of “dock” or unpaid days being utilized by employees. Accordingly, personal business leave taken under Section 2 of this Article or sick days taken under Section 1 of this Article must be used prior to any use of such “dock” days.