Policy 6.15.8: Sick Leave
Amount Earned
A full-time regular employee who is scheduled to work 40 hours per week and is working or on paid leave for one-half or more of the regularly scheduled workdays in any month shall earn sick leave computed at the following rate:
| Hours Earned | Hours Earned |
| Each Month | Each Year (Days) |
| 8 hours | 96 (12 days) |
It is the intent of this policy to grant twelve days' sick leave for 12-month full-time employees who are full-time regular employees.
A part-time regular employee who is employed on a continuing basis with a regular part-time appointment in a budgeted position for as much as three-quarter time shall earn sick leave on a prorated basis if he or she works one-half or more of the scheduled work-days in a month. The leave shall be computed as three-quarter of the total amount earned by a full-time employee.
Accumulation
Sick leave is cumulative indefinitely and may be used for credit at retirement under provisions of the North Carolina Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System.
Advancement
The College may advance sick leave not to exceed the amount of leave an employee can earn during the current fiscal year.
Verification of Sick Leave
The College may require a statement from a medical doctor or other acceptable proof that the employee was unable to work to the end that there will be no abuse of sick leave privileges.
Sick Leave May be Granted For
- Illness or injury which prevents an employee from performing his or her usual duties. (Option to use annual leave)
- A maximum of three days in case of death in the employee's immediate family. (Option to use annual leave)
- Medical appointments. (Option to use annual leave)
- Quarantine due to a contagious disease in the employee's immediate family.
- The actual period of temporary disability due to child bearing.
- Sick leave may be granted for illness of a member of an employee's immediate family. (Option to use annual leave).
Sick leave is non-transferable to any other type of leave.
Leave Charges
The minimum amount of sick leave which may be taken is one hour. Only scheduled work hours shall be charged in calculating the amount of leave taken. Saturdays and Sundays are charged only if they are scheduled workdays.
Transfer of Leave
An employee who transferred from a North Carolina public school, community college, or technical institute/college to Haywood Community College shall be credited with any sick leave which he or she had at the termination of employment with the public school, community college, or technical institute/college or state agency provided that his or her employment was continuous.
Current institution employees shall receive credit for unused sick leave which would have accumulated during the entire period of their employment in the institution or the community college system had the State Board of Education sick leave policy been in effect since their first employment.
Separation
Sick leave is not allowable in terminal leave payments when an employee separates from institutional service. Should an employee be separated before he or she has earned all of the sick leave taken, it will be necessary to make deductions from his or her final salary check for over-drawn leave on a day-for-day basis. Sick leave shall be exhausted before going on leave without pay because of extended illness. While an employee is exhausting sick leave, he or she earns all benefits for which he or she is entitled.
Reinstatement of Sick Leave
Employees separated because of a reduction in force shall be credited with accrued sick leave if reinstated within one year. Employees granted leave without pay shall be credited with accrued sick leave if reinstated before the termination date of such leave. If an employee is separated for other reasons and is reinstated within one year from the date of his or her last workday, the employing unit may consider reinstatement of sick leave credits accumulated at the time of separation.
Retirement Credit
All sick leave accumulated under this policy on or after July 1, 1976, shall be transferred to total service as provided under the North Carolina Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System. Accumulated sick leave under an institution's current leave policy (may not be retroactive) approved by the Board of Trustees, and in effect June 30, 1976, shall also be transferred to total service as provided under the North Carolina State Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System. Retroactive accumulated sick leave provided under this policy not covered by the institution's existing leave policy as of June 30, 1976, may be used by employees of the institution, but cannot be used for transfer to total service at the time of retirement.
Sick Leave Without Pay
Sick leave without pay may be granted by the College for the remaining period of disability after both sick and annual leaves have been exhausted. The employee may retain annual leave and be granted sick leave without pay. In the event such leave exceeds one year, an extension must be requested.
Leave Records
It is the responsibility of the College to maintain annual records for sick leave earned and taken for each employee. It shall be optional with each institution as to when and how often the crediting and balancing of an employee's leave record is to be done. However, it must be done at least once by the end of each fiscal year. Institutions should assume the responsibility of notifying employees of leave balances at least once a year. Haywood Community College notifies employees at the end of each month. Institutions must retain sick leave records of all separated employees for a period of at least four years from the date of separation.
Note: See Family and Medical Leave Act in this section.
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