HR Policy Manual Quick Links View/Print Entire Manual Table of Contents Forward 1. Hours 2. Definitions of Employee Groups 3. Recruitment and Appointment 4. Compensation Policies 5. Benefits 6. Other Benefits 7. Tuition Program Benefits 8. Privileges and Amenities 9. Leave Benefits 10. Leaves of Absence 11. Performance Evaluation 12. Separation/Termination 13. Institutional Policies and Procedures * Appendix A: Worker's Compensation * Appendix B: ERISA * Appendix C: Sexual Harassment * Appendix D: Disaster Emergency Plans * Appendix E: Section 504/ADA Policy & Appeals Procedure * Appendix F: Short-Term Disability * Appendix G: Animals on Campus

Seattle University
Human Resources Policy Manual

9. Leave Benefits

*Sick Leave
Sick Leave Sharing Program for Non-Faculty Employees
Vacation
*Holidays
*December Closure - Additional Paid Time Off
*Bereavement Leave
Compassionate Leave

* = Policies and procedures that apply to Faculty.

9.1 *Sick Leave

A. Staff and Administrators

The University regards sick leave as a form of insurance, available to employees when the need arises. The University's sick leave policy is designed to protect the income of regular full- and part-time employees during periods of their own non-occupational illness or injury. Sick leave may be used for the employee's own illness, injury or medical appointments, or for the care of a family member's illness, injury, or medical appointments.

B. Sick Leave Accrual for Staff and Administrators

Sick leave is accrued at the rate of one (1) day per month, pro-rated for part-time employees in proportion to their FTE level. A maximum of sixty (60) days of paid sick leave may be accumulated and carried over into the next fiscal year (pro-rated maximum balance for part-time employees). An employee on an unpaid leave does not accrue sick leave. Employees are not eligible to be paid for unused, accrued sick leave at the time of separation from employment. Employees on a work schedule of less than twelve (12) months will accrue sick leave for each month they are active employees (see Section 2.3).

C. Faculty

The University regards sick leave as a form of insurance, available to faculty when the need arises. The University grants its full-time faculty sixty (60) days of sick leave with pay. This leave is renewable each academic year (Summer term through end of Spring term) but unused leave cannot be carried forward from academic year to academic year. Faculty members are responsible for ensuring that their instructional responsibilities are fulfilled. Faculty members who cannot attend classroom or other instructional responsibilities because of illness or injury normally make alternative arrangements for their students.

D. Accounting for Sick Leave Taken

Employees are required to account for sick leave by indicating on non-exempt employees' time sheets (or exception reports for exempt employees) the sick leave taken during the payroll period. The University reserves the right to require medical certification from the employee's healthcare provider if the employee is absent for medical reasons for 5 or more consecutive work days. Used sick leave is deducted from the employee's sick leave balance. An employee's record of used sick leave and absences becomes part of his employment record.

E. No Deficit Balance Allowed

Employees are paid sick leave up to the maximum accrued hours as of the beginning of the pay period in which the time is taken. Employees cannot be paid for sick leave in a "deficit balance" against future accruals. Therefore, additional approved time away for which an employee does not have sufficient sick leave accrued constitutes vacation or unpaid time.

F. Medical Verification

The University maintains the right to request medical statements from the healthcare provider if an employee has been absent for medical reasons for 5 or more consecutive work days. The University also reserves the right to direct the employee to a second medical evaluation with a healthcare provider selected and paid for by the University.

9.2 Sick Leave Sharing Program for Non-Faculty Employees

The Sick Leave Sharing Program is a means for HR to transfer sick leave to non-faculty employees through employee donations. The transfer occurs when a non-faculty employee is in need of additional leave after exhausting his own accrued sick leave and all but five (5) days vacation because of a serious personal illness or injury. This leave is intended for use during the qualifying thirty (30) day period preceding eligibility for the University's Short-Term Disability.

A. Intent and Calculation of the Sick Leave Sharing Program

The program is intended to bridge salary continuance for an employee who sustains a serious or catastrophic illness or injury that requires hospitalization, outpatient treatment, home health care and/or ongoing medical care (from a physician or other licensed healthcare provider) until thirty (30) calendar days have passed and the employee would then qualify for Short-Term Disability insurance coverage. The program does not include common illness or conditions resulting from any occupationally related injury or illness and for which workers' compensation benefits have been awarded. This program does not include donated sick leave for the care of a child or dependent with an extended illness. Sick leave days are transferred directly from donor to recipient, paid at the recipient's current rate of pay. The HR Benefits Office coordinates calculations and payroll instructions. The University reserves the right to request a written statement from the attending physician stating the extent of the requesting employee's injury or the nature of the illness.

B. Eligibility to Receive or Donate Shared Sick Leave

All regular employees (see Section 2.1) who have twelve (12) months of continuous service are eligible to participate in the program as a donor or recipient. HR determines and certifies eligibility.

C. Maximum Donated or Received Sick Leave Per Employee

Employees can donate a maximum of five (5) days of sick leave in any twelve (12) month period and must keep a balance of no less than ten (10) days for themselves after each transfer. An employee can receive a maximum of twenty-two (22) workdays in donated sick leave in any twelve (12) month period. Employees who terminate are unable to donate unused sick leave to the program at the time of separation.

D. Procedures for Leave Donation

HR establishes a pool of donated sick leave days, as needed. When HR requests donations of sick leave, employees who wish to donate their sick leave days may complete a Sick Leave Sharing Program "pledge card" and submit it to HR.

HR coordinates the transfer of pledged days with requests from eligible employees.

9.3 Vacation

The University grants vacation leave to eligible non-faculty employees for rest and recreation and as recognition for service.

Employees are expected to give advance notice when requesting vacation time (preferably two (2) weeks' notice) to allow the supervisor to evaluate staffing needs. The University reserves the right to deny approval of a requested vacation on the basis of service needs. When two employees request similar vacation dates, supervisors are encouraged to balance the interests of each employee and the University. Supervisors should also give consideration to employee seniority and to other approved vacations granted to employees during the same year.

A. Vacation Schedule

Special rules apply to the Law School staff who were employed at the time of the January 14, 1994 transfer. Please consult the HR Benefits Office for details.

1. Staff: Vacations for regular exempt and non-exempt employees (see Section 2.1) in pay bands A - C4 are based on continuous and completed years of service, according to the following schedule:
   Years of Employment Days of Vacation
   Date of hire through 5 years: 10 days
   6 years through 10 years: 15 days
   11th year forward: 20 days
2. Administrators: Vacation for regular full-time exempt employees (see Section 2.1) in pay bands D & E are based on continuous and completed years of service according to the following schedule:
   Years of Employment Days of Vacation
   Date of hire through 4 years: 15 days
   5 years through 10 years: 20 days
   11th Year: 21 days
   12th Year: 22 days
   13th Year: 23 days
   14th Year: 24 days
   15th Year and thereafter: 25 days
3. Eligible Part-Time Employees: Part-time employees assigned a schedule of at least twenty (20) hours per week receive pro-rated paid vacation leave. Those who are regularly scheduled for less than twenty (20) hours per week are not eligible for paid vacation leave.

B. Vacation Accrual

Vacation time begins to accrue with the first month of service if the employee has joined the University during the first fifteen (15) days of the month. Employees who begin on or after the sixteenth (16th) of the month begin to accrue vacation time on the first day of the next month. An employee on an unpaid leave does not accrue vacation time. Employees may carry over a vacation balance into the new fiscal year the amount of days equal to one (1) year's worth of vacation accrual plus five (5) additional days. Employees on a less than twelve (12) month work schedule will accrue vacation for each month that they are actively working.

Questions about computing vacation time can be directed to HR.

1. Forfeiture of Excess Vacation Accrued: Any accrued vacation time in excess of the maximum allowed accrual is forfeited on June 30th of each year. Employees are encouraged to monitor their vacation balances and plan for time off to avoid loss of accrued vacation.
2. Availability of Vacation Hours: An employee is eligible to request vacation time once it is accumulated without a waiting period. Vacation leave is not a cashable benefit during active (see Section 2.3) employment with the University.
3. No Deficit Vacation Account: Employees may be paid vacation time up to the maximum accrued hours as of the beginning of the pay period in which the vacation time is taken. Employees will not be paid for vacation time in a "deficit balance" against future accruals. Therefore, additional approved time off for which an employee does not have sufficient vacation accrued is unpaid time.
4. Vacation Payout Provisions on Separation: Accrued vacation leave is paid at the time of the employee's separation. An employee is ineligible for a payout of accrued vacation at separation if she fails to provide the required notice of resignation (refer to Section 12.2).

9.4 *Holidays

The University observes eleven (11) paid holidays each year and the University is closed on those days. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the University determines which holidays to observe based on the academic calendar. To meet academic schedule needs, some University holidays are observed on days other than the customarily recognized day.

The University standard holidays are:

1. New Year's Day
   
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
   
3. President's Day
   
4. Good Friday
   
5. Memorial Day
   
6. Independence Day
   
7. Labor Day
   
8. Veterans Day
   
9. Thanksgiving Day
   
10. Day After Thanksgiving
    
11. Christmas Day
    

Note: When Christmas Eve occurs on a workday, the University will close at 12:00pm (noon).

A. Eligibility For Holiday Pay

All employees in active status (see Section 2.3) are eligible for holiday pay. If an employee is on a scheduled vacation preceding or following the holiday, he receives pay for the holiday. An employee on an unpaid leave of absence during which a holiday occurs is not eligible for holiday pay during the unpaid leave.

B. Holidays for Employees Under Collective Bargaining Agreements

The terms and conditions for holiday schedules and holiday pay specific for employees of collective bargaining groups are defined by the terms of the respective union contract.

9.5 *December Closure - Additional Paid Time Off

The University closes all academic and administrative services during the week between December 25th and January 1st of each year. (Limited operations personnel are assigned during this time.) Employees are released from work during this week. The University administration specifies the dates of the December Closure when setting the academic calendar for each fiscal year. Employees must be actively employed before and following the December Closure to be eligible for this pay. Employees who separate before or during the December Closure are not eligible to receive this pay. If an employee is on a scheduled vacation preceding or following the December Closure week, he receives pay for the December closure.

9.6 *Bereavement Leave

All eligible employees will be allowed up to five (5) days leave, with pay, for time lost due to the death of a family member. The leave time includes making arrangements for and/or attending final observances as well as time required to conduct personal business related to the death of the family member. Days off may be intermittent or consecutive.

Full-time employees are granted up to five (5) working days of bereavement leave. Part-time employees (those scheduled to work at least 0.53 FTE) are granted leave equal to the number of hours the employee is normally scheduled to work during one work week.

If an employee needs additional days, he may use vacation leave or time without pay.

9.7 Compassionate Leave

The University, as its option, may permit paid time off ranging from one (1) to ten (10) working days to enable a nonfaculty employee to respond to an unforeseen emergency situation for which no other leave hours (vacation or sick leave) are available. The employee must request compassionate leave in writing. The supervisor, area Vice President, and the Associate Vice President for HR will review the request and determine whether or not to grant the request and, if granted, how many days.

A separate compassionate leave policy applies to faculty and can be found in the Faculty Handbook.

Compassionate leave may not be used in conjunction with personal leave, L&I disability leave, or Family and Medical Leave.