Sick Leave

May 13, 2018

Scope: Who is Covered by this Policy?

Unclassified Staff

Policy

General

Sick leave is the authorized absence of an employee from regular duties because of illness, injury, pregnancy, exposure to contagious disease, family health situations requiring attendance of the employee, health care appointments, and death in the immediate family. Immediate family members include the employee’s mother, father, brother, sister, biological or adopted child, stepchild, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparent-in-law, anyone who stood in loco parentis to the employee as a child, and other persons for whom the employee is legally responsible.

Each full-time unclassified administrative or instructional staff member who works nine (9) or more months per year earns fifteen (15) days of sick leave per contract year. Staff members who work less than nine (9) months earn sick leave at the rate of 1-1/4 days per month. Staff members who work less than full-time earn sick leave on a pro rata basis. Unused sick leave entitlement is cumulative without limit.

The vice presidents shall be responsible for implementing this policy and for authorizing modifications for unusual circumstances. The appropriate personnel units shall be responsible for the establishment of accrued sick leave balances for employees and for the maintenance of sick leave records.

Reporting Absences

A staff member is expected to report an absence promptly when normal duties cannot be performed and sick leave is being used. A consecutive period of sick leave use includes all days an individual is normally expected to work, whether or not the individual has scheduled responsibilities.

Use of accrued sick leave days must be reported on a monthly basis, and the report must be approved by the supervisor. Questions should be directed to the appropriate personnel office. Sick leave is used in increments of one-half day for absences of four hours and one full day for absences of more than four hours. A maximum of five (5) days of sick leave may be used for the death of an immediate family member.

If a member of the instructional staff makes arrangements acceptable to the department chair or other supervisor for a colleague to perform the staff member’s duties during an absence (without additional expense to Miami University), this absence will not be charged against the individual’s accumulated sick leave; in no case, however, will such an arrangement exceed one month or the remainder of the then-current semester, whichever is greater.

The University may require appropriate evidence for the use of sick leave.

Extension of Sick Leave

In the event a staff member exhausts his or her accumulated sick leave because of an extended illness, the staff member may be retained on the payroll for an additional period of time if recommended by the supervisor or chair and approved by the appropriate vice president and President. Consideration of such requests shall include years of service, extent of illness, and/or other extenuating circumstances.

Transfer/Cash Out of Sick Leave

An administrative or instructional staff member with ten (10) or more years of Ohio public service shall upon retirement from active service be paid in cash for one fourth of the value of earned but unused sick-leave credit to a maximum of thirty (30) days. Such payment shall be based upon the employee’s rate of pay at the time of retirement. Payment for sick leave on this basis shall be considered to eliminate all sick-leave credit accrued by the employee at that time. Such payment shall be made only once to any employee and will be paid within ninety (90) days of retirement. In order to be eligible for the sick-leave payoff, the employee must, at the time of separation, be eligible for retirement benefits as determined by the applicable retirement system.

If an employee transfers to or from another agency of the State of Ohio, unused accumulated sick leave entitlement shall transfer to the new unit. The unit of origin must furnish the receiving unit with written evidence of the employee’s entitlement to sick leave. The previously accumulated sick leave of an employee who has been separated from Ohio public service shall be credited to that employee upon reemployment in the Ohio public service, provided that such reemployment takes place within ten (10) years of the date on which the employee was last terminated from public service.

Related Form(s)

Not Applicable.

Additional Resources and Procedures

Not Applicable.

FAQ

Not Applicable.

Policy Administration

Next Review Date

7/1/2023

Responsible Officers

Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Director of Academic Personnel Services
Assistant Provost for Academic Personnel

Legal Authority

ORC 124.38

Compliance Policy

Recent Revision History

Not Applicable.

Reference ID(s)

MUPIM 4.5
OAC-3339-4-05

Reviewing Bodies

Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Director of Academic Personnel Services
Assistant Provost for Academic Personnel
Sr. Vice President for Finance and Business Services