GCBD-R - Sick Leave Plan

File:  GCBD-R

 

SICK LEAVE PLAN

 

As provided for by rules and regulations of the State Sick Leave Plan, the City School Board has elected to participate in the Sick Leave Plan for teachers and has adopted supplementary rules and regulations to provide additional benefits to the teachers and other employees.

 

Allowances shall be as follows:

 

  1. Each full-time employee in the public schools of Buena Vista City shall earn sick leave at the rate of one day per month of employment.  Sick leave is credited to the employee’s balance at the beginning of each contract year and therefore, may be anticipated in most instances.  However, if there is uncertainty of the employee’s ability to “repay” anticipate leave, the ability to anticipate such leave may be restricted at the discretion of the Superintendent.

 

  1. Regardless of full or part-time employment status, in order to participate in the sick-leave plan, the teacher or employee must be under contract or salary agreement.

 

  1. Employees cannot claim any portion of earned leave unless they have actually reported for duty for the regular contract year in accordance with the terms of the employee’s contract or employment agreement.  However, employees, who are unable because of personal illness, to begin when the new school year begins, may be allowed to use accumulated leave to their credit as of June 30th of the immediately preceding school year.

 

  1. The “immediate family” and near relative of an employee shall be regarded to include natural parents, foster parents, step-parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, husband, wife, children, grandchildren, brother, sister, brother-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, foster children, step-children and/or any relative who actually lives in the household of the employee.

 

  1. Pregnancy shall be part of the regular sick leave plan.  When a teacher learns of her pregnancy, she shall advise the principal of her condition.  The effective date of termination and re-entry of the employee into the profession shall be determined by a qualified medical doctor in cooperation with the employee, the principal and the superintendent.  The absence should not exceed a total of eight weeks for a normal delivery.

 

  1. Substitutes will be employed at a rate set by the superintendent subject to review by the school board.  For a teacher absent for any of the reasons listed above, substitutes will be paid by the school board without loss of pay to the teacher within the limits of accumulated sick leave.

 

 

  1. The substitute’s rate per day, as set by the superintendent, will be deducted form the employee’s salary after all accumulated sick leave is used.  (A highly qualified substitute should be used in all cases when possible.  If a long-term sub is not highly qualified, parents of the affected students must be notified.)

 

  1. Sick leave, if not used, may accumulate from year to year without limit.  Sick leave allowances may be used when an employee has to be absent because of personal illness including quarantine, and not more than three days in one case when the attendance of the employee is required because of illness or death in the immediate family or of a near relative.  If more than three days are needed, the employee should request Family Medical leave along with proper documentation.  For more information, consult policy GCBE.

 

  1. In the case of very unusual/extenuating circumstances, the superintendent shall have the authority to extend such leave up to four additional days (for a max of total of seven days for a single instance)

 

  1. All accumulated sick leave shall terminate, except as defined below, upon expiration of employment.  A teacher may transfer from one school division to another in Virginia and likewise transfer accumulated sick leave if the school board of the division to which the transfer is being made signifies its willingness to accept such transfer.  The Buena Vista City School Board will accept a maximum of 90 days upon the employment of an employee from any other Virginia public school division.

 

  1. If the teacher or employee returns to BVCS within 24 months of departure, previously existing sick leave balances will be reinstated.

 

  1. Although state funds cannot be used for absences due to emergency or personal leave or for personal, medical and/or dental appointments, the local School Board has elected to allow the use of sick leave for medical and dental appointments which cannot be scheduled at times other than during work hours.

 

  1. If an employee leaves the division, for any reason, prior to earning leave which has been taken, the salary of the employee will be reduced by an amount equal to the per diem for each day taken but not earned.

 

  1. Upon retirement for reasons of age, service, or disability, under the terms and conditions of the Virginia Retirement System and being eligible for the retirement benefits there-under and having worked for the Buena Vista School Board a minimum of ten years, immediately prior to retirement, each professional employee shall be entitled to payment for sick leave.  This daily rate will be calculated on the largest salary, including supplements, attained for a school year while employed by Buena Vista City Schools.

 

 

 

SICK LEAVE DONATION POLICY

 

The purpose of this sick leave donation policy is to provide additional sick leave days for VRS employees who have a prolonged, catastrophic illness or injury and who have exhausted their sick leave days.  This policy applies only to the catastrophic illness or injury of the employee.

 

The process to be followed for donating days is as follows:

 

Any VRS employee may choose to voluntarily donate no more than 2 days per year for each occurrence of catastrophic illness or injury when notified that a need exists.  Employees must complete an application to donate sick leave days by completing the Application for Donation of Sick Leave From.  The form should be sent to the Deputy Clerk of the School Board who keeps the official sick leave records.  When the donor’s days are used, the school and the donor will be notified of the deducted sick leave days by the School Board Office.

 

The process to request the use of donated sick leave days is as follows:

 

The ill or injured employee who has depleted all of his or her sick leave days will need to complete and submit to the School Board Office the Application for Assistance Form along with a Physician’s Certification Form.  The school system’s administration will decide if the employee is eligible.  If eligible, the schools and the ill employee will be notified.  The benefit will begin when the accrued sick leave days of the ill employee are depleted and will end when the employee returns to work, the donated days run out, or the days are no longer needed, whichever occurs first.  If a relapse occurs, donations may be requested again.  The number of donated days may not extend beyond the number of days of absence caused by the employee’s catastrophic illness or injury.

 

In general, donated sick leave days will not be granted for pregnancy since this condition is not usually considered in the category of catastrophic illness.  Requests may be made to the administration for consideration in cases where complications occur.

 

Copies of all necessary forms may be found in the school and School Board Offices.

 

SICK LEAVE DONATION POLICY

 

The purpose of this sick leave donation policy is to provide additional sick leave days for VRS employees who have a prolonged, catastrophic illness or injury and who have exhausted their sick leave days.  This policy applies only to the catastrophic illness or injury of the employee.

 

The process to be followed for donating days is as follows:

 

Any VRS employee may choose to voluntarily donate no more than 2 days per year for each occurrence of catastrophic illness or injury when notified that a need exists.  Employees must complete an application to donate sick leave days by completing the Application for Donation of Sick Leave From.  The form should be sent to the Deputy Clerk of the School Board who keeps the official sick leave records.  When the donor’s days are used, the school and the donor will be notified of the deducted sick leave days by the School Board Office.

 

The process to request the use of donated sick leave days is as follows:

 

The ill or injured employee who has depleted all of his or her sick leave days will need to complete and submit to the School Board Office the Application for Assistance Form along with a Physician’s Certification Form.  The school system’s administration will decide if the employee is eligible.  If eligible, the schools and the ill employee will be notified.  The benefit will begin when the accrued sick leave days of the ill employee are depleted and will end when the employee returns to work, the donated days run out, or the days are no longer needed, whichever occurs first.  If a relapse occurs, donations may be requested again.  The number of donated days may not extend beyond the number of days of absence caused by the employee’s catastrophic illness or injury.

 

In general, donated sick leave days will not be granted for pregnancy since this condition is not usually considered in the category of catastrophic illness.  Requests may be made to the administration for consideration in cases where complications occur.

 

Copies of all necessary forms may be found in the school and School Board Offices.

 

PERSONAL LEAVE

 

The Buena Vista City School Board desires that the continuity of its educational services to the students of the City not be unnecessarily interrupted by extended leaves of its employees.  To this end, personal leave for eligible employees may not exceed the number of days specified in the policy.

 

For employees who are not given vacation days or holidays, personal leave will be granted according to the following provisions, contingent upon the timely availability of a substitute:

 

1.                All 10 month full time employees under contract or salary agreement may be permitted the use of up to two (2) days per fiscal year.  A statement of reason is not required for use of personal leave.

 

2.                Each request shall be submitted in writing on the appropriate form to the principal or the employee’s immediate supervisor at least 24 hours in advance, and must have the principal’s or supervisor’s signature to indicate approval.

 

3.                Unused personal leave days will be converted to sick leave days at the rate of one sick leave for each unused personal leave day.

 

4.                Personal leave will not be approved in the following situations:

 

a.      Before the employee reports for work on the first contract day each year

b.      When essential school division tasks must be performed

c.      Teacher workdays/parent teacher conference days

d.      The day prior to or following a school holiday

e.      The first or last day of school

 

5.                The school principal may restrict the number of personal leave requests approved in the event of an excessive number for any given day.  Twenty percent or more staff members absent in a school would be considered excessive.

 

6.                If an employee takes leave days before they are earned, and then leaves the division, the employee’s salary will be reduced by the daily rate for each day taken.

 

VACATION DAYS AND DAYS ELEVEN AND TWELVE MONTH EMPLOYEES DO NOT WORK

 

Specified Days on which 11 and 12 month employees to not work

Eleven and twelve month employees do not work on the following days:

Fourth of July (2 days, 12 month employees only), Labor Day (1 day), Thanksgiving (2 days), Christmas (2 days), New Year’s Day (1 day).  The superintendent will give guidance regarding specific days that 11 and 12 month employees do not work.

 

Vacation days

11 and 12 month employees who have completed the following year of service to Buena Vista Public Schools shall receive the following days of vacation leave:

 

Eleven month employees:

0-4 years, 17 days (1.55 days per month)

5-9 years, 20 days (1.82 days per month)

10 years or more, 23 days (2.1 days per month)

 

Twelve month employees:

0-4 years, 18 days (1.5 days per month)

5-9 years, 21 days (1.75 days per month)

10 years or more, 24 days (2 per month)

 

Pay for Unused Vacation Leave and Maximum Accumulated Vacation Days

For all employees who had accumulated fewer than 30 days of vacation prior to July 1, 2003, the maximum number of vacation days that may be carried over into successive school years will be 30 days.

 

For all employees who have accumulated more than 30 days of vacation prior to July 1, 2003, the maximum number of vacation days will be the number of days accumulated prior to July 1, 2003.  If the number ever drops below 30, then 30 will become the maximum number of vacation days.

 

As of July 1, 2003, any vacation days that accrue during the school year above the maximum allowed will be converted to sick leave at the end of the year.

 

Vacation days must be approved in advance by the employee’s immediate supervisor, 11 and 12 month employees do not receive personal days as they are granted vacation days.

 

LEGAL LEAVE

Employees called for jury duty or subpoenaed to give testimony as a witness shall be compensated at their per diem rate of pay.  The employee may retain compensation provided by the courts.

 

The employee will notify the principal or immediate supervisor as soonas possible of the exact starting date for injury or the date on which he or she will be subpoenaed as a witness, and will include a c opy of the court summons.

 

If the employee is excused from service by the court upon reporting for jury duty or after serving as a subpoenaed witness, he/she will return to work as soon as possible thereafter in order to qualify for full per diem compensation.

 

 

 

Adopted:  January 27, 2003