Rule 3349-7-131 | Sick leave and bereavement leave.
(A) Purpose
To establish a sick leave rule for faculty and administrative staff.
(B) Scope
This rule applies to all faculty and administrative staff.
(C) Definitions
(1) Consult rule 3349-7-01 of the Administrative Code.
(2) "Immediate Family" is limited to the employee's spouse (including individuals who are recognized as lawfully married under the law of any state), parents, children, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, stepmother, stepfather, stepchildren, stepsiblings, or a legal guardian or other person who stands in loco parentis.
(3) "Licensed Practitioner" refers to a person who is licensed to practice medicine, surgery or psychology in the state of Ohio.
(D) Rule statement
(1) Accrual
Faculty and administrative staff accrue sick leave benefits in accordance with the following formula: number of hours worked per month x .0577. Sick leave hours do not accumulate while on an unpaid leave of absence or while receiving paid hours from the sick leave donation pool.
(2) Sick leave notification
(a) Employees who are unable to report for work, and who are not on a previously approved day of vacation or other leave, shall be responsible for notifying the immediate supervisor that they will be unable to report for work. The notification must be made within one half hour after the time the employee is scheduled to report for work, unless emergency conditions prevent such notification. If operational needs require a different notification time, the immediate supervisor may establish a reasonable notification time requirement. If a condition exceeds five consecutive business days, a statement from a licensed practitioner specifying the employee's inability to report to work and the probable date of return to work is required and the following shall apply:
(i) If hospitalization is required, the employee shall be responsible for notifying the immediate supervisor upon admission to such hospital, unless emergency conditions prevent such notification.
(ii) When convalescence at home is expected to exceed five consecutive business days, the employee shall be responsible for notifying the immediate supervisor and for securing a statement from a licensed practitioner stating that the employee is unable to report for work and the expected date of return to work.
(b) Employees taking care of immediate family for a period exceeding five consecutive business days must submit a statement from a licensed practitioner stating that the immediate family member requires care by the employee.
(3) Sick leave paid at retirement
(a) An employee, upon initial disability retirement or initial service retirement, is entitled to a one-time payment of unused accumulated sick leave credit in accordance with this rule.
(b) The employee must have, at the time of initial retirement, ten or more years of actual service with the state of Ohio or any political subdivision of the state of Ohio, or any combination thereof for sick leave payout. Service time purchased toward retirement does not count toward the ten year requirement for sick leave payout. All unpaid accumulated sick leave credit shall be eliminated at the time of sick leave payment, and shall not be re-credited to the employee for any reason.
(c) Payment shall be made for one fourth of the value of any unused accumulated sick leave up to a maximum of the value of two hundred forty hours. The payment shall be in a single lump-sum based upon the employee's rate of pay at the time of initial retirement and shall occur only once during the employee's lifetime.
(4) Sick leave usage
(a) Employees may use sick leave, upon approval of the immediate supervisor, for:
(i) Illness, injury, or pregnancy-related condition of the employee.
(ii) Exposure of an employee to a contagious disease which could be communicated to, and jeopardize the health of other employees.
(iii) Examination of the employee, including medical, psychological, dental, or optical examination, by an appropriate licensed practitioner.
(iv) For bereavement leave upon the death of a member of the employee's immediate family for a period not to exceed five business days.
(v) Illness, injury, or pregnancy-related condition of a member of the employee's immediate family where the employee's presence is reasonably necessary for the health and welfare of the employee or affected family member.
(vi) Examination, including medical, psychological, dental, or optical examination of a member of the employee's immediate family by an appropriate licensed practitioner where the employee's presence is reasonably necessary.
(vii) Donation of leave to a sick leave bank in accordance with the leave donation rule of the university.
(b) Unused sick leave shall be cumulative without limit.
(c) The use of sick time shall be documented on the employee's time record.
(d) Falsification of information on the time record or on any written statement or certification regarding sick time use shall be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
(5) Transfer of sick leave
(a) Any accumulated but unused sick leave is maintained by the university for a period of ten years when an employee separates from the university for reasons other than retirement.
(b) If an employee is subsequently employed by another eligible Ohio public employer, the balance of accumulated but unused sick leave will be transferred to that employer.
Supplemental Information