General Information re: Leaves. Individuals on any approved unpaid leave may continue any and all of their group benefits allowed under COBRA for the du ration of said leave providing they reimburse the insurance carrier for premium costs the beginning of each month. This will be at no cost to the Board. Should a bargaining unit member deem it necessary to request that an approved leave of absence be adjusted, he/she should immediately make said request to the Superintendent prior to the expiration of the date of termination. Unless otherwise provided in this Article, the Superintendent shall have discretion to approve or disapprove any leave request. Any member of the bargaining unit returning from disability leave or personal sick leave consisting of more than seven (7) consecutive days may be required to provide evidence of his/her ability to return to duty and perform the normal duties of the employment prior to return to service. All leaves are unpaid unless expressly designated as paid leaves in this Article. No unpaid leaves will be authorized except as provided in this agreement or at the discretion of the Superintendent. Unless otherwise provided, all leaves will be requested in writing not less than forty-eight hours in advance of the commencement of the leave. Any bargaining unit member absent by reason of leaves authorized under this article for less than one school year shall, upon return from such leave, be assigned to the position held at the time the leave commenced if that position is then filled by a substitute employed to take the place of the member returning from the leave, or by another employee who filled the 'temporary vacancy'. Upon return to service at the expiration of an approved leave of more than one year, the employee shall resume the contract status which he/she held prior to such leave and shall be assigned to a position within his/her classification. Absences for any reason must be reported on the District’s electronic reporting system indicating actual time lost and reasons for same. An employee on leave of absence shall retain his/her accumulated sick leave. However, he/she shall not accumulate any additional days of allowance during the leave of absence.
