Sabbatical Leaves A. A sabbatical leave, without pay, for one year may be granted to a teacher, and/or 10 and/or 12 month support employee by the Board for full time credit graduate study/degree program in their appropriate field subject to Board approval and the following conditions:
1. Not more than four employees in the system may be granted sabbatical leaves at any one time.
2. Request for sabbatical leave must be received by the superintendent, in writing, no later than January 31st of the school year preceding the school year for which the leave is being requested.
3. The employee has completed at least seven (7) full school years of service in the Xxxxxxxx Township school district. No year shall be credited in which the employee has worked or been on paid leave less than ninety-three (93) days. If more than four requests (two for pay and two without pay) for such leave are submitted, the board will determine those eligible for such leave by the program the employee plans to take. If all candidates are in an approved program, then seniority shall determine the eligibility. The decision of the board shall not be arbitrable.
4. Two of the four sabbatical leaves sited in A.1 above may be with 1/2 pay if the employee is taking a full time Board approved graduate program/degree program in their appropriate field during the day or if they are fulfilling an on-campus requirement of an advanced program. Documentation of this requirement must be furnished with the request stated in A.2 above.
B. All sabbatical leaves must be approved by the Board and the Board shall take action on same no later than March 31st of the school year preceding the school year for which the sabbatical leave is requested. The employee shall continue to receive paid health benefits during the sabbatical leave.
C. Upon return from a sabbatical leave, which was granted for full time graduate/degree program, the employee shall be placed on the proper step of the salary guide at the level which he/she would have achieved had he/she remained actively employed in the school system during the period of his/her absence, and, in addition, shall receive proper credit for any advanced degree earned.
Medical Leave of Absence Where you have a medical leave of absence due to any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than six months, and you have not returned to employment with the Company or an Affiliate, a Separation from Service has occurred on the earlier of: (A) the first day on which you would not be considered “disabled” under any disability policy of the Company or Affiliate under which you are then receiving a benefit; or (B) the first day on which your medical leave of absence period exceeds 29 months.
Sabbatical Leave 1. Upon written application, not later than April 1 of any school year, a unit member who meets the following qualifications shall be granted a sabbatical leave.
2. All applications for sabbatical leave will be reviewed by a committee consisting of three (3) representatives to be named by the Superintendent, and three (3) representatives to be named by the Association President. The committee shall consider, among other qualifications, the following:
a. The proposed program of the applicant as related to professional graduate study, travel, writing, or research.
b. The value of the proposed program to the Pickerington Schools, its pupils, and the individual applicant.
c. The applicant’s total length of service with Pickerington Schools.
3. In order to be eligible for a sabbatical leave, a unit member must have been employed in the Pickerington School District for at least five (5) years.
4. Unit members requesting such leaves must accompany their applications with detailed plans for the proposed use of their sabbatical leaves. Within ninety (90) days after the expiration of his/her leave, the unit member will make a written report to the Superintendent detailing the use, which was made of his/her leave. If the leave was granted for graduate study, the unit member will present to the Superintendent a transcript from the university or college attended.
5. Unit members approved for a sabbatical leave will be notified of their approval by May 15th, or as soon thereafter as possible. A unit member on a sabbatical leave shall be given an employment contract for the year of leave and shall be entitled to a salary equal to the difference between their previous salary and the salary of the substitute teacher replacing them while on sabbatical leave.
6. As a condition of being granted a sabbatical leave, a unit member must agree to return to the Pickerington Schools for a period of one (1) year upon returning from leave. Failure to do so shall require the unit member to refund to the Board all payments received from the Board for sabbatical leave purposes during the leave period. Such refund shall be made within a four (4) month period beginning with the first full month said unit member was to have returned to duty. Such time limit may be extended by agreement of both parties.
7. Unit members on sabbatical leave shall be given full experience credit on the salary schedule and credit for seniority purposes for the period of the leave and shall return to their same or to a similar position as they held at the time the leave commenced.
8. A bargaining unit member on sabbatical leave may maintain health, life, and dental insurance benefits during the period of leave. Any member desiring continuation of such benefits must notify the Treasurer not less than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of the leave and pay to the Treasurer an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the total monthly cost of the insurance not less than ten (10) days in advance of the time that the Board premium payment is due.
9. Any bargaining unit member who purchases retirement credit for the portion of their salary forfeited during the sabbatical leave will pay to STRS both the employee and employer share of retirement contributions.
10. All such sabbatical leaves shall be granted in conformity to the provisions of Section 3319.131 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Family Medical Leave or Critical Illness Leave a) Family Medical Leave or Critical Illness leaves granted to a permanent teacher, long-term occasional teacher or teacher hired into a term position under this Article shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act, as amended.
b) The teacher will provide to the employer such evidence as necessary to prove entitlement under the Employment Standards Act.
c) A teacher contemplating taking such leave(s) shall notify the employer of the intended date the leave is to begin and the anticipated date of return to active employment.
d) Seniority and experience continue to accrue during such leave(s).
e) Where a teacher is on such leave(s), the Employer shall continue to pay its share of the benefit premiums, where applicable. To maintain participation and coverage under the Collective Agreement, the teacher must agree to provide for payment for the teacher’s share of the benefit premiums, where applicable.
f) In order to receive pay for such leaves, a teacher must access Employment Insurance and the Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) in accordance with g) to j), if allowable by legislation. An employee who is eligible for E.I. is not entitled to benefits under a school board’s sick leave and short term disability plan.
g) The Employer shall provide for permanent teachers, long-term occasional teachers and teachers hired into a term position who access such Leaves, a SEB plan to top up their E.I.
General Leave of Absence a) Leave of absence without pay may be granted to employees for valid reasons as set out by Company policy.
b) An employee on general leave of absence shall not accumulate sick leave credits, or earn vacation but shall retain the seniority, sick leave credits, and vacation credits earned prior to commencing leave of absence.
c) Employees do not have the option of continuing their benefit coverage during the leave.
d) Employees on leave of absence shall be required to apply for any extension.
Disability Leave a. An employee who has suffered possible injury in the performance of assigned duties shall immediately undergo such medical examination as the appointing authority deems necessary. He or she shall not be considered absent from duty during the time required for such examination.
b. A regular employee who is unable to perform any appropriate work assignment because of disability incurred in the performance of assigned duties shall be entitled to the following disability leave benefits, in addition to those provided pursuant to the California Worker's Compensation Insurance Act.
(1) During any period of disability for which payment is not provided under Worker's Compensation Insurance, the employee shall be placed on disability leave with pay to the extent of any leave with pay which he or she has accrued. Such disability leave with pay shall be charged against the employee's accrued leave with pay.
(2) During any period of disability for which payment is provided under Worker's Compensation Insurance, the employee shall elect either:
(a) Retain any Workers' Compensation Benefits received during the pay period and receive full pay. The employee shall use their accrued sick leave, vacation CTO and HIL on an hour- for-hour basis to cover all hours the employee is absent from duty due to the work-related disability during the applicable pay period. Or,
(b) Retain any Workers' Compensation Benefits received during the pay period and receive a partial paycheck in an amount so that the partial pay and the Workers' Compensation Benefits added together are equivalent to the employee's full pay. The employee shall use their accrued sick leave, vacation, CTO, and HIL in an amount equal to one-half of the number of hours the employee was absent from work during the pay period due to the work-related disability. If, however, the amount of the Workers' Compensation Benefits is subtracted from the employee's full pay for the time off due to the disability, and the remainder is less than one-half of the amount of such full pay, then only the number of leave balance hours necessary to equal that remainder shall be charged.
(3) The choice of either (2)(a) or (2)(b) above shall be an irrevocable choice for the duration of the disability leave resulting from the work- related injury. However, if the employee returns to work for a period of at least thirty (30) calendar days, the employee may again elect to choose either option b.(2)(a) or b.(2)(b) for any subsequent disability leave taken as a result of (or relating to) the same injury.
c. All disability leave provisions of this section shall terminate when the employee uses all accrued sick leave, vacation, CTO or HIL balances, or upon the date of the employee's recovery from disability, receipt of permanent disability under Workers' Compensation Insurance, retirement, termination from County employment, or death.
Union Leave of Absence An employee on an unpaid Union leave of absence shall have her wages, benefits and seniority continued by the Employer, and the Union agrees to reimburse the Employer for the costs of such wages and benefits. Employees requesting leave under this article will provide the Employer with as much advance notice as possible of the dates of the leave. Where there are less than fifteen (15) regular employees at a workstation at the time the leave request is submitted, and subject to operational requirements, unpaid Union leave of absence will be granted to one employee for the purpose of conducting Union business. This would be an additional person on Union leave at worksites where the position of the Union President or Council member has been backfilled for the duration of their term of office. A leave of absence without pay shall be granted to an employee who is a member of the Union and who is:
A) a Union Council/Board member. Such leave shall be granted for the purpose of attending regular or special meetings of the Council/Board and shall include reasonable travel time.
B) either elected or appointed to represent the Union and/or a region at annual or special conventions of the Union.
C) a member of the Union’s bargaining committee. Such leave (including travelling time) shall be granted to attend preparatory negotiating meetings, to conduct negotiations, and to participate in mediation, industrial inquiry commissioner hearings and arbitrations.
D) selected by the Union or its members as a delegate to attend the Provincial Bargaining Conference.
E) selected by the Union or its members as a delegate to attend regional Bargaining Conference.
Medical Leave Pursuant to applicable provisions of the Civil Service Rules, County Code, and other law, medical leaves of absence will be granted by the employee’s Department Head upon request only upon submission of a doctor’s certificate or other satisfactory medical evidence of the employee’s need for such leave.
