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.
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.
Annual Leave 17.1 An employee shall be entitled to four weeks annual leave for each twelve months’ service with the Company, exclusive of public holidays. Annual leave accumulates monthly on a pro rata basis.
17.2 The annual leave entitlement for each part time employee shall be calculated pro rata according to the ordinary hours he or she actually works.
17.3 The time of giving and taking of leave shall be by mutual arrangement between the Company and the employee concerned.
17.4 The Company may direct an employee to take annual leave during any shut down, including any such shut down over the Christmas and New Year period, provided the employee has an accrued annual leave balance that will at least cover the period of the shut down.
17.5 The Company may direct an employee to take up to a quarter of his or her total accrued annual leave entitlement if the employee’s accrued annual leave entitlement exceeds 8 weeks.
17.6 Payment for annual leave shall be made at the relevant minimum rate of pay in clause 19 – Minimum wages, plus a loading of 17.5 per cent on that rate of pay.
17.7 The Company may allow annual leave to be taken by an employee before the right thereto has accrued due.
17.8 An employee has no entitlement to the payment of the loading, when annual leave is taken wholly or partly in advance, until an entitlement accrues due and the loading is then payable in respect of the period of such leave and is calculated on the relevant minimum rate of pay in clause 19 – Minimum wages, payable at the accruing of the entitlement.
17.9 Where leave has been granted to an employee before the leave has accrued due, the Company may deduct the balance of the payment to the employee for that leave period from whatever remuneration is payable to him or her upon the cessation of employment.
17.10 An employee whose employment is terminated by the Company or who lawfully leaves the employment shall be entitled to a pro rata payment calculated on his or her relevant minimum rate of pay in clause 19 – Minimum wages, for the period in respect of which annual leave has not been taken, provided that the loading in clause 17.6 shall only be paid in respect of paid out annual leave for employees who have been employed for a minimum 12 months with the Company.
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.
Educational Leave of Absence Leaves of absence may be granted up to six (6) months under the above provisions only if the course would be beneficial to both the University and the employee.
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.
Casual Leave Employees may be granted casual leave with pay to a maximum of two (2) hours for the following purposes:
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.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA In accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, the Board will grant a leave of absence for one or more of the following:
1. Because of the birth of a son or daughter of the employee, and in order to care for such son or daughter;
2. Because of the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or xxxxxx care;
3. To care for the employee's spouse, son or daughter, or par- ent, in laws or members of blended families or other per- sons in a similar relationship that live in the family house- hold or are in a similar family relationship who has a serious health condition; or,
4. The employee is unable to perform the essential job func- tions because of a serious health condition. As of February 2008, an employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent or the next of kin of a covered service mem- ber can take up to 26 weeks of FMLA leave during a single twelve (12) month period to care for the injured service mem- ber. The same eligibility requirements apply for employees requesting a leave under this category. Regulations as estab- lished by the Department of Labor will be followed when granting leaves under this provision. FMLA leaves are only available to employees who have been employed by the District for at least twelve (12) months and have worked 1,250 hours during the previous twelve (12) month period. Such leaves are counted against an employee's annual FMLA leave entitlement. Under the FMLA, an employee is eligible for a total of twelve (12) work weeks of leave in a twelve (12) month period. This twelve (12) month period is measured back from the date a requested leave is to begin. Continuation of medical, optical and dental benefits and the right to job restoration ceases when an employee has used twelve (12) work weeks of FMLA leave in the twelve (12) month period. (See Section B, Medical Leave of Absence). An employee requesting a FMLA leave must provide the Xxxxx- xxxx Superintendent of Human Resources at least thirty (30) days advance notice of when the leave is to begin. If such no- xxxx is not practicable, then notice is to be provided as soon as practicable. When a leave denoted as (1) or (2) above is granted, the leave must be taken in one (1) continuous increment, and must be concluded within twelve (12) months of the date of birth or placement. Employees granted such leave must utilize accu- mulated vacation days and accumulated personal business days (in that order), after which time the leave is unpaid. When a leave denoted as (3) above is granted, the employee must utilize accumulated sick leave time, accumulated vacation days, and accumulated personal business days (in that order), after which time the leave is unpaid. When a leave denoted as (4) above is granted, the employee must utilize accumulated sick leave days and accumulated per- xxxxx business days (in that order), after which time the leave is unpaid. After these days have been used and if more sick time is needed, the employee may choose to use accumulated vacation time. When additional time is needed during the 90 calendar day (13 week) LTD elimination period, the employee may use available vacation days. If the employee has pur- chased and is filing for short term disability, vacation days may be used during the 14 day elimination period. Vacation days cannot be used once the short term disability coverage starts. Leaves denoted as (3) or (4) above must be supported by med- ical certification from a health care provider stating (1) the date on which the serious health condition commenced, (2) the probable duration of the condition, (3) the appropriate medical facts, and (4) a statement that the employee is unable to per- form the essential functions of his/her position, or that the em- ployee is needed to care for the person. The District reserves the right to require the employee to obtain the opinion of a sec- ond health care provider designated or approved by the District concerning any information within the medical certification. When a FMLA leave denoted as (1) or (2) above is granted to spouses who are both employed by the District, the total amount of time on leave (in total for both employees) cannot exceed twelve (12) weeks of FMLA time. At the expiration of a medical leave or if the employee wishes to return to work before completion of the leave, there must be a physician's certification confirming his/her fitness to return to work. The District may condition the employee's return to work upon a fitness for duty examination and approval by a health care provider designated by the District. The District will continue to provide an employee's medical, optical and dental insurance while he/she is on a FMLA leave for a period of up to twelve (12) weeks on the same terms and conditions as prior to the leave. An employee on a FMLA leave shall not engage in any outside or supplemental employment. The District may recover insurance premiums paid while an employee was on an unpaid FMLA leave if:
1. The employee fails to return to work for at least thirty (30) days after the expiration of the leave; and
2. The failure to return is for a reason other than a serious health condition, or other circumstances beyond the control of the employee. Certification from the health care provider may be required for this purpose. An employee returning from a FMLA leave will be restored to the position he/she left, or to an equivalent position with equiv- alent benefits, pay and other terms and conditions of employ- ment. If the employee has not satisfactorily completed the probation- ary period at the commencement of a FMLA leave, then upon cessation of the leave, the employee must work the days need- ed to complete the probationary period.
