Sick Leave Bank The school corporation agrees to, and hereby establishes a voluntary sick leave bank to which certificated persons may contribute unused sick leave days, and from which a contributing individual may draw sick leave days when the individual’s annual and accumulated sick leave days are exhausted, in accordance with the following provisions. Please see the definitions of sick leave under Article IV.
1. The sick leave bank shall apply to all persons employed by the school corporation whose employment requires the holding of a license issued by the Indiana Department of Education, whether or not any such person is a member of the bargaining unit to which this contract applies.
2. A “contributing individual” is one who, within the first thirty (30) days of the contract year, signs a contribution form. Such contribution form shall require the assigning of one (1) day of sick leave to the sick leave bank and an individual may contribute up to five (5) total days if so motivated during any enrollment period.
3. A person shall cease to be a contributing individual upon the failure of such individual to sign such contribution form and such individual shall thereafter not be entitled to draw any sick leave days from the sick leave bank until becoming a contributing member the following year.
4. Present and new faculty members who wish to become “contributing individuals” may do so by following the procedure in paragraph two (2). Staff who hire in after the annual enrollment period closes can still enroll under equivalent timelines as original enrollment period.
5. Use of the sick leave bank shall be subject to the following limitations:
a. Sick bank leave shall be used on a teacher’s first day receiving no pay as long as the teacher has exhausted all accumulated sick days, as well as all annual sick and personal days. Days may need to be allotted retroactively to allow time for the sick bank committee to meet and review the request. In the event a teacher on sick bank leave returns to work and then finds it necessary on advice of a doctor to take additional leave for the same disability, no additional days shall be deducted subject to the approve of the Sick Bank Review Committee.
b. In the even a teacher is disabled as a result of illness or injury of a different nature during the same school year, any additional sick leave bank time granted is subject to approval of the Sick Bank Review Committee.
c. Sick bank leave shall be used for the purposes permitted by the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and must be supported by a written request by the contributing individual and the appropriate FMLA certification specifying the nature of the illness and prognosis report for the teacher’s return to work.
d. Days taken from the sick leave bank shall apply only to those days on which a teacher would receive pay if the teacher were not under disability.
e. All contractual leave days shall be waived while drawing pay from the sick leave bank so that a teacher in no case will be drawing double pay for any day.
f. This sick leave bank section shall not operate in any manner such that any teacher receiving workers compensation benefits receives more than such teacher’s regular pay.
g. Paid holidays, if any, shall not be charged against the sick leave bank, but shall be compensated for under the terms of the teacher’s contract.
h. Sick leave bank days shall not be used during summer school employment, nor shall such days be used at any other times except the regular school year.
i. Leave from the sick leave bank may not be used for maternity or childbirth leave, but may be used for any physical disability arising out of a pregnancy.
j. Teachers who, as of the beginning of the school year in which sick leave bank benefits are requested and used, have accumulated the following number of sick leave days under the sick leave section of this contract, shall be eligible to draw up to a maximum number of days from the sick leave bank in any single year as follows:
(1) 0-10: Up to 60 days (2) 11-40: Up to 90 days (3) 41 or over: Up to 120 days k. Teachers may be awarded fewer than maximum days (listed in Section j) at the discretion of the Sick Bank Review Committee.
6. Should the sick leave bank fall to a thirty (30) day balance during a school year, an additional contribution will be requested and will count toward the subsequent enrollment period.
7. A Sick Bank Review Committee shall be formed and shall be comprised of three (3) members appointed by the exclusive representative and one (1) individual appointed by the Superintendent. The committee shall consider and review all requests for use of sick bank days to ensure that all applications submitted, and any grants made, are in accordance with the provisions of this contract.
8. The school district shall notify certificated employees of the enrollment period for the sick bank, including required contribution forms and appropriate deadlines, within the first five (5) school days of each school year.
9. If there are seven hundred and fifty (750) days in the bank at the time of open enrollment, no contribution will be necessary unless it falls below the previously described number of thirty (30) days.
Leave Bank 1. A sick leave bank shall be maintained within the District. The purpose of the Leave Bank is to provide a bank of sick leave days from which staff may draw in cases of extended absences due to illness or injury which renders the staff member incapable of working.
2. The bank was funded initially by a mandatory contribution from each employee of one (1) day from that employee’s individual sick leave account, as well as a 100-day contribution from the school district.
3. The sick leave bank shall be administered by the Superintendent and the Association President(s).
4. For new employees, a mandatory contribution of one (1) day shall be made by them on the day on which their initial individual leave time is allotted to them. Leave days in the bank will carry over from year to year. The bank will contain a maximum of 500 days and a minimum of 250 days. Employees who leave the district, excluding staff who retire under PERA, shall contribute any remaining accrued days to the leave bank. At such time as the bank drops below 250 days, an additional contribution of one (1) day per employee shall be made to replenish the bank’s days at the beginning of the school year
5. Persons who have used all of their leave entitlement shall be eligible to draw from the leave bank under the following condition:
a. Only when under a doctor’s care.
b. For each first day granted from the leave bank per occurrence the employee shall be docked the current substitute pay.
c. For a recurring illness or a medical condition that requires periodic and consistent medical treatment of a severe disablement, Sick Leave Bank Days (in increments of half days) may be granted for all absences resulting from these conditions
d. Any individual who is absent as a result of a medically diagnosed catastrophic illness or injury may access the bank for up to and including sixty (60) additional days. Utilization of these days shall require the submission of a new Leave Bank Application to the bank.
6. An individual who meets the requirements stated above can use a total of no more than thirty (30) days per school year from the leave bank.
7. An individual may request days from the Leave Bank any time prior to but within thirty (30) calendar days after the individual returns to work. Applications submitted at a time outside these limits will not be considered by the Superintendent and Association President(s). The request must be submitted to the Superintendent office using the Leave Bank Application. The application can be located in the appendix of this agreement. Upon receipt of the application the Superintendent shall forward the request to the Association President(s). The Superintendent and Association President(s) shall meet, within ten (10) days to consider such request. Within five (5) days following said meeting, the applicant shall be notified, in writing, of the status of the request.
8. Any individual who has accessed the leave bank and resigns their position in the same contract year will be docked their daily rate of pay for each day used from the bank.
9. Elective treatment or surgery is defined as a condition diagnosed by a Doctor that admission sometime in the future is acceptable for a condition causing minimal or no pain, dysfunction or disability and can be safely postponed until non-contract time. Such conditions shall not qualify for Leave Bank Days.
10. The District is liable only for the total number days in the leave bank.
Sick Leave Bank Committee The committee shall consist of two members of the administration, appointed by the Superintendent, and two members of the bargaining unit, appointed by the President of the Association. The President of the Association will act as chairperson of this committee and will have no voting power except in the event of a tie vote by the committee.
Sick Leave Donation 10.3.1 A worker may donate days of sick leave to individual District workers who, due to a serious health condition, have exhausted all accumulated sick leave. Donating workers must retain a sixty (60) day balance of sick leave after their donation. No worker may receive more than 40 days of donated leave per year.
10.3.1.1 A “serious health condition” is defined as an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition which involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential health care facility, or continuing treatment or continuing supervision by a health care provider as defined in 29 USC 825.114(a) and as certified by a worker’s physician or other qualified medical practitioner.
10.3.1.2 The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and the Chief Stewards by mutual agreement will verify the certification for eligibility. If the certification from the worker’s physician is insufficient, a certification by a physician of the District’s choosing may be required, at District expense. The District may require additional medical opinions.
10.3.2 Donated leave must be in one-day increments (no less than 8 hours). Recipients of donated sick leave shall be solely responsible for any state and federal taxes on the donated time. Such taxes shall be withheld at the normal rate for the recipient worker. In the event that the state or federal governments rule that tax liability is due other than as taxed, the recipient shall be solely liable for such liabilities.
10.3.2.1 The donated sick leave may be used only when the worker has exhausted accumulated sick leave and either is not eligible for long- term disability or is eligible but has not begun to receive the long-term coverage.
10.3.2.2 The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources shall be notified of solicitation of donations. Solicitations of donations may be made by the individual or his/her representative(s).
10.3.2.3 Donation of sick leave shall be authorized by a signed pledge form prepared by and filed with the District Office of Human Resources. In the event several workers donate sick leave, the sick leave shall be used in the order in which the signed pledge forms are filed with Human Resources.
10.3.2.4 If the worker does not use all donated sick leave, the sick leave shall be returned to the donating worker(s).
Sick Leave Policy It is the policy of the State of Ohio to not unreasonably deny sick leave to employees when requested. It is also the policy of the State to take corrective action for unauthorized use of sick leave and/or abuse of sick leave. It is further the policy of the State that when corrective and/or disciplinary action is taken, it will be applied progressively and consistently. It is the desire of the State of Ohio that when discipline is applied it will serve the purpose of correcting the performance of the employee.
Sick Leave Abuse When the Employer suspects sick leave abuse, the employee will be provided the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding their sick leave use prior to disciplining the employee, or making reference to sick leave use in the employee’s performance evaluation. The Employer may not adopt or enforce any policy that counts the use of paid sick leave time as an absence that may lead to or result in disciplinary action for an authorized purpose. The Employer may not discriminate or retaliate against an employee for the use of paid sick leave for an authorized purpose.
Sick Bank (1) A “Sick Leave Bank” shall be established. The purpose of said bank shall be to aid only unit members whose sick leave accumulation has been exhausted and who suffer prolonged absence from (a) a disabling condition, (b) an accident which causes disability; and (c) disability arising from pregnancy by providing additional paid sick leave for extreme hardship cases due to personal illness and/or personal injury shall not be for casual use.
(2) No qualified unit member shall be permitted to use more than 93 days from the Sick Leave Bank.
(3) Each unit member may contribute a total of two (2) days from his/her sick leave accumulation to the Sick Leave Bank. If a pre-tenure teacher elects this option, he/she shall be permitted to use no more than fifteen (15) days from the Sick Leave Bank for each year of service.
(4) All donations to the Sick Leave Bank will be voluntary.
(5) All days not used in a year will be retained in the Sick Leave Bank.
(6) If all the donated days are used during a given school year, the Bank shall be declared open and additional donations of a maximum of two (2) days by each tenured unit member may be made.
(7) Unit members using sick leave days from the Bank will not have to replace those days.
(8) No days may be donated to a specific individual, nor may they be donated to teachers exclusively in a certain school.
(9) A unit member withdrawing from membership in the Bank shall not be allowed to withdraw contributed days.
(10) Procedure for processing requests for Sick Bank days:
(a) The unit member requesting Sick Bank days shall obtain from the Association or from the Human Resources Department a copy of the SEA Sick Bank Request form.
(b) The unit member shall submit a completed Request form, including a completed Physician Statement, to the Human Resources Department who will promptly provide a copy to the Association. SEA approval is assumed unless SEA informs the Human Resources Department of its concerns regarding the request within three (3) days of receipt.
(c) The Human Resources Department shall review the Request form for completeness. If the form is incomplete, the unit member and the Association will be notified. If any additional information is needed to process the Request form, the unit member and the Association shall be notified and the unit member shall be asked to comply.
(d) The Human Resources Department shall promptly review and respond to the completed Request form. If approved, the unit member and the Association shall be notified in writing of such approval. If approval is denied, the unit member and the Association shall be notified in writing that the Sick Bank Committee will be convened to review the request. The unit member may be required to submit additional information for the consideration of the committee.
(e) The unit member and the Association will be notified in writing of the decision of the Sick Bank Committee. Should the committee refer the unit member to an independent Medical Review Officer (MRO), the unit member shall be notified in writing and can decline, forfeiting the use of the Sick Bank. (This provision shall not impact the right of the Board to require an employee to submit to an Independent Medical Examination (IME) at Board expense as permitted by applicable law).
(11) A committee consisting of two unit members selected by the SEA, three persons designated by the Board, and the Human Resources Director who shall act as the non- voting chairperson, shall be established to set up guidelines, review implementation, and update procedures. The Sick Leave Committee shall:
(a) Require a doctor’s certificate regarding the illness and/or injury and its specific impact on the ability of the employee to perform job responsibilities;
(b) Consider the nature, seriousness; and projected duration of the illness and/or injury related to the ability of the employee to perform job responsibilities; and
(c) Consider the applicant’s prior record of sick leave use.
(12) The granting of any sick leave days from the Sick Leave Bank shall be made by majority vote of the committee members present and voting. In case of a tie vote, the case shall be referred to the Medical Review Officer (MRO).
(a) The unit member shall be notified to submit all medical documentation from the unit member’s treating physician(s) to the MRO. The MRO shall be a licensed physician, appointed by agreement of both parties, for the duration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, subject to reappointment by agreement of both parties. The medical documentation submitted shall detail the seriousness and nature of the illness or injury involved related to the ability of the employee to perform job responsibilities. The MRO shall confirm the seriousness and nature of the illness or injury related to job responsibilities utilizing said medical documentation;
(b) If the MRO is unable to confirm the seriousness and nature of the illness or injury related to the ability to perform job responsibilities from the medical documentation as provided above, said MRO may conduct or send the employee to have an Independent Medical Examination (IME). A licensed physician shall perform the IME with expertise in the field of the illness or injury presented, to confirm the treating physician's report. The decision of the MRO, or the IME, shall be binding and final and not subject to the grievance procedure outlined in this Agreement.
(c) Nothing contained herein shall preclude a resubmission to the MRO based upon additional medical documentation.
(d) Individuals are subject to continuing review by the MRO, to confirm the seriousness of the illness or injury. The MRO shall have the discretion to discontinue leave benefits under this provision if he/she determined that the individual is capable of returning to work.
(13) In the event that the parties cannot agree upon the selection of said MRO, the Board and the Association shall submit the matter to binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
(14) The costs of the MRO, the IME (if needed), and Arbitrator shall be borne equally by the Board and the Association.
(15) The Superintendent, in his/her sole discretion, may authorize the use of additional sick leave days from the Bank to any member who has exhausted the maximum days set forth in paragraphs 2 and 3 above. The Superintendent shall notify the Human Resources Director of his/her decision to authorize sick leave above the caps set forth in paragraphs 2 and 3 above. The decision of the Superintendent shall be final and not subject to the grievance procedure contained in this Agreement.
(16) In no case shall any unit member receive days from the Bank when absent due to a work-related injury.
(17) The Board will annually supply the SEA with statistics regarding the status of the Bank, number of participants, number of days, number of unit members taking from the Bank, number of days remaining in the Bank, etc.
Sick Leave Donation Program A Labor Management Committee will be established for the purpose of proposing rules and procedures for a new, program. The LMC will be to develop consistent, transparent and equitable proposals for processes across all departments within the City. The LMC shall also explore proposals to lower the minimum leave bank required to donate sick leave and permit donation of sick leave upon separation from the City. The LMC must consult with the Office of Civil Rights to ensure compliance with the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative. Once the LMC has developed its list of proposals, the City and Coalition of City Unions agrees to reopen each contract on this subject.
Vacations and Sick Leave The Executive shall be entitled to paid annual vacation leave in accordance with the policies as established from time to time by the Board of Directors, which shall in no event be less than four weeks per annum. The Executive shall also be entitled to an annual sick leave benefit as established by the Board for senior management employees of the Bank. The Executive shall not be entitled to receive any additional compensation from the Bank for failure to take a vacation or sick leave, nor shall he be able to accumulate unused vacation or sick leave from one year to the next; provided, however, such Executive may carry forward from year to year a maximum of ten days of unused vacation leave.
Overtime Banking Employees desiring to bank overtime may elect to do so under the following criteria: * The half time associated to overtime may be banked up to a total of 24 hours per calendar year. This limit may be replenished throughout the year. * Banked time must be taken in full day increments or the employee may elect to receive the pay. * Employees must have cleared or be scheduled to clear their hours account by December 15. If the account is not cleared then the employee will be paid the balance in cash. * Payment will be based on the current rate of pay at the time the banked time is used. * Time off must be requested in advance, unless bona fide illness. (Company will monitor) * Time off will be subject to Company service requirements and no additional cost to the Company. * Implementation of the Overtime Banking arrangement will be subject to the development of an appropriate computer system.
