Sick Leave Letter of Requirement. 1. In the event of suspected sick leave abuse, the employee will be issued a Sick Leave Letter of Requirement. A Sick Leave Letter of Requirement will require the employee to provide a medical certificate for any length of absence. A Sick Leave Letter of Requirement will not be counted as a “prior offense” for determining a penalty for discipline. A Sick Leave Letter of Requirement may be referenced in future actions for purposes of proving notice.
2. When the Agency makes a determination to issue a Sick Leave Letter of Requirement to the employee:
a. The Agency, prior to issuance of the Sick Leave Letter of Requirement, will counsel the employee. The counseling will identify the relevant sick leave rule(s) to the employee.
b. If improvement does not occur within a reasonable period of time after counseling, an employee may be issued a Sick Leave Letter of Requirement.
c. If an employee has sick leave as part of an approved reasonable accommodation (known to the supervisor), the employee will be given the opportunity to provide an explanation before the Agency issues a sick leave letter of requirement. This may occur during the counseling meeting described above.
d. A Sick Leave Letter of Requirement may be withdrawn by the supervisor at any time. The supervisor must review the need for the Sick Leave Letter of Requirement no later than six (6) months after the issuance to determine if the letter should be withdrawn.
