Leaves
Approved Absences without Pay
During a leave of absence without pay, an employee will not accrue vacation or sick leave, nor be eligible for any payments for time off work provided by this policy. Subject to, and consistent with, the Group Life Insurance Plan, the Group Hospitalization Medical Plan, and other Univeristy group insurance plans, coverage may be continued during a leave of absence, provided direct payment of the total premium is made through and as prescribed by the University. During a leave of absence, the University's contribution to the relevant retirement system is discontinued and benefits do not accrue, are not forfeited, and cannot be withdrawn.
Informal Leave of Absence
A leave of absence may be granted for personal reasons for a period not to exceed 14 calendar days.
Application - Written application must be made to your immediate supervisor, and approved by the department chair/director and Human Resources. Such a leave may not be extended.
Formal Leave of Absence, Personal Reasons
A formal leave of absence may be granted for personal reasons for a period not to exceed 180 calendar days.
Application - Written application must be made to your immediate supervisor and approved by the department chair/director and Human Resources. Such a leave may be extended for an additional period not to exceed 180 calendar days upon approval of the department chair/director and Human Resources. In no event shall leave be granted to enable an employee to work for another employer or in self-employment.
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, employers are required to grant eligible employees an FMLA leave of absence. These leaves maintain current health coverage during the leave, are without pay, and may not exceed twelve weeks within a twelve month period. Arrangements for leaves are to be made with the supervisor and Human Resources.
Professional Development Leave
A Professional Development Leave may be granted to regular, full-time, exempt, non-faculty, non-represented staff who are more than one echelon below a Vice President. The leave is not to exceed one year, and may be granted to eligible employees for the purpose of pursuing graduate study, maintaining professional expertise, engaging in research sponsored by an agency other than the University, or for other purposes beneficial to the University and to the professional stature of the individual. The leave is intended for employees with at least three years of continuous employment at Michigan Tech. There should be at least one year between Professional Development Leaves. The leave provides for benefits to continue at no additional cost to the person on leave. Staff may not accept full-time employment outside the employment proposed in the leave application. Employees agree to return to Michigan Tech upon completion of the leave for a period equal to the length of the leave.
For more information or to obtain an application for Professional Development Leave, contact the Benefits Office in Human Resources.
Return from a Leave of Absence
Applications for reinstatement from a leave of absence must be made to the employee's immediate supervisor and approved by the department chair/director and Human Resources before the leave expires. The University, at its option and without cost to the employee, may require that a physician or physicians of its choosing determine, by way of examination, the fitness of the employee to return to work.
An employee returning to work from a leave of absence shall be placed on the former job or a job of like status and pay unless circumstances have so changed as to make it unreasonable to do so. An employee who has been on military leave of absence, however, must give written notice to the University within thirty calendar days after the release from service, that the employee intends to return to work, in order to be eligible to do so.
Sick Leave (see Eligible Benefits Chart)
Available for the following purposes, sick leave covers employees and members of the employee's immediate family, who, in this instance, shall include the spouse, children, parents, foster parents, parents-in-law, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, legal guardianship, other dependents, or significant other (an individual with whom an employee has a continuing personal living arrangement that has existed over an extended period of time):
Sick Leave Accrual - Sick leave for eligible employees accrues biweekly at the rate of one-half day for each two weeks of employment. Maximum sick leave accrual is one hundred thirty-two days. Part-time employees accrue sick leave in proportion to straight-time hours employed each pay period. Sick leave balances are shown on your pay stub and on a report your department receives biweekly.
Employees on leaves of absence without pay or on layoff will not accrue sick leave during such period. However, employees returning from an approved leave will have credited to them any unused sick leave previously earned. This provision will not apply to rehires.
Documentation - A statement from the University's designated physician and/or your physician or a sworn affidavit may be required to sustain a claim of absence because of illness, injury, or disability. Michigan Tech reserves the right to have the University-designated physician make the final decision.
At the conclusion of your sick leave, the University, at its option and without cost to you, may require that a physician or physicians of its choosing determine, by way of examination, your fitness to return to work.
Accrued sick leave is not paid out upon resignation, retirement, or termination.
Voluntary Sick Leave Pool (VSLP)
The VSLP is designed to alleviate hardship caused by catastrophic illness or injury. Eligible employees may join the voluntary pool during their employee orientation or during the annual enrollment period in April. Any eligible employee may join by donating 24 hours of sick leave to the voluntary pool.
Eligibility
Application - Submit a request to the Benefits Office in the Human Resources Department.
A committee will review the request and determine if days can be awarded. If approved, there is a 30-day waiting period before the requester can begin using days from the Voluntary Sick Leave Pool. A maximum of 100 days are available to a requester each year.
Bereavement Leave
You will be allowed three days bereavement leave to attend or make arrangements for the funeral or service of a family member without loss of pay. If additional time off is needed, you may request the use of sick time, compensatory time, or leave of absence without pay. Family members are defined as follows: spouse, children and step-children, parents and step-parents, siblings, grandparents and great-grandparents, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, in-laws (mother, father, brother, sister), foster parents or children, legal guardians, aunts and uncles, or significant other (an individual with whom the employee has had a continuing personal living arrangement that has existed over an extended period of time).
Vacation and Annual Leave
You are provided vacation time and annual leave for rest and personal convenience. You may not take the leave in advance of it being earned, and pay in lieu of vacation is not allowed (except as noted below).
Vacation Leave Accrual - Vacation time begins to accumulate on the first date of employment. Part-time employees accrue vacation leave in proportion to straight-time hours employed each pay period. Your accrual balance is shown on your pay stub and on a report received by your department biweekly. Employees on a leave of absence without pay or on a layoff will not accrue vacation during such period. However, employees returning from an approved leave will have credited to them any unused vacation previously earned. This provision will not apply to rehires.
Eligibility - Exempt Employees
Eligibility - Non-Exempt Employees
Vacation accrual rate (in days) for non exempt employees is based upon the table below:
Non-exempt Vacation Accrual Rates
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Use - In an effort to maintain a smooth-running operation with minimal disruption, some departments may establish certain limitations on the length of vacation, the number of employees who can be on vacation at one time, or time periods when vacations can be scheduled. Within these limitations, your supervisor will endeavor to meet your requested time off for vacation periods.
Other conditions
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