Any seniority full-time or part-time employee who is unable to work because of personal sickness or injury and has exhausted sick leave payments under Section 32, Sick Leave (except as outlined in I of this section), and vacation payments under Section 31, Vacations, may be granted a leave of absence without pay upon furnishing evidence of disability satisfactory to the Employer.

The leave of absence may be for the period of continuing disability, but not to exceed three (3) months, unless extended by the Employer. In no case, however, shall a leave and extensions exceed one (1) year. The leave of absence may be terminated at any time if the employee fails to receive appropriate medical treatment or furnish satisfactory evidence of continuing disability.

A non-probationary employee may be granted, at the discretion of the Employer, a personal leave of absence without pay for a period not to exceed six (6) months. The personal leave may be extended for additional periods, but in no case shall the leave and extensions exceed one (1) year.

Employees who are reinstated in accordance with the Universal Military Training Act, as amended, and other applicable laws and regulations, will be granted leaves of absence without pay for a continuous period of time equal to their seniority, but not to exceed four (4) years in order to attend school full time under applicable federal laws in effect on the date of this Agreement.

Regular, full-time employees who belong to the National Guard, Officer Reserve Corps, or other reservist groups, will be granted a leave of absence for the required normal tour of duty as defined in the official military orders. The employer will pay the difference between the employee's military pay and his straight-time pay, if his/her military pay is less, for up to twenty (20) working days per calendar year during such military leaves. If the employee takes military leave during his vacation he will receive full pay.

An employee who loses straight-time from work during his normal schedule of work because of jury duty service or to testify pursuant to a subpoena shall be paid for such time lost at his hourly rate. Jury duty and witness fees shall be offset against such pay. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, such jury duty and witness service shall be considered time worked. The employee shall furnish the Human Resources Department a written statement from the court showing the days and time of jury duty or witness service and the amount of jury duty or witness fees he was eligible to receive for each day. An employee temporarily excused from attendance at court shall report for work during the excused period.

Members of the Union elected to Local Union positions or selected by the Union to do work which takes them from their employment with the Employer may, at the written request of the Union, be granted leaves of absence without pay for periods not to exceed two (2) years or the term of office, whichever may be shorter. This Section applies only to those employees who leave the University's employment to accept a position with the Union.

Applications for leaves of absence must be approved by the employee's Department Head before being sent to the Human Resources Department for consideration.

Applications for reinstatement from a leave of absence must be made to the Human Resources Department before the leave expires. The Employer, at its option and without cost to the employee, may require that a physician or physicians of its choosing examine the employee to determine his fitness to return to work.

An employee who has requested and received an approved leave of absence of thirty (30) calendar days or less shall, upon return from such leave, be given his former job or a job of like status and pay. An employee returning to work from an approved leave of absence of more than thirty (30) calendar days shall be given his former job or a job of like status and pay, unless the Employer's circumstances have so changed as to make it unreasonable to do so. In such event he shall be placed on layoff and recalled to work as seniority permits.

1. Maternity leave shall be granted in accordance with the provisions of this Section. For childbirth, newborn care, or adoption, or foster care placement, the employee's sick leave does not have to be exhausted before the Family Medical Leave Act's twelve weeks.

2. During a leave of absence, an employee will not accrue vacation or sick leave nor be eligible for payments for time off work provided by this Agrement.

3. Subject to, and consistent with, the Group Life Insurance Plan and the Group Hospitalization Medical Plan, coverage may be continued during a leave of absence provided direct payment of the total premium is made through and as prescribed by the Employer. The University will bear the cost of continuation of benefits for a bargaining unit employee who takes an approved Family or Medical Leave without pay for up to twelve (12) weeks, consistent with and compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

4. During a leave of absence, the Employer's contribution to the Michigan Public School Employee's Retirement System or TIAA-CREF Retirement Fund is discontinued and benefits do not accrue, are not forfeited, nor can they be withdrawn.

5. Unless otherwise specifically provided for by this Agreement, seniority shall accumulate during a leave of absence.

6. A leave of absence will not be granted for the purpose of obtaining employment elsewhere, nor may an employee on a leave of absence work for another employer, except as provided under Paragraph F. of this Section. This restriction shall not construed to apply to periods during which an employee has elected to be voluntarily laid off.

7. Any employee who obtains a leave of absence under false pretense or uses the leave for purposes other than for which it was obtained shall be subject to disciplinary action.