Local 73 Agreement

ARTICLE IX    SICK LEAVE, EXCUSED ABSENCES & LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Section 9.1 Sick Leave With Pay

1. Employees shall be entitled to sick leave pay after three (3) months of service, however, leave credits shall accrue by each eligible employee from the date of hire.
   
   
2. Employees hired on or after November 1, 1995 shall accrue sick leave at the rate of nine (9) days per year and shall be credited to each employee at the rate of six (6) hours per month for full time employees. Employees hired prior to November 1, 1995 shall accrue sick leave at the rate of ten (10) days per year and shall be credited to each employee at the rate of six and seven-tenths (6.7) hours per month for full time employees. No sick leave shall accrue for any month during which employees are absent for more than one-half (1/2) of their standard working hours except where absence is due to paid vacations, paid holidays, paid funeral leaves, jury duty, voting time off or paid military leave. Sick leave with pay shall accrue during any absence brought about because of occupational injury or occupational illness so long as the employee remains eligible for temporary disability benefits under the State of Illinois Worker's Compensation Act or the Occupational Diseases Act.
   
   
3. An employee's sick leave allowances shall be applied only to absence necessitated by employee illness or injury and the right is reserved by the University at any time to require an employee who has been absent five (5) or more consecutive workdays or who is suspected of abuse of sick leave utilization to submit a certificate issued by a physician licensed to practice medicine as proof of illness. Failure to submit such proof upon request shall automatically disqualify such employee for sick leave allowance with pay and may result in further disciplinary action.
   
   
4. Full time employees eligible for use of sick leave with pay may use accrued sick leave for scheduled doctors and dental appointments. Employees utilizing sick leave for such purposes must inform departmental supervision at the time the appointment is made to give the department as much advance notice as possible.
   
   
5. Employees unable to report for work shall so inform their department in accordance with departmental call-in procedure. Time lost by employees who fail to notify their department as required shall be treated as an unexcused absence. Employees who expect to return and are unable to return at their regular starting time that day, shall call in as above.
   
   
6. Only the standard working hours lost due to absence because of illness shall be charged against the employee's sick leave credits.
   
   
7. Compensation during allowable absences because of illness or injury shall be at the employee's basic straight-time hourly rate.
   
   
8. Authorized absence arising out of industrial accidents suffered in the course of employment at the University shall not be charged against the employee's sick leave credits, except, to the extent necessary to supplement Worker's Compensation benefit payments. The employee is required to notify the departmental office of his/her desire to utilize sick leave in this manner.
   
   
9. The balance of the employee's sick leave credits shall lapse when s/he resigns or is discharged and is not rehired within thirty (30) days following resignation or discharge.

Section 9.2 Absence on Union Business

Duly authorized Union members will be granted one (1) excused absence without pay not exceeding five (5) consecutive working days per twelve (12) month period of this Agreement to attend conventions or handle other pertinent business of the Union. Application for such leave shall be made at least four (4) weeks prior to the commencement of the period of such absence except where an emergency prevents the giving of such notice. No more than one (l) employee shall be absent at the same time for such purpose.

Section 9.3 Absence for Jury Duty

An employee who has completed his/her probationary period, who is summoned and reports for jury service shall be excused from work for the days on which s/he serves as a juror and s/he shall receive for each such day of jury service on which s/he otherwise would have worked his/her straight-time hourly rate for normally scheduled work hours. The employee will retain the check issued by the court. It is understood that if an employee is called to serve as a juror and is temporarily excused from such service, or if s/he is not required to serve as a juror on any of his/her regularly scheduled workdays, s/he will report for work during his/her scheduled working hours. In order to receive payment an employee must give his/her supervisor notice that s/he has been summoned at the earliest practicable time. The provisions of this Section are not applicable to an employee who fails to cooperate in seeking to be excused from jury duty when the University deems seeking to be so excused is in order.

Section 9.4 Leaves of Absence

Employees covered by this Agreement shall have the right to make application for leaves of absence for justifiable reasons provided they have completed one (1) year of continuous service. The University will give consideration to the circumstances of each application and shall have the right to determine whether or not the leaves shall be granted and the duration of any leave of absence.

A medical leave of absence to excuse an employee's absence from work without pay will be approved to cover periods that the employee is not receiving sick leave, short term disability, long term disability or workers compensation benefits. The request for medical leave must include a statement from a licensed physician indicating both the reason (diagnosis) and the anticipated date of return (prognosis). If the total period of employee absence is less than six (6) months, the employee shall upon return, be guaranteed the same job or an equivalent job in the same department, provided the employee presents evidence to the University that s/he is able to perform the work. Such a leave will begin after exhaustion of accrued vacation time and any accrued but unused personal holidays.

Application for leave of absence shall be made on University Form UPP #167 Leave of Absence Request Form, signed by the employee. Each employee granted a leave of absence will receive a copy of the approved Leave Form UPP #l67. Leave of absence shall be without pay and, at the University's discretion; they may be extended upon receipt of written request for such extension.

During any approved leave of absence or during layoff, an employee may retain coverage under the various insurance plans. The University will continue its share of premium costs for three (3) months; after three (3) months the employee pays full premiums for the plans. Retention of insurance coverage is required during leaves of absence of three (3) months or less. Arrangements for the payment of premiums are to be made with the University's Benefits Office. During any leave of absence, an employee does not accrue sick leave or vacation credits, and is not eligible for any paid time benefit; however, all such benefits become available to the employee but not retroactively for the period of the leave, as soon as the employee resumes work after leave of absence. An employee on approved leave of absence will be terminated from employment if s/he fails to return to work when the leave of absence expires, unless s/he has a compelling reason, acceptable to the University, for his/her inability to return. Falsification of leave of absence application shall be cause for disciplinary action including discharge.

The University will provide Family Leave as required by law, subject to the regulations and requirements of the Family Medical leave Act (FMLA).

Section 9.5 Funeral Leave

Employees who have completed their probationary periods shall upon application to their supervisor, be allowed three (3) working days off at straight-time pay (five (5) when travel of more than four hundred (400) miles each way is involved) upon the death of a member of the employee's immediate family. "Immediate family" is defined as parents or foster parents, sister, brother, spouse, children or domestic partners as defined by University policy.

In the event of death of employee's father-in-law, or mother-in-law, grandparent or grandchild, the employee will be allowed three (3) days off with straight-time pay for hours lost.

Any additional time required by an employee may be charged against the employee's accrued vacation, provided the employee obtains the approval of the supervisor in advance.

The University agrees to give consideration to paid time off in the event of a death of a person not bearing the relationship enumerated above on an individual basis.

It is understood that the University has the right to request verification of relationship, death and distance traveled before paying benefits under this Article. It is further understood that the University may request an employee to complete a form indicating the names and relationships of relatives covered by this Section.

Section 9.6 Military Reserve Training Leave

The University will provide Military Reserve Training leave as required by law.