Pol-Other Leaves with Pay

policy Other Leaves with Pay modified Mon Oct 09 2023 10:07:18 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

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University of Louisville

OFFICIAL
UNIVERSITY
ADMINISTRATIVE
POLICY

POLICY NAME

Other Leaves with Pay

EFFECTIVE DATE

August 15, 2017

POLICY NUMBER

PER-4.20

POLICY APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to university employees (staff, faculty, and administrators), unless specifically stated otherwise.

POLICY STATEMENT

Bereavement Leave (applies to all employees)

The university recognizes the need for employees to be away from work upon the death of an immediate family member. An employee, upon request, shall be granted three days of administrative leave with pay upon the death of any member of the employee's immediate family. (See Definitions below for definition of immediate family). If more than three days' absence is necessary to arrange for the disposition of remains or to attend a funeral or memorial service, including reasonable travel time, employees may use accrued sick leave.

If employees desire additional time off from work in conjunction with Bereavement Leave for other reasons (such as spending time with extended family members or probating an estate) employees may request time off using personal days, vacation leave, and/or leave without pay consistent with appropriate leave policies. Supervisory approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

Community Service Leave (applies only to staff employees)

Staff employees may request one day of Community Service Leave (CSL) during a calendar year, which is prorated for part-time employees. CSL is subject to completion of the CSL procedures outlined in this policy and the following guidelines: 

  • Staff employees must have satisfactory performance and not be on a performance improvement plan;
  • Staff employees must receive prior approval from their supervisor; the supervisor may require leave be taken at an alternative time, based on operational needs of the department; 
  • Staff employees will be required to provide documented proof of volunteer service hours from the service organization; 
  • CSL does not contribute to time worked in determining overtime pay and will be offset by any additional time worked during a work week; 
  • CSL that is not used in a calendar year does not carry forward to the next calendar year; 
  • If a staff employee transfers from one unit to another unit without a break in service, any unused CSL will be transferred to the new unit for use in that same calendar year; 
  • CSL is not paid out upon termination or retirement. 

Court/Jury Duty (applies only to staff employees)

Any staff member who submits to the staff member's department head a copy of his or her subpoena to serve as a juror or as a witness shall be granted time off for actual time for such duty and reasonable travel time when such absence occurs during his or her regularly scheduled hours of work. A copy of the subpoena must be retained at the departmental/unit level. Staff members shall be required to return to their jobs at the end of the daily court duty if there are more than four hours remaining in the work schedule. Employees normally scheduled to work on the second or third shift who are selected for court/jury duty will be expected to report for work in accordance with their assigned schedules if they are excused from such service before having served four hours or more. Appearance in court for traffic or other violations or as a party in a lawsuit must be charged to an appropriate leave balance or leave without pay.

Voting (applies to all employees)

In accordance with state statutes, any person who is entitled to vote on Election Day may be absent up to four hours if the voter applies for the time off prior to Election Day. Supervisors may grant up to two consecutive hours off from regular duties with pay to vote and may determine when such time is to be taken during the day. The employee may use vacation leave or personal days, for the remaining two hours.

Education Leave (applies to all employees)

Educational leave with pay shall be granted to any employee who is required as a part of the job to enroll in or attend a college, university, training academy, short course, seminar, conference, or other meeting.

Release time from the regular work schedule may be granted by unit heads to employees to attend university classes during normal working hours for their personal benefit provided:

a. The release time will not cause an undue hardship on the operations of the unit or upon the working conditions of other personnel in the unit; and

b. Any time missed from the normal work schedule for classified staff to attend such classes will be made up during the same workweek in which the absence(s) occurs; and

c. The employee has demonstrated and documented satisfactory performance.

Personal Leave (applies only to classified staff employees)

The university will provide occasional time off with pay for classified employees to conduct personal business which cannot be transacted outside normal working hours, such as real estate closings, religious observances, court appearance other than jury duty or as a witness (See Court/Jury Duty section above), and family responsibilities.
 
During the calendar year, a classified staff employee may take up to two days of personal leave with pay. Personal leave may be authorized by the supervisor at times convenient to the department. Notice should be given three workdays in advance. In emergencies, however, shorter notice may be given.
 
Personal leave days are not accrued beyond the calendar year''.

Whenever an employee moves from one unit to another without a break in regular continuous service, unused personal days shall be transferred to the new unit for future use during the remainder of the calendar year.

Personal leave will not be paid at termination nor in the event an employee transfers into a professional/administrative position.
 
Professional Leave (applies only to professional/administrative staff employees)

The university will grant, whenever possible, a leave of absence with pay to any professional/administrative staff member who has completed ten continuous years of university service in such capacity. It is anticipated such leaves are to be used for improving the staff member's contribution to the university's research, teaching, or public service missions, or for personal development. Such leave may be granted by the President, or designee, for up to three months, not more frequently than every five years, on the recommendation of the professional/administrative staff member's immediate supervisor and the Vice President for Human Resources.

DEFINITIONS

Immediate Family Member - Biological, foster or adoptive parent, a stepparent, spouse, qualifying adult (see definition), a biological, adoptive or foster child, a step child, a legal ward or a person whom the employee has (or had during the person's youth) daily responsibility and financial support, mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband, wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren of both the employee and spouse or qualifying adult.
 
Definitions

PROCEDURES

Bereavement Leave

An employee must submit a request to use bereavement leave to their supervisor and/or unit head. The request should indicate the time(s) and date(s) the leave begins and the return to work. The request should also indicate the family relationship to the deceased family member.
 
In certain cases, the employee may notify the supervisor of the need to use bereavement leave by telephone. The employee would complete the Request for Leave form upon his or her return to work.
 
Community Service Leave

Staff employees must request CSL approval from their supervisor as far in advance as possible. A supervisor may require that CSL be taken at an alternative time, based on the operational needs of the department. Staff employees are to provide documented proof of volunteer service hours from the service organization to their supervisor.

Court/Jury Duty

A staff member must submit a request to use administrative leave with pay for court or jury duty to their supervisor and/or unit head prior to the beginning date of the leave of absence. The request should indicate the times and dates as to when the leave begins and the return to work. A copy of the subpoena to serve as a juror or as a witness must be attached.

Voting

A regular staff member must submit a request to use administrative leave with pay for voting to their supervisor and/or unit head prior to the beginning date of the leave of absence. The request should indicate the times and dates as to when the leave begins and the return to work

Personal Leave (classified staff)

A classified staff member must submit a request to use personal leave to their supervisor and/or unit head in advance of the leave time requested. The request should indicate the time(s) and date(s) when the leave begins and the return from leave.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The supervisor or department/unit head is responsible for reviewing request for leave submissions, determining approval, and notifying the employee of the determination.

ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY

Vice Presdient of Human Resources

RESPONSIBLE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT/DIVISION

Human Resources
215 Central Avenue, Suite 205
Phone: 502-852-6258
Email: askhr@louisville.edu

HISTORY

This policy replaces the following previous policies: 

Personal Leave-PER 4.06 (effective January 25, 1995);

Bereavement Leave-PER 4.07 (effective February 8, 2002);

Court/Jury Duty-PER 4.09 (effective May 1, 1992);

Voting-PER 4.10 (effective May 1, 1992); and

Leaves of Absence with Pay-PER 4.12 (education and professional leave – effective May 1, 1992). 

Revision Date(s): May 8, 2015; November 22, 2016; August 15, 2017 (effective November 30, 2017); March 26, 2019; December 10, 2021 (minor edits); August 24, 2022 (minor edit); October 27, 2022; October 6, 2023 (minor edits)

Review Date(s): March 8, 2016; November 22, 2016; August 15, 2017; March 26, 2019; October 6, 2023

The University Policy and Procedure Library is updated regularly. In order to ensure a printed copy of this document is current, please access it online at http://louisville.edu/policies.