LEAVES AND ABSENCES (POLICY DEC)

Medical Certification

An employee must present a medical certification of illness and of his or her fitness to return to work to their campus principal/department supervisor or senior associate if they are absent on the day before or after a holiday or if they are absent four to five consecutive days because of a personal illness.

If an employee is absent from work more than five consecutive days, they must apply for one of the following leaves:

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (FMLA)

Employees who have been employed by the District for at least 12 months and have worked 1,250 hours during that time are eligible for family medical leave. Eligible employees can take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave each year during their work calendar year for the following reasons:

• Incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth

• To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care

• To care for a spouse, parent, or child with a serious health condition

• An employee’s own serious health condition

Military Family Leave

• Spouse, child or parent on active duty or called to active duty status in the National Guard or Reserves in support of a contingency operation

• 12 weeks-Qualifying exigencies (attend certain military events, arrange for alternate childcare, address certain financial and legal arrangements, attend counseling sessions and attend postdeployment reintegration briefings.

• 26 weeks-Special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees leave to care for a covered service member who has a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty for which the service member is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, or is in outpatient status, or is on the temporary disability retired list.

In some circumstances, employee may take family medical leave in blocks of time or by reducing their normal weekly or daily work schedule. Intermittent Leave may be taken under the following circumstances:

• To allow an employee to care for a seriously ill spouse, child or parent

• When an employee requires medical treatment for a serious illness

• When an employee is seriously ill and unable to work

TEMPORARY DISABILITY LEAVE (TDL)

The purpose of temporary disability leave is to provide job protection to any full time exempt employees and full time instructional paraprofessionals who cannot work for an extended period of time because of a mental or physical disability of a temporary nature, but do not qualify for FMLA. Pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy are treated the same as any other temporary disability. A full time employee may voluntarily request to be place on temporary disability leave or be placed on leave involuntarily. If disability leave is approved, the length of leave is no longer than 180 days.