Oct 12, 2024  
2021-2022 Employee Handbook 
    
2021-2022 Employee Handbook

404 Personal Leave


At the discretion of the president of an institution personal leave of absence without pay for periods not to exceed one (1) year may be approved. Such approved personal leave shall allow the employee the right to elect to continue group insurance benefits. The employee must pay the full cost for any coverage continued under this provision.

Employees must exhaust all earned vacation before personal leave is used.

404.1 Benefits during Personal Leave

Approved unpaid leave allows employees to retain insurance benefits. However, employees on unpaid leave will not continue to accrue vacation or sick leave.

404.2 Unapproved Personal Leave

When an employee is absent from work and has not made arrangements to be on official leave, accrued vacation will be charged until exhausted. Once exhausted, the employee will be in an “hours without pay” status. This means that paychecks will no longer be issued, unless Payroll, Benefits, & HRIS determines otherwise. Employees may be terminated for taking unapproved leave.

404.2a Termination Due to Inability to Work

If an employee is not approved for leave and is unable to return to work for three (3) consecutive, scheduled work days, the employee may be terminated. Even if the employee communicates with the department as to why the employee is unable to report to work, he/she may still be terminated. This does not include circumstances covered by FMLA, Military Leave, or leave previously approved by the department and/or the University.