Sick Leave

Issue/Question

What is USD's Sick Leave Policy?

How can I use Sick Leave?

Environment

• USD
• Sick Leave

Resolution

1. Full-time employees earn 9.3334 hours of sick leave each monthly pay period
2. If you work less than 40 hours in a week or take leave without pay, the number of sick leave credits earned is reduced in proportion to the number of hours worked
3. Sick leave is available to use as soon as it is accrued. There is no limit to the number of sick leave hours you can accrue but you cannot use more sick leave than you have accrued
4. Except for extraordinary circumstances, absences not covered by appropriate leave may be cause for disciplinary action
5. Employees are encouraged to build and maintain adequate leave balances to cover emergencies or other unexpected absences
6. If you are ill, you must notify your supervisor prior to the start of your work shift
7. Failure to follow established processes for requesting and/or reporting leave may be cause for disciplinary action
8. Except for emergency situations, the amount of time you are absent from your job without prior authorization or notification will be considered absence without leave
   1. You may not be paid for that time
   2. Unauthorized or unreported absences may be cause for disciplinary action
9. Unless covered by FMLA, absences for illness without sufficient sick leave will be on a non-paid status and it may result in disciplinary action
10. Upon an employee's resignation/retirement/layoff from employment, one-fourth of accrued sick leave (up to 480 hours) will be paid to employees who have worked for the state continuously for at least seven years. The accrued leave is paid at the rate of pay as of the employee's last day on payroll

Accrued Sick Leave

1. Sick leave recorded on the leave request/timesheet as Sick Leave Taken is used for:
   • personal illness or disability
   • pregnancy
   • exposure to a contagious disease that would endanger the health of coworkers
   • eye care
   • dental care
   • required medical examinations
   • counseling or treatment at approved centers for alcohol or drug abuse, or psychiatric care
2. Sick leave recorded on the leave request/timesheet as Sick Leave for Care of Family is used for: 
   • ​​​​​​​care of immediate family members (for family member’s illness, healthcare needs, childcare, etc.)​​​​​​​
     Note: Per ARSD 55:09:01:01, an immediate family member is the employee's spouse, children, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, stepbrothers, stepsisters, stepchildren, and stepparents, and, for the purposes of § 55:09:04:12, foster children.

Note: The Commissioner of the Bureau of Personnel and your department secretary, bureau commissioner, or institution administrator have the authority to investigate suspected misuse of sick leave. If you are guilty of misuse of sick leave, the time off will be charged to leave without pay. Misuse of sick leave may be cause for disciplinary action.