Issued By: Human Resources
Effective Date: February 1968
Revised: February 1971; April 1973; July 1978; March 1983; October 1986; July 1990; December 2009; November 2011
A full-time or part-time employee, scheduled to work 20 hours per week or more, may request a leave of absence without pay for personal reasons, including medical or nonmedical reasons. Please contact HR for the appropriate leave of absence form that needs to be completed and submitted to the department head with a copy to Human Resources.
All accrued vacation leave must be used before any leave without pay is taken. If the unpaid leave is for an employee's own medical reason, then all accrued sick leave must be
used and FMLA leave must be exhausted.
Leave of Absence for Medical Reasons (After FMLA is Exhausted)
A leave of absence for an employee's own medical reason(s) may be granted, depending on the circumstances. All leaves of absence for medical reasons must be approved by the Head of Human Resources. Medical documentation from a physician outlining the nature of the treatment and probable length of time for treatment and/or recovery will be required.
Leave of Absence for Personal Reasons (Other Than Employee's Own Medical Reasons)
A leave of absence for personal reasons for up to 2 weeks may be approved by the department head. A leave of absence for personal reasons of over 2 weeks will only
be granted under extreme circumstances and must be approved by the Head of Human Resources. An unpaid leave of absence for personal reasons may not exceed 12 consecutive weeks.
All Unpaid Leaves
The department head and the Head of Human Resources will review and act upon the request for any unpaid leave in consideration of the following factors:
- The purpose for which the leave is requested.
- The length of time the employee will be away.
- The effect the leave will have on the ability of the department to carry out its responsibilities.
- The employee's position and length of service.
- The employee's performance standing with the College.
The leave of absence will not be extended beyond the date contained within the initial written request without further approval. Any leave longer than 2 weeks will require periodic communication with Human Resources.
Vacation leave and sick leave do not accrue while an employee is on unpaid leave of absence. All employee and employer contributions to the College's retirement plan will be suspended during the unpaid leave of absence.
While on an unpaid leave of absence, employees do not receive any pay. This includes pay for holidays and the 'free' hour off on Fridays during the summer months.
The employee is responsible for the employee cost of benefits while on unpaid leave of absence. Payment must be made by the 15th of the month and coordinated with the Benefits office. In the event that the employee does not return to work but is deemed medically able, the employee will be required to reimburse the College for the cost of any payments made to maintain the coverage, including the College's portion of payment.
An employee who is unable to return to work after the maximum of 12 weeks unpaid leave must contact Human Resources to discuss other possible options for pay continuation and/or continued employment with the College. If an employee does not return to work after 12 weeks of unpaid leave, the employee's benefits will be terminated. The employee may elect to continue benefits through COBRA.
Other Employment While on Leave
Except for very unusual circumstances, working a second job is prohibited while on any kind of unpaid leave of absence, other than military, from the College. Doing so
could result in revocation of the leave and/or termination of employment. Approval to work during an unpaid leave must be obtained from the employee's vice president
and Human Resources.