CSEA Sick Leave Description and Procedures
CSEA SICK LEAVE BANK*
The purpose of this program is to provide additional sick leave to qualified participating members who have exhausted their own sick leave and who require additional leave as a result of an unplanned, prolonged serious personal illness. This sick leave bank is not intended to provide additional sick leave time for medical situations such as common cold or flu, elective or cosmetic surgery, uncomplicated maternity disability; or minor illnesses or disabilities of any kind.
The sick leave bank is administered by a committee consisting of five bank members (appointed by the union president) and Director of Human Resources (or designee).
Decisions of the committee regarding the awarding of benefits are not subject to the grievance process.
The rules and regulations of the bank, including the “Conditions” established in the remainder of this section, as well as interpretations thereof, may be changed upon the recommendation of the committee and the concurrence of Director of Human Resources and Union President.
CONDITIONS:
1) Membership in the bank is available to all bargaining unit members.
2) Prospective members will apply for membership by notifying the committee in writing.
3) Membership is open during the month of September of each year.
4) In calculating the number of hours in a "day" for benefit purposes and the application of these guidelines the employee's regularly scheduled straight time hours paid in a payroll period are divided by 10.
5) Members will donate two (2) days at the time of joining and one (1) day each year thereafter to retain their membership. [In years when the Committee feels it is appropriate the requirement of a contribution by CONTINUING members may be waived.]
6) When an employee has no sick leave time to contribute to join or maintain membership that individual can elect to have personal business, extra holiday, or vacation accural time converted to sick time for the purpose of making the sick bank donation.
7) Members can voluntarily donate additional days to the Bank at any time during the year by notifying in writing a member of the Sick Bank Committee, including as part of retirement considerations. This language shall not be construed to permit a member, upon retirement, to donate time to the sick leave bank when it is time for which they did not have the option of being paid.
8) Membership may be terminated by notifying the committee in writing. An employee may rejoin the bank with the express written consent of the Sick Leave Bank Committee as defined above.
9) Membership may be continued each year without reapplication.
10) Days donated are non-refundable.
11) Any member withdrawing from the bank due to retirement, resignation, or any other reason will not be eligible to withdraw days donated. These days will remain in the bank.
12) Days that are donated do NOT count as used sick time in consideration for “well day” pay per Art. 34, section 9.
13) Only members of the bank are eligible to draw benefits.
14) A member may draw from the bank after exhausting personal sick leave.
15) When a member makes an appeal for sick leave, the committee will respond in writing within four work days after the request has been made, when possible.
16) The committee reserves the right to require a physician’s statement or other information it deems relevant in response to an appeal for sick leave, and before the granting of possible benefits.
17) Days granted to a member do not have to be returned to the bank; days granted and not used must be returned to the bank.
18) Sick leave days requested from the bank can be used for any sick leave use by a sick leave bank member as approved by his/her supervisor in accordance with the CSEA/SLU Bargaining Unit Agreement.
19) Maximum benefits granted will be specified by the committee, not to exceed 15% of the bank (per individual per incidence) at the time of application for benefits.
i) Additional time in excess of 15% of the bank may be granted in emergency situations with the consent of the committee.
ii) If conditions warrant, the applicant may reapply to the committee for additional days. Benefits will be granted only as long as days remain available in the bank.
20) Benefits will apply only to days on which members would normally have been paid and are paid at the individual’s current rate of pay.
21) If the bank should be exhausted in any given year, the committee may draw one additional day from each member to replenish the bank. Such action will be taken only once in any calendar year.
22) When the bank’s total accumulation reaches four hundred (400) days (where “day” equals 7.5 hours), additional days shall only be drawn from the general membership based on a decision from the committee. New members will donate as required.
*From SLU/CSEA Bargaining Unit Agreement 2007-10: ARTICLE 34, SICK LEAVE: Section 11. Reconfirmed in new agreement for July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2020. Revised February 15, 2022