SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD OF THE
TRANSITIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS
PERSONNEL POLICY
Leaves
of Absence
Sick Leave
Regulation # 4621
NOTE: Effective January, 2004 St. Louis Public School District Employees no longer accrue Sick leave benefits. This Policy applies only to employees who accrued Sick Leave benefits prior to January, 2004. Any use of previously accrued Sick Leave Benefits will be governed by this policy.
SHORT TERM ILLNESS LEAVE FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE WORK DAYS
In all cases of absence of an employee from duty for three (3) consecutive days or more, a physician's statement is required. In addition, an employee absent for three (3) or more days must complete a SAB Family and Medical Leave Act Certification Form.
ABUSE OF SICK LEAVE
It shall be considered an abuse of an employee's sick-leave privilege for such employee to be absent from the job on an inordinate number of Mondays and/or Fridays during the year, unless such employee can supply the school system with sufficient proof that he/she was unable to report for work on those Mondays and/or Fridays for reasons related to injury, illness or exposure to contagious disease. Any employee found to have abused the sick leave privilege shall thereupon be subject to disciplinary action.
It shall also be an abuse of sick leave for an employee to use sick leave for absences when the employee is not actually sick. The Superintendent is authorized to investigate, when the circumstances in his discretion indicate suspected abuse of sick leave. As part of this authority, the Superintendent may require employees to provide written substantiation of a claim of illness, including a physician's verification.
ABSENCES REQUIRING PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
For employees employed in positions that require completion of a fitness for duty as a condition of employment, the District shall have the right to require an immediate examination of an employee by a physician designated by the Division of Human Resources before returning to their job duties. Any employee requiring the use of sick leave for the employee’s own serious health condition or a family member’s serious health condition lasting three (3) days or longer, must provide the District with a medical certification form completed by the treating health care provider.
ILLNESS IN THE EMPLOYEE'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Leave is available pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act and as set forth in the District’s FMLA Leave Policy for employees seeking leave to care for a child, spouse or parent who has a "serious medical condition" as defined in the Family and Medical Leave Act.
EXPOSURE TO CONTAGIOUS DISEASE
Full-time employees who are excluded from employment because of exposure to contagious disease as defined by the Department of Health may use accumulated sick leave days.
HOLIDAYS DURING SICK LEAVE
Regular employees receiving sick leave pay for absences due to illness, on both the day preceding and the day following a holiday or holidays, shall receive holiday pay. The absence for the holiday(s) shall not be deducted from the employee's accumulated sick leave.
USE OF ACCUMULATED SICK LEAVE DAYS UPON RESIGNATION, TERMINATION OR DEATH
Employees who leave the school system through termination or resignation, shall not be entitled to compensation for unused sick days nor shall their estate in the case of death.
USE OF SICK LEAVE UPON RETIREMENT
Employees who elect to participate in the St. Louis Public School Retirement Program shall have their accumulated sick leave days credited to the total time worked in the St. Louis Public School System for the purpose of calculating retirement payments. From time to time the District may designate other uses of accumulated sick leave days.
NOTICE OF ABSENCE
Whenever it becomes apparent to any employee that he/she will be unable to report to work for any reason whatsoever, the employee is responsible for notifying his/her supervisor and the Division of Human Resources before the start of work. Persons designated as needing substitutes are also responsible for notifying the District by using the automated substitute employee management system, or contacting the centralized substitute office as soon as the pending absence becomes known. Failure to make all contacts shall result in an unexcused absence for which the employee will not be paid.
If an employee is absent more than one (1) day in succession, he/she must give the required notification daily, unless the employee knew in advance that he/she would be out more than one (1) day and communicated that fact at the time of a prior notification.
The Division of Human Resources is open at 7 a.m. on school days to receive messages regarding absences of certificated employees from schools. An automatic answering and recording machine shall record telephone calls of employees reporting absences or returns from absences. This machine shall be in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
NOTICE OF RETURN FROM ABSENCES
Notification of the intention of an employee to return to work after an absence of three (3) days or longer shall be given to the Division of Human Resources and to the principal of the school or immediate supervisor. Notification must be given to the Division of Human Resources and the immediate supervisor before 4:30 p.m. of the day preceding the date of the return.
APPLICATION FOR REINSTATEMENT
Whenever a non-FMLA qualifying leave of absence has been granted for a period of five (5) weeks or longer, an Application for Reinstatement form must be submitted to the Division of Human Resources at least seven (7) calendar days before the date of expiration of the leave of absence. A physician’s statement stating the employee can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, and releasing the employee to return to work, must accompany the Application for Reinstatement form.
RELATION TO FMLA LEAVE UNDER POLICY #R4624
Whenever the employee's condition for which sick leave is taken pursuant to this regulation qualifies as a "serious health condition" under the District’s FMLA Leave Regulation, the period of sick leave and FMLA leave will run concurrently.
Regulation approved: August 6, 2009