PE 420 - Sick Leave

The aforementioned sick leave is defined to mean absence from duty with pay because of sickness, injury, or medical, dental or optical examinations or treatment for the employee or members of the employee’s household, as well as the employee’s mother, father, mother-in-law or father-in-law if such absence is approved by the immediate supervisor, such approval being at their discretion. Any absences of more than five (5) days must also require the approval of the employee’s Senior Leadership Team member. An employee who is absent because of illness or other sick leave covered reasons must notify their supervisor as early as practical before their shift of work begins and also upon their return. The minimum charge against sick leave will be 15 minutes or multiples thereof. Employees shall use their sick leave balance for FMLA-approved leave.

Upon returning to work from sick leave, an employee is required to complete a leave request form and receive supervisor approval. In the case of absences in excess of three consecutive days, the Human Resources department shall require a doctor’s statement or other acceptable source of proof of illness or injury.

Serious Illness or Injury in the Immediate Family: In the case of illness requiring hospitalization of a member of the employee’s immediate family, contracted administrative, professional support and other non-contracted staff may use up to twenty-four (24) hours annually to attend to the illness of a person in their immediate family. Such absence shall not be charged against personal sick leave. The immediate family shall be interpreted as father, mother, son, daughter, wife, husband, grandmother, grandfather, brother, sister, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and any other member of the immediate household. The granting of this leave is subject to the approval of the Executive Officer. Upon returning to work from sick leave, an employee is required to complete a leave request form and receive supervisor approval. In the case of unusual circumstances, the Director of Human Resources may require a certificate from a medical doctor or other acceptable source as proof of such illness.

Sick leave when unused by an employee may be accumulated from year to year to a maximum of eight hundred (800) hours. Effective July 1, 2016, employees with sick leave balances in excess of 800 hours will be grandfathered and balances will remain as banked, but no additional hours may be accumulated until the sick leave balance is below 800 hours.

Sick leave will automatically terminate on the date of separation or retirement of the employee.

An employee who has accumulated sick leave and whose employment has been reduced to less than half-time is not eligible to utilize or further accumulate sick leave. Such employees who are reinstated within twelve months to a level that qualifies them for sick leave shall be reinstated with sick leave days accumulated at the time of reduction.

DATE OF ADOPTION: 8/20/90
REVISED: 10/20/97; 5/19/03; 9/15/08; 7/18/16
REVIEWED: 5/15/00; 12/18/06; 12/10/18; 08/21/23
LEGAL REFERENCE: (Code of Iowa) 260C.14; 279.40
RELATED ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES: A 11