Teaching Assistants' Association -- University of Wisconsin, Madison / Leave

From CGEU

Section 5. Sick Leave Credit Bank A. Sick Leave Credit Bank

At the beginning of each appointment period an employee will be credited with a bank of sick leave days. The number of days credited to an employe's sick leave bank depends on the length of the appointment period as follows:

1. Employees appointed for an academic or calendar year will be credited with twelve (12) days in their sick leave bank;

2. Employees appointed for one (1) semester will be credited with six (6) days in their sick leave bank;

3. Employees who are appointed for other periods of time shall be credited with days in their sick leave bank based on the formula of one (1) day of sick leave credit for each thirty (30) days (or portion thereof) of their appointment [with a minimum appointment of three (3) weeks].

Unused sick leave shall accumulate as described below from appointment period to appointment period only within the same department and in the same title. Sick leave may not be used in increments of less than one day. At the beginning of each appointment period, the number of sick leave days credited to the employe's sick leave credit bank under 1., 2., and 3., above, shall be supplemented to the following extent by unused sick leave carried over from the employe's immediate previous appointment:

a. At the beginning of an appointment period any combination of sick leave carry over and newly accredited sick leave shall not exceed twelve (12) days.

b. In the event that an individual has a break in appointments in the same department and title between one academic year and the next, or a break of less than two (2) weeks duration at other times during an academic year, sick leave carry over as outlined above shall be provided.

For the purposes of this Section, Program Assistant and Project Assistant are interchangeable titles.

B. Sick Leave for Employees

Employees may use days in their sick leave bank for personal illness, bodily injuries, maternity, or exposure to contagious disease:(1) which requires the employe's confinement; or (2) which renders the employee unable to perform assigned duties; or (3) where performance of assigned duties would jeopardize the employe's health or recovery. In the event the Employer has reason to believe that an employee is abusing the sick leave privilege or may not be physically fit to return to work, the Employer may require a medical certificate or other appropriate verification for absences covered by this Section.

Employees may use sick leave for personal medical and dental appointments which cannot be scheduled at times other than during scheduled work hours. To qualify for use of sick leave under this Section, employees must give the Employer three (3) days advance notice of appointments except when emergency conditions prevail.

C. Sick Leave for Care of Family Member

Employees may use accrued sick leave for temporary emergency care of ill or injured members of the immediate family, or for other family emergencies,v for a limited period of time to permit the employee to make other arrangements. Immediate family is defined as, and limited to: the spouse, the spouse equivalent residing in the household of the employee, parents, stepparents, grandparents, foster parents, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, foster children, brothers (and their spouses), and sisters (and their spouses) of the employee or spouse, and other relatives of the employee or spouse residing in the household of the employee. Use of sick leave for the purposes of this Section is limited to five (5) work days for any one illness or injury; however, the use of sick leave may be extended to cover unusual circumstances provided prior approval of the immediate supervisor is obtained.

D. Funeral Leave

Where death occurs in the employe's immediate family (as defined in Section C., above), sick leave may be used to attend the funeral and/or make necessary arrangements. Sick leave shall normally be used during the seven (7) calendar day period immediately following the death. Where mitigating circumstances require a postponement in funeral arrangements, sick leave may be used at an appropriate later date for directly related purposes. Use of sick leave for death in the immediate family for the purposes of this Section is limited to a total of three (3) work days, plus required travel time not to exceed four (4) work days.

E. Use of Sick Leave Credits

An employe's sick leave bank will be charged for days that an employee does not perform his/her required duties for any of the reasons outlined in Section B., C., or D., above, unless other acceptable arrangements are made including but not limited to:

1. The employee obtains unpaid peer substitute coverage acceptable to the employe's immediate supervisor and the department chair; or

2. The employee makes arrangements with his/her immediate supervisor to fulfill the required duties through other acceptable means; or

3. The employee can fulfill the required duties at a different time and the employe's immediate supervisor agrees to permit the employee to perform those duties at a different time.

In the event that an employee fails to perform his/her required duties because of any of the reasons outlined in Section B., C., or D., above, and the employee has exhausted the days in the employe's sick leave bank, any days missed shall result in the employee being removed from the payroll for such missed days.

If an employee is faced with a loss of salary due to injury, illness, or disability, upon request of the Union, the Union and the University Contract Administrator will meet to explore all reasonable avenues to avoid such loss.

F. Substitutes

Employees using sick leave under this section are not required to find substitutes for that time. The employee shall be responsible for notifying the Department as soon as possible after the need to use sick leave is determined. Nothing in this section shall preclude the Department from asking the employee for assistance in identifying a substitute. Section 6. Leave of Absence without Pay

A. Leave of Absence Without Pay

Except as provided in B., upon written request to his/her immediate supervisor, an employee may be granted leave without pay at the sole discretion of the appointing Department and Dean/Director for any reason for a period of time not to exceed the employe's unexpired term of appointment.

B. Parental Leaves Without Pay

An employee shall be granted leave without pay following childbirth or adoption as follows. An employee shall submit written notification of the duration of the leave to her/his immediate supervisor at least four (4) weeks prior to the anticipated date of birth or adoption.

An employee on a semester or academic year appointment shall be granted leave without pay for any consecutive number of days up to the end of the semester or summer session in which the birth or adoption occurs. If the employe's appointment extends beyond the semester in which the birth or adoption occurs, he/she shall be granted, upon request, leave without pay for the entire next semester or that portion of the next semester which allows the employee a six week period following childbirth or adoption during which the employee does not have work responsibilities. The employee may take any additional part of the next semester as leave without pay subject to the approval of the appointing Department and Dean/Director.

An employee on an annual basis appointment shall be granted leave without pay for a period of time up to, but not exceeding, six (6) months, and not to extend beyond the duration of the appointment.

C. Family Medical Leave

The Employer will recognize the provisions of the Family Leave Act, s. 103.10, Wis. Stats., and the Federal (U.S.) Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, where applicable to employees under this Agreement.

D. Return to Work

An employee on an unpaid leave of absence may return to work prior to the expiration of the leave only upon receiving the express approval of his/her immediate supervisor and the chair/director of the appointing Department.

Such leaves shall not extend the duration of an employe's appointment.

Section 7. Vacation

Employees on a full-time, annual pay basis appointment shall earn paid vacation at a full-time rate of twenty two and one-half (22 1/2) days per fiscal year. Project and Program Assistants appointed on an pay basis other than hourly or lump sum shall earn a proportional amount of paid vacation if their appointment exceeds thirty days. The scheduling of vacation is subject to the approval of the supervisor and must be taken during the period of the appointment. If an employee voluntarily terminates her/his employment prior to the original end date of the appointment and has used anticipated vacation time, the employee may be given the option of reimbursing the Employer by working up to the number of hours taken that were not yet earned. The hours shall be worked before the employee terminates his/her appointment. If the employee chooses not to work these hours or is involuntarily terminated for cause, an adjustment shall be made in the employe's final paycheck to reimburse the Employer for the time that was taken but not yet earned.