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E. Paid Leave Benefits

MAXIMUM LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Many types of leaves of absences are provided by the University.  When a leave is approved, the requesting faculty or staff member shall be notified of the approved length of the leave of absence. The general rule is that no leave of absence shall extend beyond twelve (12) months from the start of the leave. In special situations, this twelve month maximum leave period may be extended by the University.  If you believe that you need an additional period beyond the twelve month leave maximum period, please provide a written request to the Human Resources Department stating the reason for the extension.  Typically, unless an exception has been granted, after a 12-month leave of absence,  employment will terminate and benefits will cease per the termination rules for each benefit plan.

  1. Holidays
The University recognizes and observes ten (10) paid holidays each year:

New Year's Days*(2)   Labor Day
Good Friday               Thanksgiving Day
Memorial Day             Day after Thanksgiving
Independence Day      Christmas Days* (2)

*The University gives two paid days for both the Christmas and New Years holidays. Staff are annually advised of the holiday schedule.

Generally, when a university holiday falls on Sunday, the university will observe the following Monday as the holiday. If a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as the holiday.

To receive holiday pay, the employee must be in “pay status” the day before and the day after the holiday. To be in “pay status” means that the employee is either actually at work or on a paid leave. The holiday is a 24 hour period that begins at 12:01 a.m. on the holiday established by the university.
Part-time staff are entitled to receive payment for only those holidays that occur during their normal work schedule, and the payment will be prorated.

Hourly staff who are required to work on a holiday will receive pay at one and one-half times their regular rate for the actual hours worked on the holiday and will be given a day off (of equal time) at another time within same pay period.

If an employee has terminated employment, he or she will not receive pay for any holiday occurring after the last day worked, even when the holiday falls within the period of projected terminal vacation leave.

  2. Vacations
Wittenberg’s vacation plan is designed to support the general well-being of university staff, and, therefore, the university expects and encourages all employees to take all of their accrued vacation time. Vacation requests must be approved by your supervisor and should normally be planned either in the summer months or when university classes are not in session during the academic year. The university reserves the right to assign vacation periods according to the needs of the department and may deny requests that could jeopardize the smooth running of the university. A staff member’s preference will be respected whenever possible. Except for unforeseen emergencies, please schedule your vacation time well in advance with your supervisor.

Holidays that occur during your vacation are not charged against your vacation balance.

Vacation should normally be taken in full day increments and may not be taken in less than one-hour
increments.

  a. Carry-overs
If circumstances prevent an hourly staff member from taking all accrued vacation time by December 31 of the calendar year, he or she may carry over a maximum of five days. Administrative staff may carry over a maximum of 10 days into the next calendar year. Generally, carry-over vacation must be taken prior to June 30 of that year. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with supervisors and the Human Resources department.

  b. Vacation Calculations for Full-time Administrative Staff
A full-time administrative staff member is eligible for one (1) month of vacation per calendar year. A month is defined as twenty-four (24) working days. Vacation time is prorated from the date of hire at the rate of 2.08 days per month for a total of 6.25 days per quarter. Administrative staff may take vacation after three (3) months of continuous full-time employment. At that time, the staff member may take as vacation all time accrued thus far and all time that he or she will accrue by the end of the calendar year.

You and your supervisor are responsible for keeping a record of all vacation time you have used and to file reports as directed by the Human Resources department.

  C. Vacation Calculations for Hourly Staff
The number of vacation hours earned by an hourly staff member is determined by the following table, which illustrates standard annual hours worked. All vacation leave is prorated based on the actual number of hours in “pay status” per year.

Amount of Vacation per Years of Service

Years of Service*	2,080 Annual Hours	1,920 Annual Hours	1,760 Annual Hours	1,560 Annual Hours
1 through 6 7 through 13 14 through 19 20 or more	80 hours 120 hours 160 hours 200 hours	73 hours 110 hours 147 hours 165 hours	67 hours 100 hours 133 hours 151 hours	60 hours 90 hours 120 hours 135 hours

*Years of service are calculated by using the number of service years an employee will complete at any point within a given calendar year.

New hourly staff hired before June 30 are given one (1) week vacation during the initial year of employment. Hourly staff hired after June 30 are not eligible for vacation benefits until January 1 of the following year. New hourly staff are given two (2) weeks of vacation in the following year regardless of date of hire. Vacation hours are awarded at the beginning of each calendar year based on the number of annual hours the hourly staff member worked during the prior year. Vacation hours may be used before they have actually been accrued.

  d. Termination with Unaccrued Vacation Taken
If you leave the university and have taken vacation time that has not yet accrued to you, you will be responsible to reimburse the university.

  3. Paid Sick Leave
Paid sick leave is a benefit provided by the university so that your salary may continue when illness or injury, including disability from pregnancy and/or childbirth, precludes your attendance at work. The university’s unpaid policy under the Family and Medical Leave Act appears as Appendix A. The
amount of the benefit that may be available to you is calculated as follows:

  a. Paid Sick Leave Calculations for Hourly Staff
Full-time hourly staff accumulate one day of sick leave for each full month of work in “pay status.” To be in “pay status" means you are either actually at work or on a paid leave. Hourly staff may accumulate paid sick leave to a maximum of 720 hours, and sick leave begins to accumulate with your
first day of employment. Paid sick leave is prorated for part-time I hourly staff. Part-time II hourly staff are not eligible for paid leave.

In no event may sick leave be used in increments of less than one hour. When scheduling sick leave for a medical appointment, you are required to give at least 24 hours’ notice to your supervisor. If illness prevents you from reporting to work, you are required to notify your supervisor as far in advance as possible and in no case later than one-half (½) hour after the time you were scheduled to begin work.

Sick leave is not paid until it is earned. Time paid for sick leave does not count as time worked when calculating overtime for the week. Your sick leave benefit record can be found on each pay check statement. If you believe there is an error with the record, please contact the Human Resources Department as soon as possible.

Short-term disability coverage is effective on the first of the month following the date of employment for full-time hourly staff members. After a 30-day waiting period, this plan provides eligible participants with income replacement of 60 percent for a period up to six months.

  b. Paid Sick Leave Calculations for Administrative Staff
Full-time administrative staff are entitled to one month, defined as 24 days, of paid sick leave for each year worked up to a maximum of six months. The available sick leave benefit is calculated by adjusting the years of service accrual by the amount of sick leave used. For example, if an administrative staff member uses all accumulated sick leave during a calendar year, the following year is considered as the first year of employment and would be limited to one month of sick leave.

For part-time administrative staff members, short-term sick leave is prorated. Sick leave begins to accumulate with your first day of employment, and the amount you may take will be prorated during your first year of employment. Eligibility begins immediately on your first day of work.

Long term disability coverage is effective after a one-year waiting period for fill-time administrative staff. See “Health and Welfare Benefits” for more information.

  c. Use of Sick Leave
Paid sick leave is to be used for personal illness or for scheduled medical appointments. Four days per calendar year may be used to care for dependents who are ill. Use of paid sick time to care for a parent, spouse, or child with a serious health condition is described in section 6 on page 29. Sick leave accrual is based only on time spent in “pay status” and is not accumulated when you are on leave without pay. When using sick leave, you are expected to keep your supervisor informed of your condition and the date you expect to return to work.

If you are on sick leave because of a workplace accident, your sick leave benefit will be adjusted in accordance with the payments made to you for the same illness or injury under the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act. In other words, you will not receive the benefit twice.

When an illness or injury results in an absence from work of six or more days or requires frequent, intermittent, or unusual absences, you are required to contact Human Resources and may be asked to obtain a Family and Medical Leave physician's statement. This form explains the nature of the health condition and an evaluation of your ability to resume your essential job functions. However, the university retains the right to require a physician's statement for any absence. An absence from work of six or more days is generally counted against the 12-week FMLA period as explained in Appendix A.

The university’s paid sick leave provisions are generous and are intended to provide for you during periods of illness. Sick leave is not an entitlement and is not earned wages; therefore, upon your resignation, layoff, termination, or retirement you will not receive payment for accumulated sick leave.
Eligible administrative staff who have an illness that extends beyond six months have coverage under the university’s long-term disability insurance program.

  d. Back to Work After Sick Leave
Wittenberg values the safety, health, and well-being of all staff. Should you become injured or ill, it is important that you return to employment as early as is medically possible, but not before your treating physician provides you with a release indicating that it is medically safe for you to do so. If you miss
more than five consecutive days of work, you are required to submit a medical release to the Human Resources department before you can return to work.

Light-duty assignments will be developed where possible for staff who are unable to return to their normal duties while recovering from injuries. If you request a light-duty assignment, your medical provider may be contacted to furnish information on the nature of the work you are medically able to
perform. Light-duty assignments will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may last up to three months.

Should you be assigned to light duty, you will be expected to follow the advice of your medical provider. If you have trouble performing these duties, let your supervisor know immediately. You will be required to follow-up with your medical provider, who may be asked to provide the university with a written report on your medical status.

Wittenberg reserves the right to ask for a second and/or third medical opinion at its expense if it is concerned about the medical ability of an employee to return to work or to perform light duties. If you believe you are a disabled individual subject to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university’s policy is reprinted at Appendix F.

  4. Maternity Leave
Maternity leave runs concurrent with the university’s Family Medical Leave Act policy reprinted as Appendix A. A staff member is entitled to use all accrued sick pay for the period she is physically unable to work because of childbirth. If the staff member does not have sufficient sick pay to cover the
full maternity leave period, unpaid leave may be used. The disability period for a maternity leave is determined by the attending physician's certification and is generally an eight-week period.

If you become pregnant, please advise your supervisor when your pregnancy is verified and set up a tentative schedule approved by your physician establishing when you will cease work and return to work. In addition, submit a written request for maternity leave to the Human Resources department. Normally, a staff member should make this request no later than the fourth month of pregnancy and should include the expected date of delivery and proposed maternity leave.

Should you be unable to come to work or unable to perform your job duties satisfactorily before your intended date of departure, the university may request information from your physician verifying your condition. Short-term infrequent absences for illness resulting from pregnancy are charged to your accumulated sick leave.

Before your return to work after a maternity leave, you are required to submit a medical release to the Human Resources department. Also, when disability makes it necessary for the maternity leave to exceed an eight-week period, a medical release signed by your physician is required.

  5. Childbirth Leave
In addition to maternity leave available to a mother who is physically unable to work because of childbirth, the university will also permit male and female employees to take up to eight weeks of paid leave to care for a child under certain circumstances. If eligible for leave under this policy, the employee’s accrued sick leave shall be reduced on a day-to-day basis (any portion of the leave which exceeds the employee’s accrued sick leave shall be unpaid). Both paid and unpaid leave under this policy shall run concurrent with the Family and Medical Leave Act benefit.

  a. General requirements.
Leave to care for a child under this policy is only available to one parent if both parents are employed by the university. Similarly, the birth or adoption of multiple children is considered one event under this policy. The paid leave under this policy is only available to employees who are the sole caretaker of the child from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Finally, the leave of absence must be initiated within three months of the birth or adoption of the child.\

  b. Pre-leave notice.
To be eligible for leave under this policy, the employee must notify his or her supervisor and the Human Resources Office as early as possible. The request should be in writing, and it should state the expected date and desired duration of the leave. The failure to timely notify the university may result in the denial or delay of a leave under this policy.

  c. Adoption eligibility.
An employee is eligible for a paid leave under this policy for the adoption of a child if two factors are present. First, the adopted child must be six years old or younger at the time of the adoption. Second, the leave of absence must be initiated no later than three months after the adoption.

  d. Outside employment.
Employees on leaves pursuant to this policy may not accept employment elsewhere without written permission from the Human Resources Office.

  6. Paid Leave to Care for Parent, Spouse, or Child with a Serious Health
Condition Eligible employees may use up to four weeks of accrued sick leave per calendar year to care for a parent, spouse, or child suffering from a serious health condition. This paid leave runs concurrent with the Family and Medical Leave Act benefit.

To be eligible for paid leave under this policy, three conditions must be met. First, the requested leave must qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act benefit. Second, the employee must provide as much advance notice as practicable. Finally, leave under this policy is only available to employees who are the sole caretaker of the parent, spouse, or child from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

  7. Personal Days for Hourly Staff
The university provides personal days to cover short (usually one-day or less) absences that occur for personal reasons. Personal leave may not be used in increments of less than one hour, and generally it is not intended to extend a vacation. Except for unforeseen events, advance notice and supervisor approval are required for the scheduling of these days. Supervisors may deny any request for personal leave that might adversely affect the operation or services of the university.

At the beginning of each calendar year, regular full-time hourly staff are entitled to two (2) paid personal days. One additional personal day is earned for each four-month period in which the employee does not miss more than eight (8) hours of work because of illness or leave without pay.

The four-month periods are:

January - April
May - August
September - December

Hourly staff must take personal days during the calendar year in which they are granted. Personal days earned during the last quarter of the year may be carried over to the following calendar year.

New hourly staff who work a partial calendar year are given one (1) personal day after 60 days of employment. A second day is provided if the employee completes six (6) months of service during the same calendar year.

  8. Paid Bereavement Leave
If there is a death in your immediate family, you are entitled to up to three consecutive working days to handle family affairs and attend the funeral. This paid leave should normally be taken during the period beginning with the date of death and ending the day after interment. The University provides one (1) additional day for required travel beyond a 250-mile radius. For this policy, the University defines “immediate family” as current spouse, children and stepchildren, parents, stepparent and legal guardians, grandparents, siblings and step-siblings, grandchildren, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, motherin- law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and grandparents-in-law.

Should you need additional time, you may request to use accrued vacation or personal time or time off
without pay.

  9. Court Duty
The university views court duty as a civic responsibility. To be eligible for court leave, you must have been subpoenaed by a court for jury duty or to appear as a witness.

If you need to appear in court on matters pertaining to your own personal interests, such as child custody, divorce, traffic violations, felony charges, civil suits, etc., such time will not be compensated. You may request to use any earned vacation or personal leave.

It is expected that any time an employee has been dismissed by the court for the day, within working hours, the employee will return to work for the balance of the day. On days when you are subject to call but do not expect to be engaged in court duty, you are expected to report to work.

Please contact your supervisor promptly after receiving notification to appear and send a copy of the summons to Human Resources.

  10. Paid Study Leave for Administrative Staff (Sabbatical Leave)
The university encourages the intellectual and professional development of its administrative staff. A study leave is intended for the mutual benefit of the university and the person granted a leave. It is a privilege that may be granted to eligible members of the administrative staff, upon the recommendation of the respective vice president and approval of the president.

A. ELIGIBILITY – Members of the administrative staff who have been employed by the university on a full-time basis for six consecutive years.

B. LEAVE PLANS - Paid study leave will be awarded to eligible administrative staff for a maximum period not to exceed one month (20 paid work days).  In rare instances, study leave requests deemed to be vitally important to the functioning of a given department or office could be approved for a maximum period not to exceed one semester (60 paid work days).

C. PROPOSAL –Proposals should be specific, measurable, and clearly related to university or departmental goals and objectives and should include the following information:

i. Beginning date of continuous full-time employment at Wittenberg.

ii. Beginning and ending date of the proposed leave.

iii. A list of any previous leave periods together with full information regarding any Wittenberg financial contribution during the period of the leave or leaves.

iv. A detailed description of the program to be undertaken by the applicant during the leave and a statement about the relationship of the proposed program to the applicant's professional field and the relationship to departmental or university goals.

vii. The effect of the applicant’s absences on the work of the department together with a written approval from the applicant’s immediate supervisor.

viii. Any compelling urgency, such as the receipt of a fellowship, the need to meet a publisher’s deadline, etc.

ix. Any other pertinent information.

D. CONDITIONS -  Professional development leave requests will be considered provided that such a leave will benefit the university and the individual and shall not adversely affect either the budget or operational efficiency of the university.

An individual granted professional development leave must agree to return to the university for at least one full year following the termination of such leave. An administrator granted a leave, who has not returned to the university for at least one (1) year, shall repay the salary received from the university during the leave period.

Within one month after the end of the leave, the administrator is required to submit a brief written report, or other agreed upon deliverable, to his or her immediate supervisor and respective vice president or provost

E. APPROVAL - Applicants should first send their written proposal to their immediate supervisor. Upon the approval of the immediate supervisor, the proposal should be sent to the respective vice president or provost. 

Upon the recommendation of the respective vice president or provost, the request will be reviewed by the president’s senior staff for review with the final approval resting with the president. At the president's discretion, the university may impose limitations on the granting of study leaves.