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Sick Leave
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Sick Leave (Accrual of Leave) |
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(a) An employee, except a part-time employee, shall accumulate sick leave with pay at the rate of one (1) working day per month.
(b) An employee shall have worked or been on paid leave, other than educational leave, for 100 or more regular hours in a month to accrue sick leave.
(c) An employee shall be credited with additional sick leave upon the first day of the month following the month in which the sick leave is earned.
(d) A full-time employee who completes 120 months of total service with the state shall be credited with ten (10) additional days of sick leave upon the first day of the month following the completion of 120 months of service.
(e) A full-time employee who completes 240 months of total service with the state shall be credited with another ten (10) additional days of sick leave upon the first day of the month following the completion of 240 months of service. An employee with 240 or more months of service at the time of implementation of this section shall have the additional ten (10) days credited to the sick leave balance.
(f) In computing months of total service for the purpose of crediting sick leave, only the months for which an employee earned sick leave shall be counted.
(g) The total service shall be verified before the leave is credited to the employee's record.
(h) A former employee who has been rehired, except as provided in paragraph (i) of this subsection, shall receive credit for prior service, unless the employee had been dismissed as a result of misconduct or a violation of KRS 18A.140, 18A.145, or 18A.990.
(i) A former employee who is appointed, reinstated or reemployed, other than a former employee receiving benefits under a state retirement system, shall be credited with the unused sick leave balance credited to him upon separation.
(j) Sick leave may be accumulated with no maximum.
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Rules on Sick Leave Use |
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As with annual leave, you are required to get advance leave approval for such non-emergency sick leave as doctor's appointments. If your need to use sick leave prevents advance notice, you are expected to call your supervisor or his or her designee as soon as possible. Remember, the same penalties that apply to unauthorized annual leave also apply to unauthorized sick leave when the absence is not a medical emergency. When you cannot give adequate notice, a timely telephone report to your supervisor may prevent your absence from being considered unauthorized.
At the termination of sick leave with pay, your agency will return you to your former position.
At the time of your retirement, you will receive service time credit for unused sick leave in accordance with the conversion chart maintained by the Kentucky Retirement Systems. Actual credit is determined by the Retirement Systems per their regulation.
Sick leave with pay may be used when you have a medical, dental, or optical appointment. You may also use earned sick leave if you:
- are sick or injured;
- are pregnant;
- are caring for a sick or injured member of your immediate family for a reasonable period of time;
- would jeopardize the health of yourself or others at work;
- have lost by death a parent, child, brother, sister, their spouse, or any other person as specified in the regulations. (three days limit).
Your agency may limit the amount of time granted for the above conditions and may require a doctor's certificate to document your condition.
Sick leave may be used in 15-minute units.
A former employee who is appointed, reinstated, or reemployed, other than a former employee receiving benefits under a state retirement system, shall be credited with the unused sick leave balance credited to him upon separation.
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Why Save Your Sick Leave? |
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If you ever get sick or injured and you have to be absent from work for a long time, hopefully you will have enough sick leave and other leave to cover your absence. If you don't have enough leave time, chances are you will go "Off the Payroll", and be in a leave-of-absence-without-pay status. Below are some of the consequences of going "Off the Payroll" for a lengthy period of illness:
- You won't be paid your salary.
- You won't be paid for any Holidays that fall during your period of leave without pay.
- You won't earn vacation and sick leave during this period.
- You may have to work extra months to become a "Career Employee" or to qualify for retirement. Remember that you have to work, or be on paid leave (other than educational leave with pay), for 100 or more hours per month to gain service credit for the month.
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*5. |
You must pay for your dependents' and your health insurance premiums, which would normally be deducted from your paychecks. |
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*6. |
You must pay for your Group Life Insurance premiums, which would normally be deducted from your paychecks. |
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*7. |
You will have to make your own payment arrangements for any normally payroll-deducted loans, insurance, etc. |
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Sick Leave With Pay |
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Each state employee who works, or is on paid leave (other than educational leave with pay), for 100 or more hours per month accumulates sick leave with pay at the rate of one day per month. There is no limit to the number of sick days you may accumulate.
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Sick Leave Without Pay |
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If you are sick or injured, you may take sick leave without pay for up to one year. To do so, you must complete the appropriate leave request form in your agency and furnish a medical certificate signed by a doctor certifying your specific condition.
If you take sick leave without pay, you may request to retain 10 days of your earned sick leave with pay in your sick leave balance for later use after you return to work. Whether or not you choose to use all of your sick leave with pay before taking leave without pay is up to you. When you are ready to return to work from sick leave without pay and have notified your agency of your ability to perform your job duties and have provided the appropriate medical documentation, your agency must return you to a position for which you are qualified and which resembles your former position as closely as circumstances permit. If you do not notify your agency of your readiness to work, your agency will notify you ten days before your sick leave without pay runs out. An employee who is unable to return to work at the end of one (1) year of sick leave without pay, after being requested to return to work at least (10) days prior to the expiration of such sick leave, shall be considered resigned by the appointing authority only if the appointing authority has been unable to place the employee in a vacant, budgeted position, with the same agency, for which the employee qualifies. The employee shall be given priority consideration for such vacant position, if he is capable of performing its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
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Sick Leave Sharing Program |
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In the event of a prolonged or catastrophic illness or injury, or an extended absence due to illness of a family member, eligible employees who accrue sick leave and who have exhausted their leave balances may have sick leave donated to them by other eligible state employees. Information on this program and the forms needed to receive or donate leave may be obtained from your Human Resource Administrator.
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Sick Leave Abuse |
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Your earned sick leave with pay is intended as a benefit for you to use at those times when you have a bona fide need for it. As your employer, the state has defined the terms for using sick leave very broadly, recognizing that there are many circumstances other than your own unexpected illness when you might justifiably claim sick leave. Sick leave cannot, however, be used for unnecessary occasions when it would be convenient for you to be absent. For those times, you must apply for annual or compensatory leave. The employee who abuses sick leave causes either a work slow-down or places an unfair strain upon fellow workers who must do the work in his or her absences. In consideration for your fellow workers, your agency, and the people state government serves, spend your sick leave time wisely. Remember that a large amount of accumulated sick leave with pay is your cheapest form of disability insurance.
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Sick Leave Longevity Award |
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Employees whose career work for the state reaches 120 months receive a bonus of 10 additional sick leave days in consideration for their service. After completion of 240 months, employees will receive 10 additional days of sick leave.
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