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HR – Procedure 380

Section 300
Proc. 380
Subject: Sick Leave
Effective: 07/01/78
Revision (7): 08/01/2019

Sick leave usage for employees is documented on their timesheet. (For rules on usage of annual leave and sick leave preceding leave of absence see Policy and Procedure 355, Leave of Absence.)

When employees are sick for three or more days, the department or supervisor needs to contact UTSI Human Resources to determine Family Medical Leave eligibility (See HR Procedure 338). The department will submit the Family and Medical Leave Request Form. The form needs to be completed but does not have to be signed by the employee. Once the form is submitted, Human Resources will initiate the Family and Medical Leave process and determine eligibility. Sick Leave will run concurrent to Family and Medical Leave.

A prognosis report from the physician may be required on a monthly basis for extended periods of sick leave usage. Employees do not accumulate sick leave nor are they eligible to use it during leaves of absence without pay.

Saturdays and Sundays falling within a period of paid sick leave shall not be charged to sick leave unless such days are normal work days for that employee. Official holidays and days of administrative closing falling within a period of paid sick leave are charged as holidays and days of administrative closing rather than sick leave. Under certain conditions, unused sick leave accumulation may be counted as creditable service at retirement.

Annual leave accrued in excess of the maximum will be transferred to sick leave at the end of each calendar year.

If an employee is a member of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), all of his/her unused sick leave at the time of retirement will be applied to creditable service as additional time worked. Approximately twenty-one unused days of sick leave accumulation equates to one month of creditable service. The employee’s retirement income is thus increased in proportion to the additional creditable service.

A terminated employee’s sick leave balance may be transferred to another state of Tennessee institution or department upon request, provided the leave balance can be verified from official records.