(cf. 4161/4261/4361 - Leaves)
(cf. 4161.9/4261.9/4361.9 - Catastrophic Leave Program)
An employee may take sick leave at any time during the school year, even if credit for sick leave has not yet been accrued. (Education Code 44978)
An employee who does not complete a given year of service shall be charged for any unearned sick leave used as of the date of termination of service.
Unused days of sick leave shall be accumulated from year to year without limitation. (Education Code 44978)
At the beginning of each school year, employees shall be notified of the amount of sick leave they have accumulated.
Any certificated employee who leaves the district after at least one school year of employment and accepts a certificated position in another district, county office of education, or community college district within one year shall have transferred with him/her the total amount of accumulated sick leave. The district shall not require new employees to waive leave accumulated in a previous district. (Education Code 44979, 44980)
Sick leave may be used by a certificated employee for absences due to:
1. Temporary inability to perform his/her duties because of illness, accident, or quarantine, whether or not the cause of the absence arises out of and in the course of employment (Education Code 44964)
(cf. 4157.1/4257.1/4357.1 - Work-Related Injuries)
2. Pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, and recovery (Education Code 44965, 44978)
(cf. 4161.8/4261.8/4361.8 - Family Care and Medical Leave)
3. Personal necessity (Education Code 44981)
(cf. 4161.2/4261.2/4361.2 - Personal Leaves)
4. Medical and dental appointments, in increments of not less than one hour
5. Industrial accidents or illnesses when leave granted specifically for that purpose has been exhausted (Education Code 44984)
(cf. 4161.11/4361.11 - Industrial Accident/Illness Leave)
6. Illness of the employee's child, parent, spouse, registered domestic partner, or domestic partner's child in an amount not less than the sick leave that would be accrued by the employee during six months at his/her then current rate of entitlement (Labor Code 233)
An employee shall notify the district of his/her need to be absent as soon as such need is known, so that substitute services may be secured. This notification shall include an estimate of the expected duration of absence. If the absence becomes longer than estimated, the employee shall so notify the district. If the duration of absence becomes shorter than estimated, the employee shall notify the district not later than 3 p.m. of the day preceding the day on which he/she intends to return to work. If failure to so notify the district results in a substitute being secured, the cost of the substitute shall be deducted from the employee's pay.
(cf. 4121 - Temporary/Substitute Personnel)
Continued Absence After Available Sick Leave Is Exhausted
During each school year, when a certificated employee has exhausted all available sick leave, including all accumulated sick leave, and, due to illness or injury, continues to be absent from his/her duties for an additional period up to five school months, the employee shall receive his/her regular salary minus the actual cost of a substitute to fill the position. If the district has made every reasonable effort to secure the services of a substitute and has been unable to do so, the amount that would have been paid to a substitute shall be deducted from the employee's salary. (Education Code 44977)
An employee shall not be provided more than one five-month period per illness or injury. However, if the school year ends before the five-month period is exhausted, the employee may take the balance of the five-month period in a subsequent school year. (Education Code 44977)
If a certificated employee is not medically able to resume his/her duties after the five-month period provided pursuant to Education Code 44977, the employee shall be placed either in another position or on a reemployment list. Placement on the reemployment list shall be for 24 months for probationary employees or 39 months for permanent employees and shall begin at the expiration of the five-month period. If during this time the employee becomes medically able, he/she shall be returned to employment in a position for which he/she is credentialed and qualified. (Education Code 44978.1)
(cf. 4116 - Probationary/Permanent Status)
Verification Requirements
After any absence due to illness or injury, the employee shall verify the absence by submitting a completed and signed district absence form to his/her immediate supervisor.
The Superintendent or designee may, at any time, require additional written verification by the employee's physician or other authorized health care provider. Such verification shall be required whenever an employee's absence record shows chronic absenteeism or a pattern of absences immediately before or after weekends and/or holidays or whenever clear evidence indicates that an absence is not related to illness or injury.
The Superintendent or designee may require an employee to visit a physician selected by the district, at district expense, in order to receive a report on the medical condition of the employee. The report shall include a statement as to the employee's need for further leave of absence and a prognosis as to when the employee will be able to return to work. If the report concludes that the employee's condition does not warrant continued absence, the Superintendent or designee may, after giving notice to the employee, deny further leave.
Before returning to work, an employee who has been absent for surgery, hospitalization, or extended medical treatment may be asked to submit a letter from his/her physician stating that he/she is able to return to duty and stipulating any necessary restrictions or limitations.
(cf. 4032 - Reasonable Accommodation)
(cf. 4113.4/4213.4/4313.4 - Temporary Modified/Light-Duty Assignment)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
44964 Power to grant leave of absence in case of illness, accident, or quarantine
44965 Granting of leaves of absence for pregnancy and childbirth
44976 Transfer of leave rights when school is transferred to another district
44977 Salary deduction during absence from duties up to five months after sick leave is exhausted
44978 Provisions for sick leave of certificated employees
44978.1 Inability to return to duty; placement in another position or on reemployment list
44979 Transfer of accumulated sick leave to another district
44980 Transfer of accumulated sick leave to a county office of education
44981 Leave of absence for personal necessity
44983 Exception to sick leave when district adopts specific rule
44984 Industrial accident or illness
44986 Leave of absence for disability allowance applicant
LABOR CODE
220 Sections inapplicable to public employees
233 Illness of child, parent, spouse or domestic partner
234 Absence control policy
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
5601 Transfer of accumulated sick leave
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
2000ff-2000ff-11 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
COURT DECISIONS
Veguez v. Governing Board of Long Beach Unified School District, (2005) 127 Cal.App.4th 406
Regulation COLLEGE SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: November 9, 2010 Santa Ynez, California