6.1 Holidays

On an annual basis, the Board of Trustees reissues a policy statement specifying which days the College will be closed for holidays and when College holidays will be observed if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Collective bargaining agreements should be consulted to determine specific holiday policies for appropriate bargaining unit staff.

The College generally identifies 17 official public and special holidays each fiscal year. Typically, these are Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, Winter Break week (Christmas Day through New Year’s Day), Memorial Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Spring Break week (the first full week in March). Any additional scheduled holidays are identified each spring when the annual schedule is announced.

Employees who observe religious or other special days may use personal days (if eligible) or a vacation day to accommodate this need. Employees should request the time in advance by providing a notice to their supervisors and must receive approval from their supervisors.

6.1.1 Eligibility for Holiday Pay

To be eligible for holiday pay, employees must work as scheduled on the workday preceding and the workday following the holiday. This requirement is waived if the day preceding and the day following is a pre-approved vacation or personal day(s), approved sick leave or an excused absence.

Employees working part-time schedules will be paid for holidays only if the holiday falls on a normally scheduled workday. Holiday pay for part-time employees is based on the number of hours that the employee would normally have been scheduled to work in a regular pay period.

For further information, contact the Human Resources Department at extension 8035.

6.2 Vacation

The College provides paid vacation to eligible staff and twelve-month faculty. Vacation time starts to accrue on the first day of employment. Time is credited to vacation banks following the second pay of each month. Vacation time must be accrued before the time can be taken. Vacation time may not be borrowed from a future allocation.

All vacation schedules are subject to department operational needs. Vacation can only be used with the approval of a supervisor in advance of actual use. Requests for vacations should be in writing to avoid misunderstandings and reduce conflicts.

Limitations exist regarding the rollover of accrued unused vacation time depending upon the unique employee classification. For comprehensive information regarding vacation benefits eligibility and rollover limitations, please see benefits eligibility.

6.2.1 Two Weeks’ Notice Requirement for Payout of Accrued Vacation

Earned unused vacation time will only be paid out upon separation from employment if a staff member provides the College at least two weeks’ prior notice of the date of separation. If an administrative or confidential staff member is terminated for cause, unused vacation is forfeited and will not be paid out. Grant Administrative staff, however, are not eligible for a cash-out of accrued unused time.

The maximum amount of paid vacation time at separation is 450 hours for classified and confidential staff and 345 hours for full-time 12-month faculty and administrative staff.

Typically, the vacation payout is issued with the next regular payroll cycle following a final paycheck.

For further information regarding vacation benefits, contact the Human Resources Department at extension 8035.

6.3 Personal Leave Time

Personal time typically requires prior approval and may be used for activities such as religious holidays or routine doctor appointments. Personal leave time taken for emergency situations does not require prior supervisory approval. Classified and confidential staff are eligible for 30 hours of personal time per calendar year. Administrative staff are eligible for 22.5 hours of personal time per fiscal year. Twelve-month full-time faculty are eligible for two (2) days of personal time per year.

Personal time is prorated for employment of less than one year. Personal time will not accrue or be paid out upon leaving the employment of the College or upon retirement, nor may personal time be carried over from one year to the next.

You can access information at benefits eligibility.

6.4 Sick Leave

6.4.1 One Hour Notification

When an employee is unable to report to work due to illness or injury, the employee must notify his/her supervisor, except in emergencies, no later than one hour before the start of the shift. Individual work units may have special or more restrictive notification rules.

6.4.2 Sick Leave Eligibility – Classified and Confidential Employees

Classified and confidential staff receive a bank of sick time on January 1 of each year. During the first year of service, sick time accrues at a rate of one day a month after the 15th day of the month. Employees hired by the 15th of the month will earn a sick day for that month. Employees hired after the 15th of the month will not earn a sick day for that month. Sick time is earned during the probationary period, but cannot be used until the probationary period is completed. After the first full year of employment, 12 sick days are available on January 1 of each year. Sick time will accumulate from year to year, up to a maximum of 120 days. A classified or confidential employee may use up to four (4) sick days a year for the care of a dependent, except during restricted periods and provided that personal days are exhausted. Classified or confidential staff may use three (3) sick days per year for the purpose of preventative medical care without providing documentation of the preventive medical care visit. Employees shall inform their supervisor of sick days used for this purpose.

6.4.3 Sick Leave Eligibility – Full Time Administrators and Full Time Faculty

Full-time administrators and full-time faculty are paid at 100% for sick days with the appropriate documentation. Full-time faculty unable to meet classes due to illness must inform the department chair or designee to arrange collegial coverage. Full-time administrative staff must notify his/her immediate supervisor prior to the start of the normal work day.

6.4.4 Doctor’s Note Requirement for Three or More Days Sick

A faculty or staff member absence of three (3) or more days requires a doctor’s note indicating the dates of absence covered and return to work fitness for duty. This note is required on the date the employee returns to work. The note must be sent to the Human Resources Benefits Office. The employee’s supervisor must complete and forward to the Human Resources Office a Confidential Form (C-Form) for any employee absent more than one week.

For additional information, contact the Human Resources Benefits Office at Extension 8038. (See also Disability.)

6.4.5 Sick Leave Abuse

The College maintains the right to require an employee to provide a doctor’s note as proof of illness for each full or partial absence if sick leave abuse (for example, a pattern of sick leave absences) is present. The Associate Vice President for Human Resources and/or the Director, Human Resources must be consulted if a supervisor is concerned about possible sick leave abuse.

6.5 Spring Break and Winter Break

6.5.1 Spring Break

The College will be closed for the full week of Spring Break with no charge to personal or vacation time for administrative, classified and confidential staff or twelve-month faculty.

6.5.2  Winter Break

The College is closed for Winter Break from Christmas day through New Year’s day. Typically, the College will close at 12:00 noon on December 24th if it is a work day.

Employees will be required to use two days of vacation or personal time during this period. (If vacation or personal time is not available, the time will be unpaid time.) The remaining time is considered paid holiday time. This rule applies to full-time administrators, full-time classified and confidential staff, and twelve-month faculty. Twelve-month faculty may work out alternative work schedules with their supervisor in lieu of a vacation charge.

Part-time classified employees will be required to use vacation and/or personal hours for two days in order to receive full pay for the holiday period. Employees in this employment status that do not have vacation and/or personal time available will take the two days as unpaid leave.

For further information, contact the Human Resources Office at extension 8035.

6.6 Family and Medical Leave

Please refer to the Human Resources website and Section 3.13 of this Handbook. View the FMLA Employee Rights to get initial information regarding family and medical leave.

Please contact the Human Resources Benefits office for further information.

6.7 Bereavement Leave

6.7.1 Bereavement Leave Eligibility - Full-time Administrative Staff and Full-Time Faculty

In the event a full-time faculty member or a full-time administrator suffers a death in his/her immediate family, s/he shall receive a leave of absence with pay for five (5) College working days. “Immediate family” is defined as parent, spouse, child, brother or sister. 

A leave of absence with pay of three (3) College working days will be granted upon the death of any of the following:  mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparent or a person who is a member of the employee’s household at date of death, including a person who left the household to go to a nursing home or hospital.

Any additional leave taken should be taken as personal leave or vacation time.

To the view the policy (Policy 260), please access Administrative Vacation and Other Leave Time Policy.
 

6.7.2 Bereavement Leave Eligibility - Full-Time Classified and Full-Time Confidential Employees

If a full-time classified or confidential employee suffers a death of a parent (including step-parent), spouse, child, stepchildren, brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild, s/he will receive a leave of absence with pay for five (5) consecutive working days. If an employee suffers a death of a parent-in-law, s/he will receive a leave of absence of five (5) consecutive days, with pay only for each of the above days that is a regularly scheduled work day for that employee.

For the loss of an ex-spouse, an employee may receive one (1) work day to attend the funeral in order to care for the needs of a dependent child of the employee and ex-spouse.

Bereavement leave begins either on the date of the funeral, or the date of the death, as elected by the employee.

6.7.3 Bereavement Leave Eligibility - Part-Time Classified and Part-Time Confidential Employees

Part-time classified and confidential employees who work less hours than the regular full-time work week are entitled to paid bereavement leave as set forth in 6.7.2 above. The paid leave is based on the number of hours the employee would have been scheduled to work at the time of the bereavement leave.

6.7.4 Bereavement Leave Eligibility - Part-Time Faculty

If a part-time faculty member suffers a death in his/her immediate family and the absence can be covered collegially, s/he will receive a leave of absence for one full work week and shall be paid for any scheduled work days that fall within that week. Immediate family shall be defined as parent, spouse, child, brother or sister.

6.8 Jury Duty and Court Appearances

6.8.1 Jury Duty and Court Appearances - Administrative Staff

Any full-time administrative or full-time grant administrative employee scheduled for jury duty or for whom it is otherwise necessary to appear in any court (except court appearances relating to traffic and/or parking violations) or before any governmental agency, shall be excused from his/her normal duties for such appearance without loss of pay provided that a copy of the subpoena issued by the court or governmental agency is provided to Human Resources.

Part-time administrative employees scheduled for jury duty or for whom it is otherwise necessary to appear in any court or before any governmental agency, shall be excused from his/her normal duties for such appearances. Such time is approved unpaid time off. A copy of jury duty documentation, or the subpoena issued by the court or governmental agency must be provided to Human Resources.

The College reserves the right to request that an administrative employee be relieved of jury duty or other court appearance in any manner permitted by law.

6.8.2 Jury Duty and Court Appearances - Classified and Confidential Employees

Any classified or confidential employee scheduled for jury duty or for whom it is otherwise necessary to appear in any court (except court appearances relating to traffic and/or parking violations) or before any governmental agency, shall be excused from his/her normal duties for such appearance without loss of pay provided that a copy of the subpoena issued by the court or governmental agency is provided to Human Resources.

The College reserves the right to request that a classified or confidential employee be relieved of jury duty or other court appearance in any manner permitted by law.

6.8.3 Jury Duty and Court Appearances - Faculty

Full-time Faculty

Any full-time faculty employee scheduled for jury duty or for whom it is otherwise necessary to appear in any court or before any governmental agency, shall be excused from his/her normal duties for the appearance without loss of pay; provided however, that the College reserves the right to have the employee relieved of jury duty or other such appearance in any manner permitted by law.

Part-time Faculty

A part-time faculty member scheduled for jury duty or for whom it is otherwise necessary to appear in any court or before any governmental agency, shall be excused from her/his normal duties for such appearance without loss of pay or benefits. The College reserves the right to request that such employee be relieved of jury duty or other court appearance in any manner permitted by law.

The College’s obligation is limited to the part-time faculty member who is obligated to miss class as the result of the above, and then only to the extent of the difference between the jury duty pay and the part-time faculty member’s regular rate of pay.

Employees shall be entitled to leave with pay if the schedule makes it impossible to report for class or other work when summoned for jury duty or required to make a court appearance.

6.9 Military Leave

It is the polity of the College to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act of 1994 (USERRA) as amended and applicable state law which protect job rights and benefits for veterans and members of the reserves.  The law covers all persons serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Public Health Service commissioned corps, and the reserve components of these services, the National Disaster Medical System and the National Guard.

For additional information, please contact the Human Resources Department at extension 8035.

6.10 Administrative Special Leaves

Full-time administrative staff serving on a regular appointment are eligible to apply for a leave of absence with full salary and benefits maintained for the period of the leave. A minimum of seven (7) years of service in any full-time employment category at the College is required prior to the eligibility date of the requested leave. The following restrictions apply with respect to administrative special leaves:

1. Leaves will be for a maximum period of four (4) months.
2. The maximum number of leaves granted in any one appointment year will be five (5).
3. No additional payments of tuition or fees beyond the normal forgivable loan program will be allowed under this program.
4. The leave should be for the purpose of advanced study, research, publication or other professional activity which is intended to further the employee’s development in his/her present or prospective field of employment.
5. An administrative employee who is awarded a compensated leave agrees as a part of his/her application to return to the College for at least two (2) years following the compensated leave. In the event the employee fails to return to his/her position at the expiration of the leave for the two year period, he/she shall refund all sums (including fringes) paid to him/her during the compensated leave.

To view the policy, (Policy 263), please access Compensated Leave Program

6.11 Sabbatical Leave – Full-Time Faculty

Upon completing six years of service, a full-time faculty member Rank VI or above is eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave. Sabbaticals are either one semester at full-pay or two semesters at half-pay.

For further information, contact the Human Resources Department at extension 8035.

6.12 No-Call No-Show

A faculty or staff member who is unable to report to work must notify his or her department head or immediate supervisor prior to the start of class or the normal work schedule for each day of absence. Except if due to an emergency situation where prior notification is not possible, three (3) consecutive work days of no-call no-show may be considered voluntary resignation.