OCU University provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees for periods of temporary absence due to illnesses or injuries. Eligible employee classification(s):
- Regular full-time employees
- Regular part-time employees
Eligible employees will accrue sick leave benefits at the rate of 10 days per year (6.67 hours per month for exempt employees or 3.08 hours per pay period for non-exempt employees).
Paid sick leave can be used in minimum increments of one-fourth hour for all employees.
All sick leave hours reported and approved on a leave report or timesheet will be deducted from the employee’s sick leave balance.
Eligible employees may use sick leave benefits for an absence due to their own illness or injury or that of a dependent family member, as well as parents. Sick leave benefits are intended solely to provide income protection in the event of illness or injury, and may not be used for any other absence.
Employees who are unable to report to work due to their own or eligible dependent’s illness or injury should notify their direct supervisor before the scheduled start of their workday if possible. The direct supervisor must also be contacted on each additional day of absence.
For the employee’s own injury or illnessÌý
If an employee is absent for three or more consecutive work days, a supervisor may request a healthcare provider's statement verifying the absence due to injury or illness and its beginning and expected ending dates. Before returning to work from a sick leave absence of five consecutive work days or more, an employee will be required to provide a healthcare provider's verification to Human Resources that he or she may safely return to work and/or to determine eligibility for FMLA.
For an eligible dependent’s injury or illness
If an employee is absent for three or more consecutive work days, a supervisor may request a healthcare provider's statement verifying the absence due to injury or illness and its beginning and expected ending dates. If the sick leave absence will exceed five consecutive work days, an employee will be required to provide a healthcare provider's verification of the eligible dependent’s injury or illness to Human Resources. This information will be used to determine eligibility for FMLA.
Sick leave benefits will be calculated based on the employee's base pay rate at the time of absence and will not include any special forms of compensation, such as incentives, commissions, bonuses, or work schedule differentials.
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Sick leave benefits may be used to supplement any payments that an employee is eligible to receive from worker's compensation or OKCU-provided disability insurance programs. The combination of any such disability payments and sick leave benefits cannot exceed the employee's normal weekly earnings.
Unused sick leave benefits will be allowed to accumulate until the employee has accrued a total of 180 calendar days (1,440 hours) worth of sick leave benefits. If the employee's benefits reach this maximum, further accrual of sick leave benefits will be suspended until the employee has reduced the balance below the limit.
Unused sick leave benefits will not be paid to employees while they are employed or upon termination of employment.Ìý
