IV.13 SICK LEAVE POLICY (for a discussion of Parental Leave, please refer to the section below)
University sick leave policy varies considerably for different employee groups and cannot be summarized briefly. Some information is available online, through the Employee Compensation and Benefits Services website located at http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp-leave-menu.html. Faculty and academic staff may consult the UW-Madison Employee Benefits Booklet (also located online, at http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp-gen-bens-menu.html), the appropriate academic Associate Dean or Daun Wheeler (3-2591). For information concerning sick leave for teaching and project assistants, consult the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Wisconsin and the Teaching Assistants' Association or call Associate Dean Nancy Westphal-Johnson (3-2506) or Brian Bubenzer (5-0603). Classified staff may consult UW-Madison Employee Benefits Booklet section on sick leave and/or the relevant bargaining unit agreement, or call Ron Van Wey (3-2305). Sick leave records for classified staff are part of the leave accounting system and are updated on each biweekly payroll.
It is essential that departmental offices keep accurate and up-to-date records on sick leave accrual and use for all employees who are covered by the various sick leave policies. For most employees, accrued sick leave may be converted into paid-up health insurance upon retirement. This is a valuable fringe benefit that should be protected by maintenance of accurate records at the department level.
For faculty and instructional academic staff, there are at least two aspects to sick leave coverage: how to handle the appointment of the person taking sick leave, and how to handle appointing and funding a replacement. Faculty and academic staff members have a sick leave "bank", in effect. If there is colleague coverage and there is no cost in replacing them, then they do not incur a charge against their sick leave bank. If there is a replacement cost, the staff member taking sick leave must charge against the number of days saved up. Charges are made for the number of days involved from the beginning of the illness through the return to work (that is, a person scheduled to lecture on MWF and missing the whole week would be charged for the full five days). A person with a partial appointment (e.g., 2/3 time) would have a pro-rated charge rather than a full day. If a staff member is able to fulfill a portion of his/her duties, it may be possible to arrange a partial sick leave.
As to the replacement staffers, we calculate the replacements in terms of the number of hours needed for them to carry out the responsibilities asked of them. The department should estimate at the outset how much time is expected--for example, covering for two hours of lectures and preparation for those two hours, and perhaps some given number of office hours--and let the replacement know that is the expectation. Departments will also need to clear that with their Associate Dean, but can proceed to make arrangements for the person to step in, if it is necessary, and indicate that the hours expected will be clarified later. We want to compensate the replacement fairly for the time required, but also want to be conservative in setting out what is expected. Sick leave is essentially self-insured; the College doesn't receive funds from elsewhere for this, and must reallocate internally to cover costs of covering for sick leave.
Remember, faculty members need not be charged sick leave if they have colleague coverage of their courses during illnesses occurring within (but not extending beyond) a semester. Colleague coverage may be used only for instructional activities. Consult your academic Associate Dean about how to handle specific situations. Effective July 1, 1992, for unclassified employees, eligibility to earn sick leave is tied to participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System (appointment of at least one year at at least one-third time). If an initial appointment is not eligible for WRS, eligibility to participate may be picked up by looking at appointments retroactively. For example, if in the previous 12-month period a person has had two one-semester appointments, that person would be identified as a WRS participant starting with the third one-semester appointment. Departmental questions about such eligibility should be directed to benefits@ohr.wisc.edu (or call 262-5650).
Unclassified employees must file monthly leave reports with the departmental office even though they may not have used any sick leave or colleague coverage. Leave reports are to be signed and dated by each employee and also acknowledged by a departmental signature and date. A sample form for the required monthly leave report is available from your Payroll and Benefits Specialist or online at http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/uwempl-forms-order.html#benefitforms.
Academic Staff, Faculty, and Limited Appointees are required to submit medical certification from a health care provider for absences of more than 5 consecutive working days, or for shorter absences if requested by the employee’s department. See Unclassified Personnel Guideline #10.04. The Request for Medical Certification form can be found at http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/Forms/form.html .
As in the case of university sick leave policy, Parental Leave policies vary for different employee groups and are not easily summarized. The Employee Compensation and Benefits Office statement on these policies notes that they "reflect a combination of the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (WFMLA), the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), University System policies and, for Classified employees, Department of Employment Relations regulations and collective bargaining agreements." UW System Administration posts information about Parental Leave policies online at http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/leave/fmla.htm; the Office of Human Resources also publishes a brochure on "Balancing Family and Work: UW-Madison Family-Related Leave Policies for Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees," available through http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/apo/policies/index.htm.
Department Chairs should be aware that the University recognizes that the birth or placement of a child will likely impede an Assistant Professor's ability to make progress toward tenure. Therefore, the tenure clock can be stopped for up to one year for the birth or placement of a child, even if leave is not taken. To stop the clock, the Assistant Professor must submit a request in writing to the Provost, Room 150, Bascom Hall (with informational copies to the department chair and dean) no later than one year from the birth or placement. Although approval by the Provost, in consultation with the University Committee, is required, there is a presumption that the request will be approved. If the clock is stopped, the Assistant Professor's employment contract also will be extended by the same amount of time.
For information about temporary replacement of non-instructional academic staff, please call Maggie Sullivan (3-2315); for information about temporary replacement of instructional academic staff, contact the appropriate Academic Associate Dean and James Hovland (3-8873). For information about temporary replacement of classified staff, please contact Diana Allaby (3-4964).
Links updated August 2007 by EMK
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