EIU Office of Internal Auditing

#6 - Benefits - Sick Leave

Approved: September 17, 2018

Monitor: Vice President for Business Affairs

Sick leave is provided for employees subject to the provisions and eligibility requirements outlined in the Board of Trustees Regulations or collective bargaining agreements. These guidelines have been established to supplement those regulations and agreements: 

1. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that sick leave benefits are used in accordance with Board of Trustees Regulations or collective bargaining agreements and that usage is accurately reported. Sick leave usage shall be reported by the employee and reviewed by the supervisor before being submitting to the Department of Human Resources.
2. Employees are individually responsible for accurately reporting use of their sick leave benefits to their supervisors. Unless otherwise specified by a collective bargaining agreement, sick leave shall be reported in quarter-hour increments. Sick leave shall not be used or approved prior to its accrual.
3. Employees are responsible for notifying their immediate supervisor as soon as possible, but no later than the start of the assigned work day, if they will not be on duty because of illness or injury. Non-notification, except in an emergency situation, may result in disciplinary action.
4. Employees who have been absent due to illness or injury may be required to provide a physician's letter stating that they are able to return to work before being allowed to do so. For civil service employees, see: Medical Clearance for Civil Service Employees.

Abuse of sick leave or failure to report sick leave in accordance with proper time reporting procedures may be cause for disciplinary action.

If an employee expects to be or is absent because of illness or injury for a period of more than five (5) consecutive working days, the employee or his/her designee shall submit a Family and Medical Leave/Non-FMLA Leave of Absence form covering this time period to the Department of Human Resources. In the absence of this request form, the Department of Human Resources may provisionally designate the use of such sick leave as Family Medical Leave if the employee qualifies. If the employees does not qualify for Family Medial Leave, and has not completed the Non-FMLA form, absences could be considered as unapproved leave time and the employee could subject to disciplinary action.

Sick leave accrual records are maintained in the Department of Human Resources. These records are the only official basis on which sick leave with pay may be granted.