University of Virginia Library

2. Sick Leave

The RLES policy concerning sick leave is the same as that of the University. It applies to all RLES employees except hourly employees and students.

• The rate of accrual for sick leave is 10 hours per month. There is no limit to the accumulation of sick leave. For record-keeping purposes the annual accumulation period will be the calendar year. The employee is not entitled to compensation for unused sick leave upon termination. No sick leave allowance is provided for service of less than 15 calendar days.
• Sick leave may be used only for the following:
• a. Illness or injury incapacitating an employee to perform his duties. Sick leave may not be used for absences which are determined to be the result of non-RLES employment.
• b. Time off for doctor or dental appointments may be charged to sick leave with the approval of the supervisor, when such appointments cannot reasonably be scheduled during non-duty hours. Such time off should not exceed 16 hours per calendar year.
• c. If an employee has a contagious disease and his presence would jeopardize the health of his fellow workers or the public, he is allowed sick leave to absent himself until it is determined that his illness is no longer communicable.
• d. Illness or death in the immediate family requiring the employee's attendance, for not more than six (6) days in any one year. Immediate family is defined as husband, wife, father, mother, child, brother, sister, wherever they reside, or any other relative (specify) living in the household of the employee. The period of absence which may be charged against sick leave in this instance may not exceed three days for an illness of one cause, for an injury, or for a death, and may not exceed a total of six days in a calendar year because of illness in the immediate family.

Sick leave may not be taken in advance. In those instances where an individual is absent due to sickness and has no sick leave accrued, the absence is charged to annual leave or accrued compensatory time. Lacking either of these alternatives, the absence then becomes leave without pay.

Sick leave for more than 60 days requires presentation to the RLES Director of a physician's certificate at that time and monthly thereafter.

An individual who may lose annual leave at the time of the December 31 audit may elect to substitute annual leave for sick leave charges for illness.