2021-2022 Policy Library 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Policy Library [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Sick Time Policy


Faculty

Policy Statement

Claremont McKenna College, herein referred to as the “College,” will provide eligible faculty members time off from work with pay to recuperate from short-term illnesses and for other purposes, as defined below.

Eligibility

All faculty members are eligible to receive paid sick time.

Sick Time Allotment

All faculty members are entitled to at least three (3) paid sick days or twenty-four (24) hours, per 12-month period, hereafter referred to as “fiscal year.” The “fiscal year” is defined as July 1 through June 30 of each year.

The allotment of three days of sick time will be awarded upon hire and will be available for use immediately. Thereafter, faculty will receive three sick days on every July 1st. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook or contact the Human Resources Department for specific policies on long-term leaves of absence and disability benefits.

Purposes for Which Sick Time May Be Used

Sick days provided under this policy may be used for (1) diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition; (2) preventive care; or (3) to obtain or attempt to obtain judicial relief or treatment related to domestic violence, sexual assault and/or stalking. Sick leave must be for one of these purposes whether or not the care is for the employee or the employee’s Family Member (see section entitled “Family Sick Leave” below).

Family Sick Leave

All eligible faculty are entitled to use no fewer than three days or twenty-four (24) hours (whichever is greater) of their paid sick time allotment to attend to an illness of a child, spouse, domestic partner, parent (or spouse’s or domestic partner’s parent), grandparent, grandchild, or sibling (herein referred to as “Family Member”). All conditions and restrictions placed on the use of sick leave under this policy are applicable to the sick days used to attend to a covered Family Member, including but not limited to the notification and record-keeping requirements of this policy. All questions concerning application of this section should be referred to the Human Resources Department.

Rate of Pay

Paid sick days are compensated at the same rate of pay in effect as the faculty would normally receive during regular work hours.

Termination

Under no circumstances, including upon termination of employment, may an employee receive any payment for unused sick time.

If a faculty member is separated from the College and is rehired by the College within one year of separation, the faculty member will be awarded at least the same amount of sick days that the employee had at the time of separation; however, consistent with the terms of this policy, that amount will not carry over to the next fiscal year.

Procedure

If the need for paid sick leave is foreseeable, employees must provide reasonable advance notification to the Dean of the Faculty or the Dean’s designee. If the need for paid sick leave is unforeseeable, employees must provide notice of the need for the leave as soon as practicable. Faculty should always give notice before their regularly scheduled starting class time unless they are physically or mentally unable to give notice or other circumstances prevent the faculty member from doing so. Faculty must notify the Dean of the Faculty or the Dean’s designee on each day of absence unless other arrangements have been made or faculty member is unable to do so, as explained above.

It is the faculty member’s responsibility to keep the Dean of the Faculty informed of the expected date of return. Employees should request and report sick time according to the College’s current practices in effect for faculty, as applicable, which have been communicated to employees.

Faculty members eligible for sick leave may also qualify for other leave benefits. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook or the Human Resources Department for specific leave of absence policies. All questions regarding this policy or other such benefits should be directed to the Human Resources Department.

Student and Temporary Employees and Non-Benefits Eligible Staff

Policy Statement

Claremont McKenna College, herein referred to as the “College,” will provide eligible student, temporary and non-benefits eligible staff employees time off from work with pay to recuperate from short-term illnesses and for other purposes, as defined below.

Eligibility

This policy applies to all student and temporary employees and non-benefits eligible staff of the College, herein referred to as “employees.” Student, temporary and non-benefits eligible employees become eligible to use accrued sick time on the 90th day of employment with the College. On and after the 90th day of employment, employees may take sick time as it accrues.

Sick Time Accrual

Effective July 1, 2015, eligible employees accrue one (1) hour of paid sick time for every thirty (30) hours worked up to a maximum of forty-eight (48) hours or six (6) days (whichever is greater) of accrued paid sick time. Such employees may use up to twenty-four (24) hours or three (3) days (whichever is greater) of sick time per 12-month period (hereinafter referred to as “fiscal year”). The “fiscal year” is defined as July 1 through June 30 of each year. Accrued sick days will carry over into the following fiscal year of employment and may be used subject to the same conditions. Employees may not use sick time that has not yet accrued.

Purposes for Which Sick Time May Be Used

Sick leave provided under this policy may be used for (1) diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition; (2) preventive care; or (3) to obtain or attempt to obtain judicial relief or treatment related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Sick leave must be for one of these purposes whether or not for the care of the employee or the employee’s family member (see section entitled “Family Sick Leave” below).

Family Sick Leave

Employees may use any paid sick day allotment that would otherwise be available for their own care to attend to a child, spouse, domestic partner, parent (or spouse’s or domestic partner’s parent), grandparent, grandchild, or sibling (“family member”). All conditions and restrictions placed on the use of sick leave under this policy are applicable to the sick days used to attend to a family member, including but not limited to the notification and record-keeping requirements of this policy. All questions concerning application of this section should be referred to the Human Resources Department.

Rate of Pay

Employees shall receive pay for sick time taken at the employee’s regular straight time rate of pay in effect on the day the sick time was taken. If the employee has more than one hourly rate or has a pay rate that fluctuates from pay period to pay period, the employee’s pay for sick time will be based on an average rate of pay taken from the 90-day period immediately before the date on which the employee takes sick time.

Minimum Amount of Sick Leave that May Be Taken

The minimum amount of sick time an employee can take in one instance is one (1) hour.

Termination

Under no circumstances, including upon termination of employment, may an employee receive any payment for accrued but unused sick time. If a student, temporary or non-benefits eligible employee is separated from the College and is rehired by the College within one year of separation, the employee will be awarded at least the same amount of sick days that the employee had at the time of separation.

Documentation

The College reserves the right to require a physician’s statement and/or documentation verifying illness or other allowable reason for sick leave under this policy, and to discipline an employee, up to and including termination, for using sick time for purposes not provided for under this policy.

Further, when the employee’s own illness or medical condition is the reason for sick leave, the College reserves the right to condition the employee’s return to work upon the employee providing an appropriate release by a doctor certifying that the employee is fit to return to work.

Procedure

If the need for paid sick leave is foreseeable, employees must provide reasonable advance notification to the College. If the need for paid sick leave is unforeseeable, employees must provide notice of the need for the leave as soon as practicable. Employees should always give notice before their regularly scheduled starting time unless they are physically or mentally unable to give notice or other circumstances prevent the employee from doing so. Otherwise, the absence may be regarded as an unauthorized absence without pay. Employees must notify the College on each day of absence unless other arrangements have been made or employees are unable to do so, as explained above.

It is the employee’s responsibility to keep the College informed of their expected date of return. Employees should request and report sick time according to the College’s current practices in effect, which have been communicated to employees.

Employees eligible for sick time may also qualify for other leave benefits. All questions regarding this policy or other such benefits should be directed to the Human Resources Department.

Benefits-Eligible Staff

Policy Statement

Claremont McKenna College, herein referred to as the “College,” will provide benefits eligible, regular staff employees time off from work with pay to recuperate from short-term illnesses and for other purposes, as defined below.

Eligibility

This policy applies to all regular, full-time or part-time benefits eligible staff employees of the College, working for the College for at least 20 hours per week, herein referred to as “employee.” 

Sick Time Accrual

Regular full-time employees will accumulate one day of sick time per calendar month, up to a maximum of twelve (12) paid sick days per year. For full-time employees, “one day” is equal to the number of hours in the employee’s normal workday (e.g. 8 hours per day for regular, full-time employees).  

Part-time employees will accumulate a prorated amount of sick time per calendar month based on their regularly scheduled hours, up to a maximum of twelve (12) paid sick days per year.  For part-time employees, “one day” is equal to the number of hours in the employee’s normal workday (e.g. 4 hours per day for half-time employee working 20 hours per week).

Sick time is accumulated only for each calendar month in which the employee is in paid status for 15 days or more. Sick time does not accumulate during a leave of absence.  

Employees can accrue up to a maximum of 120 days (960 hours for a regular full-time employee). Once the employee’s accumulated sick time account reaches the maximum number of days, further accumulated sick time ceases until sick time is used and the available time has been reduced below the sick time accumulation cap.  

Accrued sick days will carry over into the following fiscal year of employment and may be used subject to the same conditions.  

Sick time cannot be used in advance of its accrual.  

If an employee is separated for the College and is rehired by the College within one year of separation, the employee’s accrued sick time balance as of the date of separation will be reinstated.

Purposes for Which Sick Time May Be Used

Sick days provided under this policy may be used for (1) diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition; (2) preventative care; or (3) to obtain or attempt to obtain judicial relief or treatment related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.  Sick leave must be for one of these purposes whether for the care of the employee or the employee’s family member (see section entitled “Family Sick Leave” below). 

When employees are absent from work for one of these purposes, they are required to use sick time that they have accrued.  

Family Sick Leave

Employees may use sick time accumulation for the care of a child, spouse,  domestic partner, parent (or spouse’s or domestic partner’s parent), grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, (herein referred to as “Family Member”).

For purposes of this policy, a child is defined as a biological, foster, or adopted child, a stepchild, a legal ward or a child to who the employee stands in loco parentis, or a child of a domestic partner.  Parent is defined as a biological, foster, or adoptive parent, a stepparent, or a legal guardian or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child.

Sick time used to take care of a family member, however, may not exceed an employee’s maximum annual sick time accumulation of twelve (12) days each fiscal year, irrespective of an employee’s total sick time balance.  For purposes of this policy a fiscal year is defined as July 1 to June 30 of each year.

All other conditions and restrictions placed on the use of sick leave under this policy are applicable to the sick days used to attend to a covered family member, including but not limited to the purposes for which sick time may be taken under this policy and the notification and recordkeeping requirements of this policy.

Rate of Pay

Employee shall receive pay for sick time taken at the employee’s regular straight time rate of pay in effect on the day the sick time is taken. If the employee has more than one hourly rate or has a pay rate that fluctuates from pay period to pay period, the employee’s pay for sick time will be based on an average rate of pay taken from the 90-day period immediately before the date on which the employee takes sick time.

Minimum Amount of Sick Leave That May Be Taken

For non-exempt eligible employees, the minimum amount of sick time an employee can take in one instance is one (1) hour.  For exempt staff, sick time may be taken and recorded in 4 hour increments.

Procedure

If the need for paid sick leave is foreseeable, employees must notify their supervisor, if possible, at least two hours before the beginning of their shift if they are ill and will not be present at work.  If the need for paid sick time is unforeseeable, employees must provide notice of the need for the leave as soon as practicable.  Employees should always give notice before their regularly scheduled starting time unless they are physically or mentally unable to give notice or other circumstances prevent the employee from doing so.

It is also each employee’s responsibility to notify their supervisor each day that they will be absent unless the employee has provided an off-work notice from the medical provider for the entire period of absence.  An employee’s failure to inform the supervisor of an absence may result in an unauthorized absence and disciplinary action, up to and including loss of pay for the days missed and/or termination of employment.

It is the employee’s responsibility to keep the College informed of their expected date of return.  Employees should request and report sick time according to the College’s current practices in effect for exempt and non-exempt employees, as applicable, and which have been communicated to the employees. 

Documentation

The College reserves the right to require a physician’s statement and/or documentation verifying illness or other allowable reason for sick leave under this policy and to discipline an employee, up to an including termination, for using sick time for purposes not provided for under this policy.

Further, when the employee’s own illness or medical condition is the reason for sick leave, the College reserves the right to condition the employee’s return to work upon the employee tendering an appropriate release by a doctor certifying that the employee is fit to return to work.

Termination

Under no circumstances, including upon termination of employment, will an employee receive any payment for accrued but unused sick time.

Other Leave Benefits

Employees eligible for sick time may also qualify for other leave benefits.  All questions regarding this policy or other such benefits should be directed to the Human Resources Department.

COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave 

Effective February 19, 2022

Employees are entitled to up to 80 hours of COVID-19 related sick leave from January 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022, upon an oral or written request to their employer.

A full-time covered employee may take up to 4- hours of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave if the employee is unable to work or telework for any of the following reasons:

  • Caring for Yourself: The employee is subject to quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 as defined by an order or guidelines of the California Department of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a local health officer with jurisdiction over the workplace, has been advised by a healthcare provider to quarantine, or is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis.
  • Caring for a Family Member: The covered employee is caring for a family member who is subject to a COVID-19 quarantine or isolation period or has been advised by a healthcare provider to quarantine due to COVID-19, or is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19 on the premises
  • Vaccine-Related: The covered employee is attending a vaccine or booster appointment for themselves or a family member* or cannot work or telework because they have vaccine-related symptoms or are caring for a family member with vaccine-related symptoms. 

Full-time, covered employees may take up to an additional 40 hours of leave if the employee is unable to work or telework for either of the following reasons:

  • The covered employee tests positive for COVID-19
  • The covered employee is caring for a family member* who tested positive for COVID-19.

* A family member includes a child, parent, spouse, registered domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.

Part-time, covered employees may take as leave up to the amount of hours they work over two weeks, with half of those hours available only when they are a family member* test positive for COVID-19.

Each hour of COVID-19 Supplemental Sick Leave will be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay. Eligible employees can use COVID-19 Supplemental Sick Leave before other paid or unpaid time off, or leave of absence.

If an employee took leave for the reasons above between January 2, 2022 and February 19, 2022, the employee should make an oral or written request to the Human Resources for payment or adjustment of hours.

For more information, please contact the Office of Human Resources at hr@cmc.edu.