General Guidelines for Extended Leave |
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- Except as required by the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), in no case will a leave of absence exceed the employee's length of service since the most recent date of hire, nor will a leave of absence be granted to half-time, casual or temporary employees. Certain leaves offer reemployment rights while others will depend upon a need for the individual's services. Short-Term leaves of absence are described in Paid Absences Policy.
- Failure to return from a leave of absence as scheduled will result in termination as of that date.
- Employees requesting a leave of absence may request that their accrued vacation and/or shore leave be retained until they return from the leave of absence. If the request is not made by the employee, all such accrued time will be paid at the commencement of the leave with the exception of disability, FMLA and maternity leaves (provisions covered under IIA, IIC and IID of this policy).
- Regular employees absent without pay for more than 40 hours in a pay period will not accrue sick leave or vacation time during that pay period.
- Regular employees absent without pay for one full pay period (other than those absent under the disability, FMLA and maternity leave provisions of IIA, IIC and IID below) may continue their group insurance coverage(s) by paying the employees' share of their premium(s) for that applicable pay period.
- Employees absent without pay for more than one full pay period will pay the full premium(s) for group insurance(s) (other than those absent under the disability, FMLA and maternity leave provisions noted above). However, coverage under the Disability Income Plan will remain in effect only through the employee's last full day of work and will resume when the employee returns to Regular employment.
- Participation in the Retirement Plan will be in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.
- All requests for leaves of absence will be prepared through the appropriate department and approvals obtained by Human Resources.
Chart
The chart below displays the different types of extended leave of absence, approval levels and procedures, renewals and re-employment rights.
| TYPE OF LEAVE |
NORMAL MAXIMUM |
INITIAL APPROVING AUTHORITY |
RENEWAL PROVISIONS |
RENEWAL APPROVING AUTHORITY |
REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS |
| Disability |
2 years |
Personnel Office |
Re-evaluated after 2 years |
Same |
No commitment, but 1st consideration for same or similar position |
| Education |
1 year |
Department Chair/Admin. Manager |
4 times providing satisfactory grades are maintained and renewal requested in writing |
Same |
No commitment |
| Marine Department Furlough - Involuntary |
6 months |
Marine Operations Manager |
N/A |
N/A |
Every effort will be made for reassignment to same or similar position and/or ship |
| Marine Department Furlough - Voluntary |
6 months |
Marine Operations Manager |
1 time |
Same |
No commitment |
| Maternity |
8 weeks |
Department Chair/Manager |
See Disability & Parental Leave(s) |
N/A |
Return to same or similar position |
| Military |
Length of time in military plus 90 days |
Department Chair/Admin. Manager |
N/A |
N/A |
Return to same or similar position |
| Parental |
8 consecutive weeks within 1st 6 months of birth/adoption |
Department Chair/Admin. Manager |
N/A |
N/A |
Return to same or similar position |
| Personal |
3 months |
Department Chair/Admin. Manager |
As necessary |
Director |
No commitment |
| Temporary Assignments Elsewhere (Technical/Scientific Staff) |
1 year |
Director of Research |
1 time (in exceptional cases) |
Same |
No commitment except for tenured staff |
Should you require assistance in the interpretation of this procedure, please contact your Human Resources Representative.
Last updated: February 25, 2013 | 
