Sick Leave
Procedures
Jasper County Charter System Sick Leave Bank
Procedures
Definitions
Catastrophic illness is a serious illness, disease, or injury, which results in a detrimental effect on an employee’s pursuit of his/her vocation. In order to be considered catastrophic any illness, disease or injury must affect the employee’s physical or mental health as described above for a period of not less than twenty (20) consecutive days.
Dependent Child is a natural born or adopted child under 21 years of age residing primarily with the employee member or primarily dependent on the employee member for support. This definition specifically includes children attending post- secondary school and children residing with an employee member’s ex-spouse.
Eligible Employee is an employee, who after at least one year of full time employment has accumulated a minimum of five days of sick leave at the end of the fiscal year.
Family means spouse and minor children living in the home.
Membership is open to any Jasper County Schools employee during an annual enrollment period by contributing two days of accumulated sick leave in the first year and at least one day of accumulated sick leave each year thereafter unless contributions are suspended or increased by the Sick Leave Bank Committee. In no event may the Sick Leave Bank Committee increase deposits of sick days in excess of two (2) days per year per member.
Minimum Participation means the least number of employees that must enroll and make the initial deposit for the Sick Leave Bank to be viable. Minimum participation is set at 75 employees.
Spouse is the person of the opposite sex residing within the same household as the member pursuant to a ceremonial or common law marriage.
Sick Leave Bank Committee (SLBC) is a committee comprised of nine (9) Jasper County Schools employees appointed by the Superintendent, including a school-based administrator, a secondary teacher, a middle school teacher; an elementary school teacher a primary school teacher; a school-based classified employee and a central office employee (certified or classified), a transportation department employee, and a school nutrition employee.
Sick Leave Contributions of two (2) full days of accumulated sick leave in the first year of membership and one day of accumulated sick leave thereafter unless otherwise suspended by the sick leave Bank Committee. In no event may the Committee increase deposits to more than two days per year.
Administration of the Sick Leave Bank
The Sick Leave Bank Committee (SLBC) is vested with the complete and final discretion of awarding members sick leave based upon the criteria established or any other criteria as may be later approved by a majority vote of the SLBC not otherwise inconsistent with the criteria established by this policy.
The SLBC cannot approve use of sick leave beyond the number of days that are deposited by the membership in the Sick Leave Bank.
The SLBC members will serve two-year terms after the initial appointment. SLBC members may serve an unlimited number of terms. Each SLBC member is responsible for acting as a liaison between the location/group and the SLBC; attending meetings; and, promoting membership in the Sick Leave Bank.
The SLBC will select the chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary during pre-planning each year for a term of one year. The chairperson shall be responsible for calling all meetings of the Committee and conducting such meetings.
The vice chairperson shall be responsible for assuming the chairperson’s duties in the chairperson’s absence.
The secretary will be responsible for keeping records of all meetings; filing records of all meetings with the payroll clerk; and notification of the member of the SLBC action.
General Administration
A group of at least five (5) members shall constitute a quorum in order to conduct official business of the Sick Leave Bank Committee.
1. The Committee shall render a decision on all applications submitted to the Sick Leave Bank Committee within ten (10) days of the receipt of the request.
2. Any decision of the Sick Leave Bank Committee must be made by a simple majority of the entire committee. (5 of the 9 committee members in favor)
3. All such decisions shall be final, not subject to any appeal or grievance procedure.
Membership
Any employee entitled to sick leave in the Jasper County Schools may become a member of the Sick Leave Bank by donating two (2) days of accumulated sick leave in the first year and not more than two (2) days per year thereafter. The Sick Leave Bank Committee may increase, decrease, or suspend the annual donation depending upon the accumulated reserves of sick leave contained within the Bank.
Membership request will only be accepted during the annual enrollment period. New employees would be eligible for participation in the second year of enrollment having accumulated at least five (5) days of sick leave at the end of the fiscal year. The donation of the initial two days of sick leave must be deposited in writing on the Sick Leave Bank donation form. Members will then be assessed no more than two (2) days per year as of July 1 of each year. Donations of sick leave to the Sick Leave Bank are not refundable or transferable.
Membership to the Sick Leave Bank is considered continuous unless the Committee receives written notice of withdrawal of membership within the enrollment period of a subsequent year.
Enrollment Period
Enrollment in the Sick Leave Bank is open to all eligible employees earning sick leave during the month of August each year. The SLBC will make the enrollment period known to the employees of the school system.
Procedures for Application for Sick Leave Bank Withdrawals
1. A request for withdrawal may be made at any time by a current Sick Leave Bank member or their appointed representative.
2. In the event a member is physically or mentally incapable of making application to the Sick Leave Bank, a family member or agent of the member may file the request on the member’s behalf.
3. An application for withdrawal will be considered complete when it includes:
a. Members application for withdrawal;
b. Physicians verification form; and,
c. Payroll clerk verification of member’s individual sick leave balance.
4. Applications and supporting documentation shall be submitted to the payroll clerk. The Sick Leave Bank Committee will meet to consider each application within ten (10) working days.
5. Such applications shall include evidence that the member has missed at least ten (10) uncompensated days out of the last twenty (20) consecutive working days.
6. The member applicant may be required to undergo, at his or her own expense, a medical review by a physician approved by the Committee.
7. Members cannot use Sick Leave Bank days while receiving Workers’ Compensation or any payment from an employer paid disability benefit. Disability due to normal pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions is excluded.
8. The Sick Leave Bank may approve withdrawals in increments of ten (10) days up to a maximum of forty (40) days per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) per member. The member may make additional applications before days approved in a previous application are used up.
9. The Sick Leave Bank Committee may not approve the use of days that have not been deposited in the Bank.
10. All withdrawals granted but not used by the member must be returned to the Sick Leave Bank
11. Requests may be approved only for full days.
12. Members withdrawing sick leave shall not be required to replace it.
13. Members determined by the SLBC to have abused the Sick Leave Bank shall be expelled from the Sick Leave Bank and shall be ineligible for membership. Additionally, the member may be required to reimburse the school system for any expenditure made on the member’s behalf. The member may have committed a violation of the Code of Ethics resulting in a report to the Professional Standards Commission.
Each member as a part of enrollment shall execute an authorization form in which the member acknowledges an understanding of the Sick Leave Bank policy and further agrees to relieve the Committee and the Jasper County School District, its employees, agents and representatives from liability as a result of action taken by the committee.
Spousal Donation of Sick Leave
As provided in O.C.G.A. 20-2-850 relating to sick leave for teachers and other public school personnel, a spouse that is employed by the Jasper County Board of Education may donate up to ten (10) sick leave days to his or her spouse if such spouse is also an employee of the Jasper County Board of Education for purposes of maternity leave, illness, illness of a family member, or death of a family member. The term family member shall be defined the same for purposes of this policy as immediate family is defined in policy GARH-Leaves and Absences.
The employed spouse making a spousal donation of sick leave, must accompany the receiving spouse’s application with a written, signed and notarized request of the spouse to make the donation of a specific number of days, up to ten days, of accumulated sick leave. When the committee approves the spousal donation of up to ten (10) days sick leave, the committee shall note that the approval is for a spousal donation on the application.
The committee shall inform the school system employee responsible for maintaining sick leave records that a spousal donation has been approved. The system employee shall deduct the committee approved number, but no more than ten (10) days from the donating spouse’s accumulated leave and credit the committee approved number but no more than ten days to the receiving spouse.
Overview
Jasper County Charter System
Overview of Sick Leave Bank
- Provide sick leave to members after their own accumulated leave has been exhausted Assist members in times of catastrophic illness.
o Definition of catastrophic illness: A serious illness, disease or injury which results in a detrimental effect on an employee’s pursuit of his/her vocation. In order to be considered catastrophic any illness, disease or injury must result in the employee’s absence for a period of not less than twenty (20) consecutive days.
- Keep in mind that the SLB does not cover surgery, accidents, or maternity issues unless they have catastrophic implications
Membership is….
- Extended to employees annually
- Open to eligible employees who contribute 2 days of sick leave in their first year of membership and no more than 2 days of sick leave each year thereafter; contributions are NOT refundable or transferrable
- Continuous, unless member submits a written resignation of membership to the SLB Advisory Committee
Who is eligible to participate?
- Employees with one full year of employment who have at least 5 days of accumulated sick leave as of June 30
- Employees willing to contribute 2 sick leave days their first year of membership and no more than 2 days each year thereafter
Enrollment procedures
- Complete the Membership Enrollment Form.
- Open Enrollment will be in May of each year.
Sick Leave Bank Request for Withdrawal
- Members complete an Application for Sick Leave Bank Withdrawal. In addition, a completed and signed Physician’s Statement must be provided.
- Committee considers each application within 10 days
- 5 of 9 committee members must approve the Application for SLB Withdrawal Members are not required to replace or reimburse any leave granted by the SLB Committee except as part of the annual contribution required of all members
This overview highlights only basic information about the Jasper County Charter System Sick Leave Bank. Please see Jasper County BOE Policy GBRIB(1) for specific details.