Mutual Leave Categories

Do you have questions regarding the different types of leave?

Sick Leave:

Employees in Full-time Equivalent (FTE) positions earn sick leave at a rate of one and one-fourth (1¼) days for each month of continuous employment. Employees must work at least one-half (½) of the workdays of the month to accrue leave earned for that month. A maximum of one hundred eighty (180) days sick leave may be carried over as of January 1.

An employee can use sick leave for personal illness or injury, exposure to a contagious disease, appointment for medical or dental examination or treatment, sickness during pregnancy or other temporary disabilities, treatment for alcoholism, caring for ill members of immediate family, and caring for an adoptive child.

The use of sick leave is subject to verification. The agency may require the certificate of a health care practitioner verifying the need for sick leave and giving the inclusive dates.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA):

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed by Congress in 1993 to help employees who must take leave due to either their illness or injury or that of an immediate family member. FMLA can help employees take care of personal or family medical responsibilities while still maintaining their jobs. It also allows an employee's health benefits to continue without interruption or, if they opt to interrupt them, the benefits must be reinstated when employees return to work. Most importantly, FMLA protects an eligible employee's position for 12 weeks and guarantees that eligible employees will be reinstated to the same or an equivalent position with the same pay and benefits, if they ever have to take leave for serious family or health situations.

To qualify, you must have been employed by the state for 12 months and worked 1250 hours in the 12 months preceding the FMLA event. The required total of 12 months of employment need not be consecutive. FMLA leave can be paid or unpaid leave. However, eligible employees will be required to substitute their accrued sick leave for unpaid FMLA leave when the FMLA leave request qualifies for sick leave usage; an eligible employee may elect to substitute accrued annual leave for unpaid FMLA leave. FMLA protects your job while you are out. Your leave balances are what provide you an income.

For more information, please review Procedure 3.3.9.1 Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) located in the College's online Policy & Procedure Manual.

If you believe your absence qualifies for FMLA, please let Human Resources know so they may contact you about your rights under the Family Medical Leave Act. Call or email Monica Ramsey at ext. 7134 or Monica.Ramsey@hgtc.edu with any questions.

Employee's Rights and Responsibilities under FMLA

Family Medical Leave Act Guidelines

Family Sick Leave:

Employees may use up to ten (10) days (or 75.00 hours) family sick leave annually to care for immediate family members. For the purposes of family sick leave, "immediate family" is defined as the employee's spouse and children and the following relations to the employee or the spouse of the employee: mother, father, brother, sister, grandparent, or legal guardian and grandchildren if the grandchild resides with the employee and the employee is the primary caretaker of the grandchild. The amount used will be deducted from the employee's sick leave balance.

An employee may earn a maximum of 15 days of sick leave each year, 10 days of which may be used as family sick leave.

Funeral Leave:

Employees are allowed up to three (3) consecutive days (or 22.50 hours)of leave with pay upon the death of immediate family members. For the purposes of family death, immediate family is defined as the spouse, great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, legal guardians, brothers, and spouse of brothers, sisters, spouse of sisters, children, and spouse of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren of either the employee or the spouse. Employees requesting leave for family death must submit a statement to their supervisor stating the name and relationship of the deceased.

Court Leave:

Employees summoned as a member of a jury panel or subpoenaed as a witness will be granted court leave with pay. The employee must provide a copy of the legal documentation requiring his/her presence in court.

Other Leave:

Voting Leave, Military Leave (short-term/long-term), Blood Drive and Donation Leave, Bone Marrow Donor Leave, Organ Donor Leave, American Red Cross-Certified Disaster Leave, Administrative Leave, Extended Disability Leave, Workers' Compensation Leave, and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are administered in accordance with federal and state guidelines.

While we make every effort to present this information accurately, this is just a summary overview, meaning details, explanations, and qualifiers are left out. It is intended only to provide general guidance, and you should not rely on it as a complete or binding explanation of this topic. If this information differs from the language or intent of the formal published legal or policy requirements, that authoritative information prevails.

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