Policy Manual
University of North Texas
Number: 1.4.10.4
Page 1 of 2
Date Issued: 9/01; 11/05
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Policy Manual |
Classification Number: 1.4.10.4 Page 1 of 2 Date Issued: 9/01; 11/05 |
SUBJECT: DISCIPLINARY ACTION RELATED TO SICK LEAVE
APPLICABILITY: ALL REGULAR STAFF EMPLOYEES
1. Caution should be used whenever disciplinary action is being considered for an employee’s use of sick leave.
Applicable policy information is found in the UNT Policy Manual, Volume I, Human Resources:
1.4.7 Leave of Absence without Pay
2. Any time an employee is experiencing a serious medical condition or otherwise appears to need Family Medical Leave or the Sick Leave Pool, the supervisor should discuss these leave options with the employee or refer him/her to the Records section of Human Resources and provide him/her with the FML/SLP application packet which may also be obtained from Human Resources.
3. Employees may not be disciplined for absences covered by Family Medical Leave (either paid or unpaid.)
4. If an employee has used or, is close to having used, all their accrued sick leave, or if it appears the employee is abusing the sick leave policy in any way, the supervisor needs to discuss the problem with the employee and should request in writing, if he/she has not already done so, that the employee provide a physician statement for all future absences due to illness. Any vacation or compensatory time accrual prior to a leave should be used for sick leave purposes if sick leave accrual has been exhausted and the leave is validated by a physician’s statement.
5. Once an employee has been asked to present a physician’s statement to verify use of sick leave, the employee must comply with this requirement (or may be disciplined if he/she does not) for as long as the supervisor deems necessary, whether or not the employee begins to accrue sick leave hours again.
6. If the employee has used all accrued leave and has a valid need for continued sick leave and is not eligible for Family Medical Leave or Sick Leave Pool, the supervisor needs to make a decision whether to place the employee on Leave Without Pay status or terminate the employee. It is important that the supervisor is consistent when taking either of these actions and should inform the employee in advance, preferably in writing. (Supervisors are required to review this step with the Associate Director, Human Resources for Employee Relations, prior to taking action.) See Policy No. 1.4.7, Section 2.3.