During the first year of employment, newly hired classified employees earn a half-day of administrative leave for each full calendar month of employment (for a maximum of three) and one sick day and one vacation day per month. In January of each year thereafter, classified employees are advanced the allotted vacation, administrative and sick leave. Vacation allotment corresponds to an employee’s years of service. Leave time is allotted at the beginning of the year on the assumption that the employee will remain in pay status throughout the year. If the employee resigns prior to the end of the year, leave time is prorated. Any sick or vacation time used but not earned must be paid back.
Use of administrative and vacation leave must be requested by the employee and approved in advance by the supervisor.
1. Administrative Leave
Administrative leave may be used:
- for emergencies
- for observance of religious or other days of celebration, but not for public holidays
- for personal business
Administrative leave must be used in the calendar year in which it is granted and cannot be carried into the next calendar year. The accrual of administrative leave is fixed at three days per year.
2. Vacation Leave
Vacation allowance should be taken during the calendar year at such time as permitted or directed by the supervisor, unless the supervisor determines that it cannot be taken because of work demands. A maximum of one year’s leave allotted in the calendar year may be carried forward into the next year.
Vacation time is accrued as follows:
- One (1) working day of vacation for each month of employment during the first calendar year of employment
- Twelve (12) working days of vacation from one (1) to five (5) years of service
- Fifteen (15) working days of vacation from six (6) to twelve (12) years of service
- Twenty (20) working days of vacation from thirteen (13) to twenty (20) years of service
- Twenty-five (25) working days of vacation after the twentieth (20) year of service
For 10 month employees:
- Up to one year of service, one working day vacation for each month of service
- After one year and up to five years of service, ten working days vacation
- After five years and up to twelve years of service, twelve and one half working days vacation
- After twelve years and up to twenty years of service, sixteen and one half working days vacation
- Over twenty years, twenty and three quarter working days vacation
* Any leaves of absence without pay will affect an employee’s years of service.
3. Sick Leave
Full time twelve-month employees receive 15 sick days per year. Full time ten-month employees receive 12.5 sick days per year. Proportionate part-time employees earn sick time at a rate proportionate to their assigned hours.
Employees may use sick leave when they are unable to report to work due to personal illness, accident or exposure to contagious disease, and/or for medical appointments when such appointments cannot be scheduled after working hours. Sick leave may also be used to attend to members of the immediate family who are ill and/or in instances of death in the employee’s immediate family.
For purposes of attending to a family member who is ill, medical documentation must be provided verifying that the employee’s assistance was essential to the family member’s well being. For purposes of using sick leave due to death in the immediate family the New Jersey Department of Personnel defines immediate family members as “father, mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, grandchild, spouse, child, foster child, sister or brother of the employee”. It shall also include relatives of the employee’s household who are living with the employee.
All unused sick leave shall accumulate from year to year to be used if and when needed. An employee shall not be reimbursed for accrued sick leave at the time of termination of his/her employment except upon retirement. An employee who has been re-employed shall be credited with the total accrued sick leave at the termination of his/her previous State employment. Documentation of prior sick leave is the responsibility of the employee.
a. Authorization for Sick Leave Use
If it is necessary for an employee to use sick leave, the supervisor shall be notified promptly at the employee’s usual reporting time, except in those work situations where notice must be made prior to the employee’s starting time.
An employee who is on sick leave absence for five or more consecutive working days must submit to his/her supervisor and the Office of Human Resources acceptable medical evidence substantiating the illness. Employees may also be required to submit proof of illness or injury:
- when there is reason to believe that an employee is abusing sick leave
- when an employee has been absent on sick leave for any aggregate of more than 15 days in a 12-month period. When an illness is of a chronic or recurring nature causing occasional absences of one day or less, one proof of illness shall be required for every six month period. The proof of illness must specify the nature of the illness and that it is likely to cause periodic absences from employment
At the discretion of the supervisor, a doctor’s certificate may be requested for illness immediately preceding or immediately following a holiday.
Failure to provide appropriate medical documentation in any of the above circumstances may result in the denial of sick leave for an absence and constitute cause for disciplinary action.
b. Medical Notes
Employees submitting a medical note should ensure that the note contains the following information:
- the date(s) the employee was out or will be out
- the expected date of return
- a statement from the doctor that the employee is unable to carry out expected duties
4. Bereavement Leave
Sick leave “for a reasonable period of time” may be used by an employee due to death in the immediate family. The New Jersey Department of Personnel defines immediate family members as “father, mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, grandchild, spouse, child, foster child, sister or brother of the employee”.
5. Energy Savings Program
The College’s Energy Program is designed to provide services to students on holidays during which classes are in session. In addition to the obvious benefit of providing continuous campus services, the College also saves on costly energy expenses by closing during the winter holiday period and designated dates during the summer.