Leaves of Absence

 Sick leave is the authorized absence of an employee because of illness or injury. Every regular classified employee, probationary or permanent, shall earn paid sick leave credit(s) on the basis of one day for each month in which such employees are in a paid status with the District. Earned but unused sick leave shall be allowed to accumulate without limit.

A classified employee who is absent form duty because of an illness or injury determined to be an industrial accident or an industrial illness by competent authority under the provisions of the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Law shall be granted paid industrial accident illness leave for each such accident or illness while receiving temporary disability benefits from Worker’s Compensation; provided that the employee has probationary or permanent employment status with the District, and if the Superintendent or his/her designated representative has determined that the illness or injury is directly related to the employee’s performance of his/her duties and responsibilities, or caused by an assault and battery upon the employee while he/she was involved in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities. Such paid industrial accident/illness leave shall not exceed 60 work days.

Every classified employee (probationary, permanent, provisional, temporary or limited-term) shall be granted
necessary leave(s) of absence, not to exceed three (3) days or five (5) days if travel beyond 300 miles is required.

Leave(s) of absence for jury service shall be granted to any classified employee who has been officially summoned to jury duty in local, state or federal court (excluding Grand Jury Service). Leave shall be granted for the entire period of jury service.

Regular classified employees under official orders who are called to active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, including the Coast Guard, shall be granted military leave of absence for the period of such service.

According to the Elections Code of the State of California, “If a voter does not have sufficient time outside of his working hours within which to vote at any general, direct primary, or presidential primary election, he may, without loss of pay, take off so much times as will, when added to his voting time outside his working hours, enable him to vote.”

An employee may, at his/her election, claim and deduct up to 7 days per year from his/her accumulated sick leave for reasons of personal emergency or necessity. The charging of such absences shall be subject to the approval of the Superintendent or his/her designated representative. Such approval shall be obtained in advance whenever possible.

In 2002, California Legislative Extended Disability compensation to individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, domestic partner, or to bond with a new minor child.

All permanent full-time and permanent part-time employees at all locations who have worked 1,250 hours in the year preceding the leave request will be eligible for a maximum of six weeks of leave in a twelve-month period.

In determining appropriate salary placement for classified  employees upon promotion, step placement shall be limited to steps 1 through 5 of the new salary range. 

An employee who receives a promotion to a class allocated to a higher salary range shall normally be placed on the first step of the new salary range that provides the employee with at least a 5% increase.

“Catastrophic illness” or “injury” means an illness or injury that is expected to incapacitate the employee for an extended period of time OR that incapacitates the employee’s spouse, or dependent child causing the employee to take time off from work for an extended period to care for that family member.
 

At such time as it is determined that such employee is no longer capable of performing the duties and responsibilities of her position due to pregnancy, or it has been determined by a state licensed physician that the employee cannot continue her employment with the District without hazard to her health or that of the unborn child, the employee shall be placed on a leave of absence for illness.