C.6 Sick Leave

Policy No. C. 6.00

Date of Issue 12/22/2022

Sick leave is an absence from work due to personal illness or injury. The sick-day allowance will accrue every bi-weekly pay period. An eligible full-time employee must work 60% of a pay period to earn an accrual.  Use of accrued sick leave for medical appointments of the employee is permissible. In accordance with and to the extent provided for by Illinois law, employees may also use sick leave, upon the same terms as it is used for their own illness or injury, for an illness, injury, medical appointment, or the personal care of the following covered family members: child, stepchild, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, parent, parent-in-law, grandchild, grandparent or stepparent.  Leave used for covered family members may not exceed more than one-half of an employee’s maximum annual grant of sick leave.

An employee must personally contact his/her supervisor to report the use of a sick day before the work day begins. For consecutive days absent for sick leave, the employee should contact the supervisor each day unless the absence is excused by the supervisor for a specific duration. Absences of more than 3 consecutive days, meaning an employee is out, at least partially, on a fourth consecutive day, (i) require a physician’s release upon the employee’s return or, in the case of leave for a covered family member, a note from the family member’s physician stating the dates upon which the covered family member was ill, injured, had a medical appointment, or required personal care, and (ii) will generally require an employee to apply for family and medical leave.

The university reserves the right to evaluate the causes for absence and to deny compensation when circumstances warrant denial. An employee who falsifies information and uses sick leave for other than a use authorized by this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.