Unpaid Personal Leave of Absence
When unusual circumstances necessitate a day or more of unpaid time off work, an employee must submit a written request to his/her supervisor. The needs of the employee as well as the needs of the department will be considered before approving or denying the leave request. If approved, days off without pay may be taken only after all other available appropriate time off, such as vacation, personal days, Family & Medical Leave, and/or paid sick leave, is exhausted.
An employee taking an unpaid leave of absence must notify Human Resources in advance of the leave.
Pay and Benefits During Leave
During an approved unpaid personal leave of absence, an employee will be placed in "inactive status" and pay will be suspended. Holiday pay is not granted during an unpaid personal leave of absence.
A full-time College employee will generally be eligible for continued coverage under the College's Health Insurance & Prescription Drug Plan until the end of the calendar month immediately following the last actual day of work (i.e., if the last day of work prior to a personal leave of absence is June 20, 2005, health coverage will continue through June 30, 2005). The normal premium payment for health insurance coverage will be deducted from the employee's regular paycheck or, if no paycheck is issued, the employee will be responsible for making the premium payment on his/her normal pay date. Following termination of health insurance coverage, the employee and his/her covered dependents will generally be eligible for continued coverage through "COBRA". See the Health Insurance & Prescription Drug Plan Summary Plan Description for further details.
Health insurance coverage for faculty on a 6- or 12-month unpaid leave of absence will terminate at the end of the semester immediately preceding the leave of absence. Coverage for an employee on extended paid sick leave or Family & Medical Leave will continue through the end of the calendar month immediately following the last day of paid sick leave or approved Family & Medical Leave, whichever occurs later. During a leave for military service, a full-time College employee will be eligible for coverage through the College's Health Insurance & Prescription Drug Plan for him/herself and covered dependents, at active employee rates, for up to 30 calendar days or as required by law.
Life insurance and long-term disability insurance coverage, as well as contributions to the Retirement Plan, are discontinued during an unpaid leave of absence. Life insurance and LTD coverage terminate on the employee's last actual day of work prior to a personal leave of absence (for employees who take an unpaid personal leave following expiration of paid sick leave or Family & Medical Leave, life insurance and LTD coverage cease as of the last day of paid sick leave or Family & Medical Leave, whichever occurs later). When life insurance coverage terminates during a personal leave of absence, an employee may choose to convert his/her group life insurance policy to an individual policy. To do so, the employee must contact Human Resources for appropriate forms, and the life insurance carrier within 31 days of loss of coverage under the group policy. Employees requesting a leave of absence due to disability, who became disabled prior to taking leave, retain eligibility to apply for monthly long-term disability income benefits. College contributions to an employee's retirement account cease when pay is suspended.
Continued employment and/or a return to an equivalent job cannot be guaranteed during a personal leave of absence.
Based on provisions of The Fair Labor Standards Act, the salary of exempt employees and faculty generally may not be reduced for less than full day absences from work. Therefore, requests for unpaid time off should be reviewed with Human Resources to assure proper handling. Faculty members should see the Faculty Handbook for information about sabbaticals and faculty research leaves.
