Macon County Schools

Leaves - Sick Leave, On the Job Injury, and Personal Leave

While it is hopeful that all employees will be able to work every day of their contract without a need to be off, there are times when it is necessary for an employee to take leave.  Each month when payroll is issued every employee receives a detailed account of the number and type of leave days available for their use. This information is found on the stub portion of the payroll check.

Employees are responsible for being aware of the number and type of leave days available to them. Employees are also responsible for submitting the appropriate type of leave for days not worked.

Once again, when an employee signs for leave they are verifying they have been absent from their duties on a designated day and the leave requested for said day(s) shall be charged against their (sick) (personal) (vacation) leave account. Failure to designate the correct type of leave will result in loss of the next available type of leave time used for failure to submit the appropriate type of leave will not be reinstated for any reason. Each employee is responsible for completing his/her payroll signature sheet correctly.

Employees who know in advance that they will be absent from work must notify the Board of the expected absence in accordance with procedures specified by the Superintendent or the Board.  In the event of an emergency or incapacity that makes advance notice impractical, employees must notify the Board of their absence as early as possible. 

Except as otherwise provided or permitted, an employee who is absent from work without approved leave will be considered absent without leave in violation of Board policy and subject to appropriate disciplinary measures.  Employees who are approved for paid leave or absences will be paid at the regular daily rate of pay; however, a day of paid leave or absence will not be counted as a day worked for the purposes of computing overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Pay will be reduced on a pro rata basis for leaves or absences not covered by sick, vacation, personal, or other appropriate form of paid leave.  The continuation of benefits during an approved absence is subject to the provisions of the particular benefit policy or plan.

The information below outline policies related to paid sick leave, on the job injury leave, and personal leave:

 5.9.1        Paid Sick Leave

• Persons Eligible for Paid Sick Leave – All regular full time employees are  eligible for paid sick leave.
• Earning and Accumulation of Paid Sick Leave – All eligible employees earn sick leave days at the rate provided for in state law.  Nine or ten month employees who work during summer school earn one sick day for the entire summer session.  Eligible employees may accumulate sick leave as provided by state law.
• Use of Sick Leave – Eligible employees may only use paid sick leave for absences caused by the following:

1. Personal illness;
2. Incapacitating personal injury;
3. Attendance upon an ill member of the employee immediate family, defined as a spouse, parent, child, sibling or any person with a close personal tie;
4. Death of a family member, including a spouse, parent, child, sibling, mother or father-in-law, son or daughter-in-law, brother or sister-in-law, nephew or niece, grandparent, grandchild, aunt or uncle;
5. Death or care of an individual with whom unusually strong personal ties exist because of a relationship other than those listed above.

• Certification – Employees must certify that sick leave was used for one of the reasons provided in state law and specify the reason.  If the employee’s principal or department head has probable cause to believe that an employee has abused or misused sick leave, a physician’s statement verifying the existence and nature of the illness or medical condition may be required by the Board.  Abuse of sick leave may subject the employee to disciplinary action.  The Superintendent may also require a physician’s return to work statement for any such absence extending beyond ten (10) consecutive working days.

5.9.2  [Reference:  Ala. Code §16-1-18.1 (1975)]     On-The-Job Injury Leave

On-the-job injury includes an accident or injury to an employee that occurs in the course of performing job duties for the Board or when the employee is directed or requested by the employer to be on the property of employer and which prevents the employee from working or returning to the job.  Employees who are accidentally injured on the job may be approved for paid “on-the-job injury” leave without using sick days, provided that.

• The injured employee submits written medical certification from the attending licensed physician stating that the employee was injured and cannot return to work due to a specified injury, if there is a reasonable expectation that the employee will return to work and, if so, the expected date of that return.  The Board may require a second opinion from a Board specified physician, at its expense.
• The employee submits a signed written account of the accident attested by a principal or department head within twenty-four (24) hours after the injury occurred.  If the injured employee is not able to notify the Board, another person reasonably knowledgeable about the employee’s condition and circumstances leading to the injury may provide the required notification.

Upon a determination that the employee has been injured on the job and cannot return to work, the Board may maintain the employee’s salary and benefits for the period of incapacity caused by the injury, not to exceed ninety (90) days.  An employee who is injured on the job may file a request for unreimbursed medical expenses and costs with the State Board of Adjustment.  The Board will provide such reasonable assistance to the employee in filing the Board of Adjustment claim as is required by law, but assumes and will have no responsibility or liability for processing the claim or directly reimbursing the employee any unreimbursed medical expenses and costs.  On-the-job injury leave will be administered in accordance with and subject to the requirements and limitations imposed by state law regarding such leave.

 5.9.3 [Reference:  Ala. Code §16-1-18.1 (1975)]  Personal Leave

All regular, full time employees are eligible for two (2) non-cumulative personal leave days each scholastic year without loss of pay.  Personal leave must be requested in writing in accordance with such procedures as may be established by the Superintendent or the Board.  Personal leave may not be taken immediately before or after a school holiday, as identified by the Superintendent, or in the first or last two (2) weeks of a school term.  Teachers may be compensated for unused personal leave at the end of the school year at the same daily rate of pay used for substitute teachers.  Full time employees may choose to convert unused personal leave days to sick leave days at the end of the school year.