Sick Leave is available to all benefits eligible employees as described in SPP 701-01. The policy provides information on:

• use
• accrual
• accumulation
• payment of accrued sick hours upon retirement

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When and for what situations may sick leave be used?
According to the policy, Sick Leave is available for use by all eligible employees immediately upon accrual and may be used when an employee:

• is unable to perform assigned duties because of illness, injury, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition
• must be absent from work to obtain health-related services not reasonably available before or after the employee's regular work hours
• is absent due to illness or communicable disease within the employee's immediate family, established household, or in situations which place primary responsibility for care on the employee must attend to the death of a relative not covered under SPP 704-05 Bereavement Leave.

An employee may use up to three days of accrued sick leave for this purpose and two additional days to attend or arrange funeral services out of state.

Who has what responsibility when requesting sick leave?
Sick leave is both the responsibility of the supervisor and the employee. All requests for use of sick leave may completed by the employee or the supervisor. All requests must be approved by the employee's supervisor.

The employee should give as much notice as possible for any scheduled absence. The supervisor should be notified on the first day of an unscheduled absence.

A Request for Leave of Absence Form should be completed for accurate records.

What if the employee does not have sufficient accrued sick leave
for an absence?
An employee may request unpaid leave or use accrued vacation leave in lieu of sick leave.

As a supervisor, what should you do if you observe
a pattern of continued absenteeism or use of excessive sick leave?
If an employee develops a pattern of poor attendance, you should have a conversation with the employee to find out the circumstances of the absences. From there, it is important not to take any action until you speak with your HR Consultant to determine what options are available.

How should excessive or continued absenteeism be addressed?
Excessive absenteeism or extended absence may warrant a request for a physician statement. If the employee self-identifies a disability in connection with the absenteeism, consult with the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EO/AA) unit and SPP 105 Americans with Disabilities.

What if the employee needs additional leave to cover
the length of absence related to a specific illness?
Request for an extension of leave for medical reasons must be accompanied by a physician's statement. Extended Leave may be available for medical reasons. It also may be used in conjunction with Family Leave when appropriate as described in SPP 705-02.
See SPP 705-01 Extended Leave of Absence for further information.

If the employee does not have sufficient accrued leave for an absence, Compassionate Transfer of Leave SPP 702-04 may be requested. If the employee self-identifies a disability in connection with the absenteeism, consult with the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EO/AA) unit and SPP 105 Americans with Disabilities.

If the extended leave is needed due to a work-related illness or injury, refer to SPP 504-02 Workers' Compensation.

What happens to accrued sick leave at retirement?
A cash payment for accrued sick leave may be paid at a percentage upon retirement.
See SPP 701-01 Sick Leave for specific information.

The contents of this HR Advisor page is not intended to create a contract, either expressed or implied, between Arizona State University and its employees for either employment or any benefit or agreement. While the HR Advisor makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information, it does not establish or modify policies or procedures of your department, Arizona State University or the Board of Regents.