In the event of a death in his/her immediate family, an employee may be absent without loss of salary for a period not to exceed 5 working days per year.  An employee may be absent for an additional 5 working days provided these days are deducted from the employee's accrued sick leave.

Your department/site Administrative Assistant would need to create a bereavement ePAR to communicate this information.

In the event of the death of a co-worker or a member of his/her immediate family, other staff members may be excused from duties to attend the funeral service without loss of pay or deduction from accrued leave time, provided that said services are held within the confines of Pima County.

All employees, whether full-time, part-time or substitute, will begin to accrue earned paid sick time (EPST) on the later of July 1, 2017 or the commencement of employment.  Employees will accrue EPST at the rate of one (1) hour for thirty hours worked, with a maximum accrual and use limit of forty (40) hours per fiscal year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30.  Full-time certificated employees and classified employees who are exempt from the FLSA overtime rules will be assumed to work forty (40) hours in each workweek for purposes of EPST accrual.  Such employees who work part-time will accrue EPST proportionately.

If an employee is also entitled to earn sick leave pursuant to Governing Board Policy GCCA (Professional Staff Sick Leave) or GDCA (Support Staff Sick Leave), the first forty (40) hours of sick leave will be considered EPST.

EPST may be used for the following:

1. Medical care or mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition
2. A public health emergency
3. Absence due to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse, or stalking.

Employees may use EPST for themselves or for family members.

Eligible fiscal-year employees may receive 17 paid holidays annually.  Eligible non-fiscal-year employees may receive 22 to 23 paid holidays annually.

An employee shall be granted leave with pay when serving as a member of a jury or a grand jury, or as a material witness to an incident in which he/she is not personally involved (unless involvement is as a victim in a criminal case).  Any fees received, with the exception of travel reimbursements, shall be remitted to the District.

Upon Governing Board approval, employees are allowed to take leaves from District employment for up to one year.  Leave may be granted for reasons related to health and hardship, study/travel, or political office.  An employee's supervisor must approve all leaves.  Proof of the need for leave (such as a medical excuse) may be required.  Certain conditions and restrictions apply to each form of leave.  Among these restrictions is the stipulation that an employee on leave cannot hold other employment during the leave without Governing Board approval.  Leaves of absence may not exceed one year.  The leave of absence process and necessary forms are located here.

The District's contributions toward group insurance benefits of an employee on unpaid leave stop on the last day of the month in which the leave begins, unless any of the leave time is qualified under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  The determination as to whether an employee's leave qualifies under the Family and Medical Leave Act is made by the Benefits Department.  When the District's contributions toward premium costs stop, an employee on unpaid leave has the right, under federal COBRA laws, to continue medical and/or dental insurance coverage by assuming all premium costs.  Continuation under COBRA is available for up to 18 months.

The District also allows an employee on unpaid leave the right to continue his/her District life insurance coverage by assuming all premium costs.  Continued life insurance coverage is available during the leave period only.  If the employee terminates District employment at the end of the leave, continuation of group term life insurance is not available, but the employee does retain the right to purchase life insurance directly from the insurance provider by converting the group coverage to an individual policy.

If the employee elects NOT to continue one or more group insurance benefits when the District contribution toward premium costs stops, the coverage is terminated on the last day of the month in which the District contributions stop. 

When an employee obtains approval for a leave of absence, Employee Benefits provides him/her with personalized information concerning continuation rights, premium costs, lengths of coverage availability and payment procedures.

The employee will be eligible to re-enroll in group insurance benefits, with the District’s contribution toward premium costs, for coverage beginning the first of the month following an employee's return from leave status to active employment status.

If an employee is granted a leave of absence, all rights provided under law and by the District's policies and regulations (such as retirement rights, accrued leave with pay, and previously earned salary increments) are preserved and are available to the employee after the leave is terminated and upon reinstatement to District employment, subject to the provisions of District policy.

Employees shall be granted leave of absence for military service in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Employees, who are members of the National Guard, or a recognized military reserve unit, shall be entitled to a leave of absence with pay for field training for a period not to exceed 30 calendar days in any 2 consecutive calendar years.  A set of orders must be provided to one’s supervisor and to the Payroll Department.

A maximum of 5 personal leave days per year may be granted to eligible employees:

• Certified employees are granted 5 days per year.
• Classified employees are granted 4 days, with the option to convert 1 sick leave day to personal leave.

Unused personal leave days, or portions thereof, will be added to the following year's accumulated sick leave days.  Under certain circumstances, and with administrative approval, personal leave may be used in conjunction with paid holidays without loss of holiday pay.   

The District does not grant special religious observance holidays.  Religious holidays may be observed by substituting personal leave, vacation leave or by using an unpaid, excused day to cover the absence.

Eligible employees who either work or are on approved paid leave at least 75% of the month shall earn sick leave as follows:

• Fiscal-Year employees start earning sick leave at the beginning of each fiscal year (July 1), at the rate of 1 day per month until a total of 10 days has been earned.
• Non-Fiscal-Year employees start earning sick leave at the beginning of each academic year at the rate of 1 day per month until a total of 8 days has been earned (classified), 7 days (certified).

Sick leave may be used for personal illness, certain family member illnesses and medical services not available before or after regular working hours.  Eligible employees shall earn and may use sick leave immediately. 

Sick leave is calculated on the basis of an 8-hour workday.  For employees working less than 8 hours per day, payment for unused sick leave is converted to a proportion of the full-time status.

• Specified employees leaving the District may receive payment for unused sick leave under certain circumstances, based on their Years of Service.
• Upon the death of an active-status employee, payment for unused sick leave will be made to the deceased employee's estate.

Employees re-employed within six weeks of the next consecutive school year may request to repurchase sick leave paid at the time of termination.

Eligible employees who either work or are on approved paid leave at least 75% of the month shall earn vacation leave. Academic year employees are not eligible for vacation leave. Eligible employees shall earn and may use vacation immediately.

Administrators, teachers, professional classified, and other non-teaching certificated personnel on 12-month contracts are entitled to 20 days of paid vacation each fiscal year, pro-rated by date of hire.

Classified fiscal-year employees shall earn paid vacation leave as follows:

• During the first through fifth years of continuous service: a maximum of 10 vacation days may be earned at the rate of .83 days per month.
• During the sixth through tenth years of continuous service: a maximum of 15 vacation days may be earned at the rate of 1.25 days per month
• During the eleventh year and each year of continuous service thereafter: a maximum of 20 vacation days may be earned at the rate of 1.66 days per month.

As long as service is continuous, unused vacation time may be accumulated and carried forward from one vacation year to the next, in a total amount not to exceed:

• 10 working days during the first 5 years of service;
• 15 working days during the next 5 years; and
• 20 working days during each year of service thereafter.

Under extreme circumstances, vacation accrued in excess of that allowed by policy MAY be transferred to the employee's accumulated sick leave with the written permission of the superintendent.

If an employee entitled to vacation leave resigns, retires or is discharged from the District, the employee shall be paid for accumulated vacation time, subject to the above accumulation policy.  The separation vacation payment shall be calculated at the employee's current compensation rate.