PURPOSE: 

The purpose of this Policy is to establish guidelines for staff employee attendance, excluding legally required or properly approved university time off.

POLICY/PROCEDURE:

Attendance
Punctual and regular attendance is expected of each TWU staff member.  When an employee is unable to report for work, it is the responsibility of the employee to notify the supervisor no less than (1) one hour before work shift.

Job abandonment
Job abandonment will result in termination after the employee has missed three (3) consecutive or non-consecutive work shifts within a rolling calendar year period, without properly notifying the employee’s immediate supervisor and/or the appropriate administrative officer of the reason(s) for the absence(s).

Vacation Leave
All regular staff employees are eligible for paid vacation leave in accordance with the current State of Texas schedule. A regular part-time employee shall earn and carry forward a pro rata share based upon the percent of time worked. Vacation shall be earned in accordance with the following schedule: 

Vacation earned during one fiscal year may be carried forward to the next fiscal year subject to the maximums shown above.  All hours of unused accumulated vacation leave which are above the maximum at the end of the fiscal year may be credited to the employee's sick leave balance as of the first day of the next fiscal year.

An employee will earn vacation entitlement beginning on the first day of employment with the University and terminating on the last day of duty (last physical day on the job). Credit for one month's accrual will be given for each month or fraction of a month of employment. Vacation with pay may not be granted until the employee has had continuous employment with the state for six (6) months, although credit will be accrued during that time.

Employees change to a higher accrual rate (based on years of total eligible service) on the first calendar day of the month if the employee's anniversary date falls on the first day of the month; otherwise, the increase will occur on the first calendar day of the following month.

Example: An employee who began work on September 6, 2002, would change from earning 8 hours to 9 hours on October l, 2004.

Employees who have eligible previous state service should contact the Office of Human Resources to secure proper credit for that employment toward vacation accrual. (See "Previous State Service" for additional details.)

Vacation ordinarily will be scheduled at the mutual convenience of the employee, the department, and the University. Where conflicts arise, the needs of the University and the department shall be paramount. The University may require employees to take vacation or compensatory time for closing of buildings to maximize energy conservation.

A staff employee who resigns, is dismissed, or separated from University employment is entitled to be paid for all vacation duly accrued at the time of separation from University employment, provided the employee has had continuous employment with the State of Texas for six (6) months.  A credit maybe taken by the university against an employee’s vacation accruals; if at the time of separation has either been overpaid, and or received compensation not legally entitled to from the university.

Sick Leave Accrual and Usage
Sick leave entitlement shall be earned by a regular full-time employee at the current rate of eight (8) hours per month or a fraction of a month employment, and shall accumulate with the unused amount of such leave carried forward each month.  A regular part-time employee shall earn a pro rata share based on the percent time worked.  Sick leave accrual will terminate on the last day of duty.

Sick leave with pay may be taken when sickness, injury, or pregnancy and confinement prevent the employee’s performance of duty or when a member of her or his immediate family is actually ill.  Immediate family shall be defined as those individuals related by kinship, adoption or marriage, as well as foster children certified by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.

An employee’s use of sick leave for family members not residing in that employee’s household is strictly limited to the time necessary to provide care and assistance to a spouse, child or parent of the employee who needs such care and assistance as a direct result of a documented medical condition. 

This provision for taking sick leave does not extend to an employee’s parent-in-law if they do not live in the same household. 

Sickness occurring during a vacation period may be charged to sick leave.  When an employee is ill for a continuous period of more than three (3) days, while on vacation, in order to be eligible for accumulated sick leave with pay, she or he shall be required to furnish a doctor’s certificate showing the cause and nature of the illness or some other written statement of facts concerning the illness which is acceptable to the supervisor.

Voluntary Sick Leave Pool/Sick Leave Exception
An employee may be eligible to request time from the sick leave pool or through the sick leave exception if, because of injury or illness the employee exhausted all the sick leave time to which that employee is otherwise entitled.  University Policy 3.12 provides additional information. This policy, and/or an application is available in the on-line University Policy Manual, or you may contact the Office of Human Resources for a copy. 

TRS Service Credit for Sick Leave
Beginning September 1, 2001, a TRS member may purchase one year of membership service credit for 50 days of accumulated state sick leave as of the last day of employment before retirement. Additional information from the Office of Human Resources is available upon request.

Absences Due to Illness
Staff employees are required to notify supervisors prior to absences.  In the event of emergencies, when prior notification is impossible, employees are obligated to notify their supervisor of their absence at the earliest possible time.  Staff employees are responsible for keeping their supervisor informed of the status of their absence and an expected return-to-work date.

Absences due to illness continuing for three (3) work shifts or more will require a doctor’s certificate showing the cause and nature of the illness or some other written statement of the facts concerning the illness which is acceptable to the supervisor.  The University may, at its discretion, request a doctor’s release, or other documentation after any absence due to illness before a staff employee would be allowed to return to work.  A doctor’s statement and/or appropriate documentation shall be maintained by the employing department.  

Patterned Sick Leave Usage Abuse
Staff employees are responsible for the appropriate use of sick leave.  Sick leave abuse occurs when a staff employee uses sick leave for unauthorized purposes or misrepresents the actual reason for charging absences to sick leave.  Abuse may also occur when an employee establishes a pattern of sick leave over a period of time such as the day before or after a holiday, on Mondays and Fridays, after paydays, any one specific day, half-days, or continued patterns of maintaining a zero or near zero sick leave account balance.  Staff employees who engage in sick leave abuse, and/or show a pattern of failing to notify their supervisor of absences maybe subject to corrective guidelines action up to and including employment dismissal.

Tardiness
Employees are required to report to work on time.  Being punctual is important for the orderly and productive completion of work.  This includes returning from lunch and rest periods at the proper time.  Staff employees who report to work late, or who report late coming back from lunch and rest breaks, may be subject to corrective action guidelines up to an including employment dismissal.

Time and Absence Reporting

Staff employees are responsible for accurately reflecting work time and time off on time sheets (manual or electronic).  Employees who falsify time sheets may be subject to corrective action guidelines up to and including employment dismissal.

Departmental Attendance Policies
Each department that requires greater operational control and efficiency may develop a specific attendance policy based on its needs.  This TWU policy is a general attendance operating policy guide for all staff employees with departmental attendance policies used as a specific guide for its staff employees.
 

POLICY REVIEW:

The Vice President for Finance and Administration will review this Operating Policy with recommendations forwarded through normal administrative channels to the Chancellor and President.