VCOM Faculty Handbook

the disability leave. All salary benefits are discontinued after the employee has utilized the 10 sick days and any additional approved annual leave days. Employees should furnish the Division Officer and the Campus Dean with a physician’s statement and signature on VCOM’s request form for short-term disability, verifying medical necessity for short-term disability leave that includes the reason and anticipated period of short-term disability leave, the exact restrictions, and the anticipated date of return. Prior to the occurrence of short-term disability leave, the form and additional documentation must be delivered to the Director for Human Resources and the employee should be prepared to discuss coverage for job duties, anticipated time of return, and other essential information. VCOM reserves the right to request a second opinion at any time should the Director for Human Resources and the Division Officer and/or the Campus Dean find the requested period exceeds that normally anticipated for the illness. The physician will be selected jointly by VCOM and the employee. In such cases, VCOM will pay the costs for the second opinion. All medical leave extending beyond 10 working days requires initial verification with repeat verification every five to 10 working days as determined by the Division Officer, Campus Dean, and the President. VCOM reserves the right to request updated medical verification at any time, as a requirement for paid leave or for unpaid extended leave. The employee is expected to communicate with the Director for Human Resources and the Division Officer on a regular basis, not to exceed two-week intervals, during this leave. Failure to provide verifications required and to check-in with Human Resources and the Division Officer may result in termination of benefits. An employee who is incapacitated and unable to respond resulting in termination can appeal the termination decision through Human Resources. Family and Medical Leave Family and medical leave is available to full-time employees who have worked for VCOM for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months immediately preceding the leave. Employees may be paid during family medical leave using any available and approved sick leave or annual leave until exhausted. Employees may also be eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA (within a 12-month period) for one or more of the following, followed by eligibility for additional unpaid family and medical leave for one or more of the following: • the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth. • the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement. • to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition. • a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job. • any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is covered military member on “covered active duty;” or • twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin (military caregiver leave). The Division Officer and President will review family and medical leave requests to be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule on a case-by-case basis. Employees will be restored to their original or equivalent position upon return from an approved family leave occurrence. Employees are responsible for all benefit premium costs while on family leave. Regarding health insurance, employees are required only to continue premium payments equal to those paid by the employee prior to the disability leave. All salary benefits are discontinued after the employee has utilized the 10 sick days and any

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