VCOM Faculty Handbook

Employees may also be given mandatory administrative leave as a warning for need for improvement. When this occurs, it is the intent of administration that the employee issue be resolved prior to returning to work. Granted administrative leave with pay will not exceed the time required for the purpose for which it is taken and may not exceed three days. Any additional time that an employee chooses to take on the same day must be charged to appropriate leave balances or to leave without pay. Documentation of duties and time spent is required. Educational Leave Employees may be allowed to take leave to further their education through courses of study related to their work or that of their department if approved by the officer over that Division. Educational leave may not be approved for a period of greater than five days. It may be leave with full, partial, or no pay, and must be authorized by the supervisor and division/department leader. The division/department leader has the option to determine if an employee may be granted the leave with pay or if it will have to be a leave without pay. The division/department leader may allow an employee to make up time after hours if the work schedule permits. Any altered schedules must be approved by the Campus Dean or Divisional Officer. Leave Without Pay Approval for leave without pay is rare and not guaranteed for any faculty member. However, a Division Officer with approval by the Campus Dean and the President, grants reasonable periods of leave without pay for extended illness, sabbaticals, or other personal leave purposes as long as such leave does not interfere with the educational program or the ability to carry out the institutional mission. The Campus Dean, in consultation with the faculty member and the President, has the discretion to grant or deny an employee’s request to take unpaid leave while maintaining certain leave balances when that faculty’s request does not interfere with the educational program or essential functions of the College. However, the Campus Dean and President may also require that the faculty member use their annual leave before going on leave without pay. When a leave without pay has been granted (other than military leave) and reinstatement to the faculty member’s former position upon their return has been granted, the faculty member must be aware that if the position becomes an “essential to be filled position” the faculty member will be notified and may be required to return or be at risk losing the guaranteed position. At this time, if continued leave is needed, the faculty member must utilize his or her paid leave time balance. Leaves of absence without pay will not be granted for more than three months for an extended illness or injury; however, the faculty member is considered for re-hire if the faculty member has followed all steps for leave without pay. This does not apply to personnel on active duty with the military or those on an approved sabbatical. Medical Leave or “Sick Leave” Medical Leave (i.e., sick leave) is the same as for all employees. Medical leave for minor illness is VCOM’s way of protecting employees against loss of pay when they must miss work because of illness or injury. Employees are eligible for 10 days or 80 hours of sick leave at the beginning of each new fiscal year. The employee may use their sick leave if they are sick or injured or for medical appointments when they cannot schedule them at times other than during work hours. This leave may also be utilized to care for a child, minor dependent, spouse or parent (as defined by FMLA) who is ill or injured. In the event an employee is absent due to illness or injury, the employee must notify their supervisor or Division Officer to whom that employee reports as soon as they know they will be absent or as soon as physically possible. An employee may use up to three consecutive days of medical leave without a physician’s excuse. In the event an employee must be absent for an illness for greater than three consecutive days, or for more than ten working days of leave for illness throughout the year, or where the absence causes a serious interruption of the educational program, a physician’s written medical verification may be required at the discretion of the Division Officer. The verification of illness by a physician must be submitted to the Director for Human Resources and the Division Officer and must include the anticipated date of return and any work limitations upon return. Only the Division Officer may extend

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