Title of Policy: Leave and Time-Off Policy
Policy No.: 1.7005
Type of Policy: Administrative
Effective Date: October 1, 2020
Last Revised: New
Policy Owner: Florida Memorial University
Policy Contact: Office of Human Resources President
I. Reason for Policy
The purpose of the Leave and Time-Off Policy is to provide eligible employees with time-off on a periodic basis.
II. Policy Statement
Eligible Florida Memorial University (FMU) employees may take allowable leave and time-off from University business and functions. FMU wishes to allow eligible employees time to recuperate, reflect, and attend to a variety of matters, as provided herein. This Leave and Time-Off Policy administers the accrual and appropriate use of FMU leave and time-off. All leave and time-off benefits are determined based on the calendar year.
III. Scope
The Policy covers all eligible employees of FMU. An employee who has accrued time-off and requests use of the leave time must be permitted to use the time-off within a reasonable period after the request has been approved by the employee’s supervisor.
IV. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
| Vacation | Eligible employees will accrue paid vacation time. Vacation time can be carried over to the following year, up to a maximum of 30 days. See vacation calculations in Administrative/operational procedures/HR Manual. |
| Personal | Full-time staff are eligible for up to two paid personal days each year. Personal days cannot be carried over to the following year. Staff members are not paid in lieu of taking the actual time-off. Personal days can be used in conjunction with other paid time-off. |
| Sick | Full-time staff are eligible for paid sick days each year. Sick time can be carried over to the following year, up to a maximum of 90 sick days. Employees are not paid for unused sick time upon termination. See vacation calculations in Administrative/operational procedures/HR Manual. |
| Catastrophic Pool | Voluntary program designed to allow eligible employees to donate sick leave hours directly from one employee to another employee who has exhausted their leave balances including sick, vacation, and compensatory time. |
| Bereavement | Full-time staff members who have completed their introductory period are eligible for three paid days for the death of an immediate family member. Members of the immediate family include spouses, parents, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, grandparents and parents-in-law . FMU reserves the right to request written verification of a staff member’s familial relationship to the deceased and his or her attendance at the funeral service as a condition of the bereavement pay. |
| Jury Duty | Full-time staff members may be provided time-off wit pay when necessary to comply with state and federal wage and hour Jaws. We reserve the right to request proof of jury service issued by the Court upon return. |
| Witness | Staff are give the necessary time-off without pay to attend or participate in a court proceeding in accordance with federal or state law. May be provided time-off with pay when necessary to comply with state and federal wage and hour laws. |
| FMU Business Professional Development Leave | The granting of this type of leave is for University business for compelling reasons and is dependent upon written approval.
Professional Development Leave is granted to increase an exempt employee’s value to the University as well as position and/or professional expertise. |
| Leave of Absence (Education Leave, Voting Leave, Military Leave, Domestic and Sexual Violence Leave, Family Medical Leave Act) | To provide employees (who are not eligible for Sabbatical Leave) with leave opportunities to advance job-related skills and knowledge.
Full-time staff who have completed one year of employment may be granted a leave of absence with or without pay when necessary to comply with state and federal wage and hour laws. The granting of this type of leave is normally for compelling reasons and is dependent upon the written approval. The time-off will be unpaid, except where state laws dictates otherwise. Staff who are required to fulfill military obligations in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States will be given the necessary time-off and reinstated in accordance with federal and state law. During leave of absence with pay, an employee shall continue to accrue sick leave. |
V. Responsibilities
Every member of the FMU community is responsible for adhering to this Policy.
VI. Enforcement
This Policy shall be enforced by University administrators. It is the responsibility of the Office of Human Resources to oversee enforcement of this Policy. Any employee who violates this Policy will be subject to disciplinary action that may result in warning, probation, suspension or separation from the University. The University reserves the right to modify its benefits at any time. The University Policies and Procedures Library is updated regularly. In order to ensure a printed copy of this document is current, please access it online at https://policies.fmu.edu.