HOLIDAYS

Continuing staff and temporary staff members with term appointments are eligible for paid holidays that fall within their term of appointment. While the College reserves the right to determine the schedule each year, the following holidays are generally recognized as paid holidays at Colby.

Holiday Schedule

New Year's Day and a day preceding or following

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Thanksgiving and the day following

Christmas and a day preceding or following

Two floating holidays

Students are frequently on campus for Labor Day, and sometimes Memorial Day, requiring that some offices and departments remain open to ensure delivery of essential services. If a staff member is required to work during a designated holiday, compensatory time off or premium pay may be granted.

The paid holidays will be announced each year. Two floating holidays are provided for employees receiving Colby benefits, to be scheduled in advance with supervisory approval. Floating holidays are paid in accordance with standard holiday policies.

If an office is to be closed during all or part of any student vacation period, beyond the holidays listed above, employees must charge any additional time off to earned and credited vacation time or take the time without pay. Those who do not wish to take vacation or time off should contact Personnel Services for alternate temporary work, if available.

Religious holidays may be observed when scheduled in advance with the supervisor. Such time off is chargeable to accumulated vacation time or may be taken as personal leave or leave without pay, unless other arrangments are made with the supervisor.

If a holiday occurs while an employee is on vacation or sick leave, holiday pay will be received at straight time for the holiday, and this day will not be charged as a day of vacation or sick leave.

If a holiday falls on a normal day off for employees who work nonstandard schedules, equivalent time off is taken on another day during the same pay period, or holiday pay may be granted.

VACATION

Vacation time is a benefit designed to provide leisure time for employees to be away from regular job duties. Except for unforeseen emergencies, vacation time should be scheduled at least two weeks in advance or as far in advance as possible. Time off for vacation is subject to supervisory approval.

Eligibility

Continuing and term-appointed staff members, employed at least one-half time for an academic or fiscal year, are eligible for paid vacation.

Staff members employed in Dining Services earn vacation as outlined below and must schedule vacation days with their dining hall manager to take into consideration the needs of Dining Services and other departments during such times as the dining halls may be closed.

Vacation leave for continuing support staff will be earned and credited according to the following schedule:

- at the rate of five-sixth work day per month (10 days of vacation per year) during the first four years of employment.

- at the rate of one-and-one-quarter work days per month (15 days of vacation per year) after four years of continuous employment.

- at the rate of one-and-two-thirds workdays per month (20 days of vacation per year) after nine years of continuous employment.

- at the rate of two work days per month (24 days of vacation per year) after 20 years of continuous employment, effective March 1, 1993.

Vacation leave for administrative staff is earned and credited at the rate of 2 days per month.

Effective September 1, 1989, continuing employees whose working term is fewer than 12 months are eligible for vacation with pay in amounts proportional to the amounts earned by staff with 12-month appointments. Continuing part-time employees working on a basis of at least one-half time per week, and whose working term is nine months, are entitled to vacation in a ratio equivalent to their percentage of full-time employment. Vacation days must be taken within the nine-month academic year, usually during periods when classes are not in session, unless a specific exception is approved in writing and in advance for extraordinary reasons by the Director of Personnel Services or the Associate Vice President for Administration.

Vacation credits may be accumulated to a maximum of one-and-one-half times the amount earned each year.

All earned unused vacation time up to the maximum accumulation shall be paid to the employee or his or her beneficiary in the event of termination, retirement, or death.

The supervisor, or a person designated in each department, shall maintain a record of vacation earned and vacation taken by day or fraction of day for each employee eligible for vacation. Attendance forms are available on-line at the Personnel Home Page.

SICK LEAVE

Paid sick leave may be used for illness, injury, and pregnancy-related causes, and with prior approval it may be used for medical and dental appointments in emergencies or when it is not possible to have the appointment after duty hours.

Earned sick leave may also be used when an employee is exposed to a contagious disease at home and the treating physician submits a written recommendation that the employee's presence at work would constitute a health hazard to fellow employees and students.

When the illness of an immediate family member living in the home forces an employee to stay at home, the time off will be counted as sick leave to a maximum of five days in each fiscal year. These days may not be accumulated and used in subsequent years.

Eligibility

Continuing and term-appointed staff employed at least one-half time for an academic or fiscal year become eligible for paid sick leave benefits.

Continuing staff shall be credited with one work day of sick leave for each completed month of service, cumulative to a maximum of 130 days.

Continuing part-time employees employed one-half time or more are entitled to sick leave in a ratio equivalent to their percentage of full-time employment.

Sick Leave, Vacations, and Holidays

Sick leave may not be used for vacation or for time off other than illness. However, while on vacation, days on which the employee is confined to a hospital or a residence because of major illness or injury may be charged to sick leave. A certificate from the treating physician is required in such cases. When an official College holiday occurs during a period of sick leave, the day off is not chargeable to sick leave.

Use of the Benefit, Reporting, and Approvals

An employee unable to report for work shall notify his or her supervisor as soon as possible prior to normal reporting time on the first day of absence, as well as on each successive day of a short-term absence of less than three days. The supervisor must be kept informed during a long-term illness as well. If notification is not made in accordance with this policy, such absence may be charged to accumulated vacation or leave without pay at the supervisor's discretion.

A supervisor may refuse to authorize payment of salary for periods of time off for sick leave without satisfactory medical verification. A supervisor may require a physician's statement if a sick leave is claimed for a period of three continuous days or for other circumstances.

Sick leave may be used for the initial seven working days of each work-connected disability. Any sick leave payments for illness or injury covered by the Workers' Compensation Act shall be reduced by or be reimbursable up to the amount of any compensation received under the provisions of the Act.

Employees leaving Colby except by retirement are not entitled to pay for unused sick leave accrued nor do they receive equal time off with pay. However, an employee eligible for normal or early retirement from the College may convert one half of his or her accrued sick leave, up to 65 days, to annual leave to be taken immediately preceding retirement.

Abuse of sick leave privileges may be cause for disciplinary action including suspension or dismissal.

Colby reserves the right to request medical verification to determine an employee's capability to return to work.

Supervisors are responsible for keeping necessary records of sick leave credited and used for each support staff member. Attendance forms are available on-line at the Personnel Home Page.

PARENTAL LEAVE

Administrative and support staff with two (2) or more consecutive years of service on a continuing, appointment of half-time (17 ½ hours per week) or more are eligible for paid leave of up to four (4) weeks for the birth or adoption of a child. Eligible staff with less than two years of service will be granted leave pro-rated based on their length of service at a rate of one week of paid leave for every 6 consecutive months of completed service. Each staff member is eligible for one parental leave per event. Parental leave is available to each employee no more than two (2) times during her or his employment with the College.

Parental leave will count towards the 12 weeks of leave allowed under the Family Medical Leave Act and may be used in conjunction with accrued vacation and/or floating holidays and, when appropriate, accrued sick leave. Parental leave must be taken immediately prior to or following the birth, adoption or placement for adoption of a child. Adopted children must be under the age of 18 at the time of adoption. If both parents are staff employees and eligible for leave, leaves may be taken concurrently or consecutively. Employees must contact Personnel Services to arrange their leave and are encouraged to do so as far in advance as possible.

OTHER PAID LEAVES

Reduced Appointments: Long-Service Employees

Continuing full and part-time employees with five or more years of service in that status may arrange to reduce their appointment at proportional salary for periods up to two years. Subject to managerial approval and departmental scheduling requirements, these arrangements may be made at any time during the year. Accruals of paid-time off (vacation and sick leave) will be earned at a ratio equivalent to the percentage of full-time employment.

Insurance and retirement benefits will continue during a reduced time appointment, and benefits based on salary will be reduced to reflect actual wages paid. Eligible fiscal-year appointees selecting this option will be paid over a 12-month period at the appropriately reduced rate. Proposals are reviewed by the Director of Personnel Services and final decisions are subject to approval by the appropriate Dean, Vice President or the President.

Reduced Appointment Leaves will be granted with the understanding and mutual agreement that the employees who select this option will subsequently resume their regular appointment at the specified termination date of the leave.

Family and Civic Responsibilities

Staff members on continuing appointments are also eligible for certain paid leaves for special family and civic responsibilities.

Supervisors may grant up to three days paid leave to employees for funeral/bereavement in the immediate family and/or household. Immediate family or household member is defined as spouse, domestic partner, parents or stepparents, brothers and sisters, children, grandparents, and parents-in-law or another person in the household with whom the employee has a significant relationship. The actual number of paid days to be granted is determined by the Director of Personnel and is dependent upon the closeness of the relationship, distance to be traveled, or other circumstances involved. If a supervisor feels more time away from work is needed, the matter should be discussed with the Director of Personnel Services.

While on jury duty, eligible staff members shall be granted leave with pay to perform this civic duty. Any employee absent for jury duty shall be paid by the College the difference between his or her regular straight-time rate of pay for the period of jury service and the payment received for jury service. A leave for jury duty will be granted upon presentation of official orders from the appropriate court. An employee is expected to work at his/her regularly assigned duties when not actually serving the duties of a juror.