Iowa Admin. Code r. 11-63.3

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 11-63.3 - Sick leave with pay

Probationary and permanent full-time employees, except peace officer employees of the department of natural resources and the department of public safety, shall accrue sick leave as set forth in this paragraph. If the employee's accrued sick leave balance is 750 hours or less, the employee shall accrue one and one-half days of sick leave per month, which is 5.538462 hours per pay period. If the employee's accrued sick leave balance is 1500 hours or less but more than 750 hours, the employee shall accrue one day of sick leave per month, which is 3.692308 hours per pay period. If the employee's accrued sick leave balance is more than 1500 hours, the employee shall accrue one-half day of sick leave per month, which is 1.846154 hours per pay period. Peace officer employees of the department of natural resources and department of public safety shall accrue sick leave at the same rate as the rate provided under the State Police Officers Council collective bargaining agreement. The use of sick leave with pay shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) Accrued sick leave may be used during a period when an employee is unable to work because of medically related disabilities; for physical or mental illness; medical, dental or optical examination, surgery or treatment; or when performance of assigned duties would jeopardize the employee's health or recovery. Medically related disabilities caused by pregnancy or recovery from childbirth shall be covered by sick leave.

(2) Sick leave shall not be used as vacation.

(3) Sick leave shall not be granted in excess of the amount accrued.

(4) There is no limit on the accumulation of sick leave. An employee who has accrued at least 240 hours of sick leave may elect to accrue additional vacation in lieu of the normal sick leave accrual. An employee who has made an election to convert sick leave to vacation will be credited with four hours of vacation for each full month when sick leave is not used during that month. A conversion shall not be made if the accrued sick leave is less than 240 hours in the pay period in which the conversion would be made. The conversion of sick leave shall be prorated for employees who are normally scheduled to work less than full-time (40 hours per week). An employee's maximum vacation accrual may be increased under this subrule up to 96 hours.

(5)In all cases when an employee has been absent on sick leave, the employee shall immediately upon return to work submit a statement that the absence was due to illness or other reasons stated in this rule. Where absence exceeds three working days, the reasons for the absence shall be verified by a physician or other authorized practitioner if required by the appointing authority. An appointing authority may require verification for lesser periods of absence and at any time during an absence. In all cases, sick leave shall not be deducted from that accrued until authorized by the appointing authority.

(6) Sick leave shall be charged on the employee's workday basis. Officially designated holidays occurring during an employee's sick leave shall not be counted against the employee's accrued sick leave.

(7) Sick leave shall not accrue during any absence without pay.

(8) Probationary and permanent part-time employees shall accrue sick leave in an amount proportionate to that which would be accrued under full-time employment.

(9) An employee who is transferred, promoted, or demoted from one agency to another shall be credited with the sick leave accrued.

(10) All accrued sick leave shall be canceled on the date of separation, and no employee shall be reimbursed for accrued sick leave unused at the time of separation except as provided for in Iowa Code section 70A.23, or the applicable collective bargaining agreement. However, if an employee is laid off and is reemployed by any state agency within two years following the date of layoff, or an employee is separated due to an on-the-job injury or illness and is reemployed by any state agency within two years following the date of medical release, the employee's unused accrued sick leave shall be restored, except to the extent that the sick leave hours have been credited to a sick leave bank pursuant to Iowa Code section 70A.23 and the provisions of 11-64.16 (8A). Employees participating in the sick leave insurance program who return to permanent employment will not have prior sick leave amounts restored.

(11) Employees may also use accrued sick leave, not to exceed a total of 40 hours per fiscal year, for the following purposes:

a. When a death occurs in the immediate family;

b. For the temporary care of, or necessary attention to, members of the immediate family.

For purposes of this subrule, "immediate family" means the employee's spouse, children, grandchildren, foster children, stepchildren, legal wards, parents, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, brothers, foster brothers, stepbrothers, sons-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters, foster sisters, stepsisters, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, first cousins, corresponding relatives of the employee's spouse and other persons who are members of the employee's household.

This leave shall be granted at the convenience of the employee whenever possible and consistent with the staffing needs of the appointing authority.

(12) If an absence because of illness, injury or other proper reason for using sick leave provided for in this rule extends beyond the employee's accrued sick leave, the appointing authority may require or permit additional time off to be charged to any other accrued leave. Employees shall, upon request, be paid accrued compensatory leave in a lump sum. When all accrued sick leave has been used, the employee may be granted leave without pay or terminated except as provided in subrule 63.5(4).

Iowa Admin. Code r. 11-63.3

ARC 8265B, lAB 11/4/09, effective 12/9/09; ARC 0401C, lAB 10/17/12, effective 11/21/12

Amended by IAB August 6, 2014/Volume XXXVII, Number 3, effective 9/10/2014