Section 389-11-2 - LEAVES OF ABSENCE WITH PAYA.General Regulations1. Authorization in Advance. So far as practicable, written grants of leave with pay shall be made prior to the beginning of the periods of absence, and no payment for any absence shall be made until the leave is properly approved by the appointing authority.2. Charges Against Credits Earned a. Deductions from leave accumulations for an employee on leave with pay shall be made on a working-day basis.b. No charges against leave with pay accumulations shall be made for holidays, non-work days, or non-work part days occurring at the beginning or during a period of leave with pay.c. No charge shall be made for holidays or non-work days occurring at the end of a period of leave with pay if the employee returns to work on the first day thereafter or is granted additional leave.3. Credits Earned While on Leave. Accrual of vacation leave and sick leave during the period of leave of absence with pay shall occur only if the employee returns to his employment on the first working day following the expiration of such leave with pay or is granted additional leave without pay.4. Agency Records. Appointing authorities shall maintain records of vacation and sick leave accrued and used by each of their employees. Such records shall be maintained in the form and manner approved by the Director of Human Resources, and shall be subject to audit by the Bureau of Human Resources. In case of dispute of the accuracy of the records, the decision of the Director shall be final.B.Vacation Leave1. Eligibility and Rate of Accrual a. Each employee in the classified service, except temporary emergency or project employees, shall earn vacation with pay on the following basis: One work day shall be earned for each completed full month, or hourly equivalent, of service during the first five years of employment with the state. Thereafter, provided the last five years of service shall have been continuous, vacation shall be earned on the following basis: For each completed full month, or hourly equivalent, of employment with the state, one and one-fourth (1 1/14) days shall be earned until ten years shall have been completed; one and one-half (1 1/2) days shall be earned until fifteen years shall have been completed; one and three-fourths (1 3/4) days shall be earned until twenty years have been completed; thereafter, two days shall be earned. NOTE 1: Reference Chapter 2 for regulations governing intermittent employment.
NOTE 2: Chapter 147, P&S Law, 1976 enacted 5 MRSA, §16 which establishes these rates of accrual as the minimum rates applicable to employees in both the classified and unclassified service.
b. Continuous service for the purpose of determining eligibility for vacation leave benefits shall be defined as all uninterrupted state service, to include both classified and unclassified service employment.2. Creditable Time a. Service shall begin on the date of state employment, and time on layoff, suspension, or leave without pay, except as otherwise provided by the Civil Service Law or by these rules, shall not be counted in determining the date of completion of a full month or a full year of service.b. Vacation credits shall not be earned or accumulated during periods of authorized educational leave.3. Agency Approval/Authorization Vacations shall be granted at such time or times as shall be mutually agreeable to the employees and appointing authorities involved.
4. Maximum Yearly Accrual a. Employees having less than fifteen completed years of service may accumulate vacation leave to a total of twenty-four (24) work days. Those employees having more than fifteen years of service, the last five years of which have been continuous, may, accumulate vacation time to a total of thirty (30) work days, provided, however, that an employee who is about to lose a day of vacation leave because of the limitation of accrual imposed by this rule, upon advance notice to the appointing authority may within the 30 calendar days following, absent himself/herself with the consent of his/her appointing authority to prevent the loss of such day.b. An employee on military leave (as provided in 5 MRSA, Chapter 372 § 7051) shall not be limited to 24 work days accrual of vacation leave. The employee may immediately upon reinstatement from military leave, take all vacation leave in excess of 24 work days with or without consent of the appointing authority. In the alternative, the employee may elect to be credited with the vacation leave in excess of 24 work days, but such leave shall be taken at a time determined by the appointing authority, within two years of the date of reinstatement.5. Disposition of Credits upon Transfer or Separationa. Separation 1. Any employee who is separated from the state service by layoff, resignation, death or otherwise, shall be paid, or shall have payment made to his/her estate for the number of working days of unused vacation leave and overtime accumulated to his/her credit --OR--2. At his/her discretion, an employee may utilize accrued vacation credits immediately prior to separation in lieu of a lump sum payment; however, accrual of additional vacation, sick leave or holiday credits shall cease with the commencement of this intended final leave.b. Transfer 1. Any employee who is transferred to the jurisdiction of a new appointing authority or who accepts employment under the jurisdiction of a new appointing authority or who moves from the classified to the unclassified service or vice versa, shall be paid for the number of working days of unused vacation leave and overtime accumulated to his/her credit --OR--2. An employee who is transferred to the jurisdiction of another appointing authority or who accepts employment under the jurisdiction of a new appointing authority or who moves from the classified to the unclassified service, or vice versa, shall be entitled to credit in his/her new employment for the accumulated unused vacation credits earned in his/her former employment.6. Disposition of Credits Upon Completion of Seasonal Work Each Year for Seasonal Employees of the Baxter State Park Authority a. A seasonal employee of the Baxter State Park Authority may, at the conclusion of seasonal work each year and at the seasonal employee's option, elect to be paid for the number of working days of unused vacation leave and compensating time in lieu of overtime accumulated to the seasonal employee's credit. Election of this option by a seasonal employee of the Baxter State Park Authority may not be construed as an interruption in state service if the employee returns to classified or unclassified employment in any capacity within one year.C.Sick leave1. Eligibility and Rate of Accrual a. Sick leave shall be earned by each employee in the classified service, except temporary, emergency or project employees, at the rate of one (1) working day for each completed full month of service. NOTE 1: See Chapter 2 for regulations governing intermittent employment.
NOTE 2: Chapter 147, P&S Law, 1976 enacted 5 MRSA, §16 which establishes this rate of accrual as the minimum rate applicable to employees in both the classified and unclassified service.
b. Either the appointing authority or the Director of Human Resources may require such medical examination or certificate as deemed necessary before approving the utilization of sick leave.2. Creditable Time a. Service shall begin on the date of state employment and time on layoff, suspension or leave without pay, except as otherwise provided by law or these rules, shall not be counted in determining the completion of a full month of service.b. Part-time employees employed normally the year round and established on a regular hourly work schedule shall be allowed sick leave credits pro-rated on the amount of time worked.c. Sick leave shall not be earned or accumulated during periods of authorized educational leave.3. Maximum Accrual and Restoration of Time Lapsed Unused sick leave may be accumulated to a total of 90 working days. When the maximum limitation has been accumulated, days that would normally thereafter be earned shall lapse but shall be recorded by the appointing authority. Any employee who has such lapsed sick leave to his/her credit may apply to the Director of Human Resources to have the sick leave restored in the event of an extended illness. The Director may authorize restoration of all or any part of the lapsed sick leave after thorough investigation, including complete medical reports of the illness requiring the continued absence of the employee.
4. Authorization for Use Employees may utilize their allowance of sick leave on the basis of application therefor approved by their respective appointing authorities and reported to the Director of Human Resources, for absences necessitated by:
a. inability to perform the duties of their positions by reason of illness or injury;b. necessity for acute medical or dental care;c. exposure to contagious disease under circumstances in which the health of the employees with whom associated or members of the public necessarily dealt with would be endangered by attendance on duty; ord. illness or death in the immediate family of the employees for such periods as the attendance of the employees shall be necessary. Immediate family as used here shall mean the spouse and the parents of the spouse; and the parents, guardian, children, brothers, sisters or wards of the employee.5. Expiration Upon Separation All sick leave shall expire on the date of separation from the state service, and no employee shall be reimbursed for sick leave outstanding at the time of termination of his state employment.
NOTE: Maine State Retirement Law provides that up to 90 days of sick leave accrued and unused at time of separation may be credited as membership service upon retirement.
6. Special Provisions a. Reappointments A former state employee who is reappointed within four years of his separation from the service under the provisions of the Civil Service Law and these rules, with probationary or permanent status, may have his previously accumulated and unused balance of sick leave revived and placed to his credit upon approval of the new appointing authority.
b. Transfers An employee who is transferred to the jurisdiction of another appointing authority or who accepts employment under the jurisdiction of a new appointing authority without interruption of his/her services to the state shall be entitled to credit in his/her new employment for the accumulated unused sick leave earned in his/her former employment.
c. Unclassified Service Appointments Accumulated sick leave unused at the time of grant of leave of absence to an employee to accept employment in the unclassified service shall be restored at the time of reinstatement of the employee to his classified service position.
NOTE: With the enactment of 5 MRSA, §16, employees who move from the classified service to the unclassified service, or vice versa, may, with approval of appointing authorities, transfer accumulated sick leave credits from one appointing authority to the other, provided such movement is without a four year break in service.
D.Worker's Compensation Grants1. ln the event an employee is paid or awarded any weekly compensation under the provisions of the Worker's Compensation Act, then the amount that might otherwise be allowed such employee under the provisions of these rules shall be reduced by the amount so paid or awarded under the Worker's Compensation Act. In any such case, the total amount paid to the employee involved shall not exceed the weekly salary rate to which the said employee is then entitled, and seniority in employment shall continue to accumulate.2. Deductions from available leave credits may be made to pay for such days or parts of days as is necessary to compensate for the balance of the regular weekly salary.E.Military Leave With PayEmployees in the classified service who are members of the national guard or other authorized state military or naval forces, and those classified employees who are members of the army, air force, marine, coast guard or naval reserve shall be entitled to leave of absence from their respective duties, without loss of pay, and shall accrue sick and annual leave and seniority during periods of annual training not to exceed 17 calendar days in any calendar year, as specified by provisions of the National Defense Act or Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952.
F.Jury Duty and Court Appearances1. Upon approval of the appointing authority, any employee, except intermittent, holding a position in the classified service shall be granted a leave of absence with pay for service upon a jury or appearance before a court, legislative committee, or other judicial or quasi-judicial body as a witness in action involving the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision thereof in response to a subpoena or other direction by proper authority; provided that for such period of required absence he/she shall be entitled only to the difference between his/her regular compensation and the compensation fees received for such services.2. Any absence whether voluntary or in response to a legal order to appear and testify in private litigation not as an officer or employee of the state, but as an individual, shall be taken as annual leave, as leave of absence without pay, or as a deduction from authorized accumulated overtime.18-389 C.M.R. ch. 11, § 2