4.03 Sick Time - Faculty Handbook   

 

 

Abstract: 
This section of the Faculty Handbook discusses sick leave benefits for UAB faculty members.

Effective Date: 08/15/2023

 

Review/Revised Date: 08/15/2023

 

Category: Faculty Affairs

 

Policy Owner: Faculty Senate

Policy Contact: Faculty Policy and Procedures Committee

 

   
 
 
4.3 Sick Time
 
Sick time credit for full-time regular faculty is accrued at the rate of 0.83 days per month as described in HR 303. Faculty members on twelve-month appointments accrue 10 working days of sick time per year. Faculty members on nine-month appointments accrue 7.5 working days of sick time during the nine-month period of their regular appointment and may accrue an additional 2.5 days of sick time if they work under a full-time contract with UAB during the summer or, if they work less than a full-time contract with UAB during the summer, will accrue fewer than 2.5 days of sick time but at the same rate of 0.83 days per month. It is the responsibility of each dean to define “full-time contract with UAB during the summer” in writing as it applies to the school, college, or UAB Libraries. (Accrual of summer sick time was initiated in June 1995 for full-time summer employment, and accrual of sick time for part-time summer employment was initiated in June 1996.)

Prior to August 1, 2001, the maximum amount of sick time an employee (including faculty) could accrue was 225 days. Effective August 1, 2001, State Senate Bill 91 removed the 225 days cap on sick leave.

Faculty who are part-time regular employees earn sick time on a prorated basis of percent of FTE. Contingent faculty, which include all appointments with an FTE < 0.5, do not accrue sick time.

Faculty members are not required to complete their initial six months of employment before being allowed to take accrued sick time.

Sick time records for all faculty who are eligible to accrue sick time are maintained in accordance with university policy for managing and tracking benefit time accruals.

Upon separation from UAB, faculty may not receive pay for accumulated sick time. However, faculty members hired prior to January 1, 2013 may be eligible to apply unused accrued sick time toward additional creditable service with the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama. Refer to the current guidelines with the Retirement Systems of Alabama and the UAB Human Resources Benefits Office.

Note: Faculty with nine-month appointments did not accrue sick time prior to September 1993. It is not the intent of the policy change to allow sick time accrual to adversely affect such faculty who remain employed by UAB after September 1993 and who have legitimate needs for sick time. Therefore, when such faculty do not have sufficient sick time accrual to meet the needs of their illness, their chair and/or dean shall make reasonable efforts to assure coverage of the faculty member’s classes. The institution’s obligation to provide such sick time coverage, however, shall not exceed ten days per year of service prior to September 1993. Further, the maximum accrued eligibility pre- and post-September 1993 shall not exceed that defined elsewhere in this section.