MCCB Employee-Handbook 2020

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Medical Leave

Medical leave is not intended to be used as a substitute for personal leave. Medical leave must be used in accordance with MCCB Major Medical Leave Policy 6.2.

Section 6 – Leaves And Absences

MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Title: Major Medical Leave

Reference:

Initial Date of Adoption: June 18, 1992

Revision Date: November 19, 1999; May 20, 2016

Code Number: 6.2

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MAJOR MEDICAL LEAVE

Major medical leave is granted to full-time employees after one month of continuous service at a rate of eight (8) hours per month (accrued). Major medical leave is accrued at this rate through the end of the third year of service. At the beginning of the fourth year of service through the end of the eighth year of service, major medical leave shall be accrued at a rate of seven (7) hours per month. At the beginning of the ninth year of service through the end of the fifteenth year of service, major medical leave shall be accrued at a rate of six (6) hours per month. Employees who have in excess of fifteen years of service shall accrue major medical leave at a rate of five (5) hours per month. Part-time employees earn major medical leave on a pro-rata basis. All requests for major medical leave shall be approved in writing by the Executive Director or his/her designee. Employees who are absent due to pregnancy shall report the period of their major medical leave by written request on the day that they return to work. Staff members who are ill shall be responsible for notifying the Executive Director (or immediate supervisor) as soon as possible of their illness and the date they expect to return to duty. If it is impossible to estimate the date of return when reporting an absence covered by major medical leave, it is the staff member's responsibility to provide such estimate without delay when a forecast is possible. 1. Major medical leave may be used for the illness or injury of an employee or a member of the employee's immediate family only, after one day of personal leave or leave without pay has been used for such illness. Immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent, step-parent, sibling, child, step-child, grandchild, grandparent, son- or daughter-in-law, mother- or father-in-law, or brother- or sister-in-law. Major medical leave may also be used for regularly scheduled doctor's visits for the continuing treatment of a chronic disease in lieu of personal leave when previously approved and accompanied by a doctor's statement to this effect. 2. An employee may use up to three (3) days of earned major medical leave in any calendar year because of the death in the immediate family requiring the employee's absence from work. No qualifying time of personal leave will be required to use medical leave for this purpose. The immediate family is defined as spouse, parent, step-parent, sibling, child, stepchild, grandchild, grandparent, son- or daughter-in-law, mother- or father-in-law, or brother- or sister-in-law. 3. For each absence due to illness or injury in excess of thirty-two (32) working hours, approval of major medical leave is contingent upon a written doctor's statement. If the illness is considered chronic or long-term, subsequent absences for treatment of this condition may be charged to major medical with a doctor’s note showing proof of visit. Major medical leave shall be credited at the end of the period in which it is earned and may not be used in advance of accrual. Other major medical leave policies are as follows:

4. Personal leave may be used to supplement major medical leave; major medical leave may not be used to supplement personal leave.

5. Major medical leave may be accumulated while on authorized personal or major medical leave; however, an employee may not accumulate major medical leave while on leave without pay.

6. Official state holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays are not chargeable to major medical leave when they fall within the period in which major medical leave may be taken.

7. When an illness of more than one day occurs within a period of personal leave, the period of illness may be charged to major medical leave and the period of personal leave reduced for such major medical leave submitted by the employee within two (2) days after returning to work.