Emergency Sick Leave Reserve Policies

EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE RESERVE
YSU/YSU-OEA


A. Establishment:
 

  1. Each member of the YSU-OEA bargaining unit, chairpersons of academic departments, and administrators holding academic rank may donate one day of his/her accumulated sick leave to the Emergency Sick Leave Reserve (ESLR) during the enrollment period. Enrollment periods will be from October 1 through October 31 of each academic year. New faculty members hired after the academic year has started will have four(4) weeks in which to enroll. Participation shall be voluntary. The donated day is not returnable.
     
  2. For purposes of this policy, the year will run from September 1 through the following August 31.
     

B. Operational Procedures:
 

  1. Use of days from the ESLR will be limited to those individuals who have donated (and, when necessary as determined by the ESLR Committee, are continuing to donate) to the bank. The ESLR Committee will meet each year in September to establish the amount of donation for the forthcoming year. This amount may be less than one (1) day and may be zero if the ESLR Committee determines that there is sufficient balance in the bank for that year. During the year, the ESLR Committee may declare an emergency and ask bank members to donate an additional non-returnable day (or fraction thereof) to keep the bank solvent. Such additional amounts will not count toward the following year's donation. Unused days from one year will be advanced to the next.
     
  2. Use of days from the ESLR will be limited to medical conditions of a non-routine nature. Days from the ESLR may be requested for the use of the bank member and/or due to illness/injury of the member's spouse or dependent children, or any other person in the bank member's immediate family, as defined by O.R.C. 123:1-47-01. A physician's statement must accompany the application in order to be considered. The application form and physician's statement are to be forwarded to the Chief Human Resources Officer. Upon receipt of all information, the ESLR Committee will make a decision within ten (10) working days.
     
  3. Use of days from the ESLR will be considered only after the bank member has exhausted all of his/her sick leave days.
     
  4. The maximum number of days that a member may borrow is 20% of the total number of days in the ESLR at the time of application. This provision shall apply to bank members who provide a physician's statement indicating that it is reasonable to assume that the member will be able to return to employment at YSU. If such a statement is not provided by the member, the maximum number of days that a member may borrow is 10% of the total number of days in the ESLR at the time of application. Additional days may be granted at the discretion of the ESLR Committee. The decisions of ESLR Committee shall be final and binding.
     
  5. In the event the ESLR is disbanded, unused days will be returned to participating members on a prorated basis.
     
  6. Upon return to work at YSU, a member who has borrowed days will be required to pay back those days at the rate of four (4) sick days per academic year until the total number of days borrowed has been restored to the bank. This requirement will be waived if the member requires those days in a given year due to illness. Any outstanding balance of sick leave days borrowed from the ESLR will be subtracted from the member's accrued sick leave days before conversion at retirement (Article 16.2).
     

C. Emergency Sick Leave Reserve Committee:
 

  1. The ESLR will be operated on a voluntary basis consistent with state law. A committee shall be formed to administer the ESLR and to provide the information whereby the Chief Human Resources Officer will keep the records. This committee shall be empowered to adopt rules and regulations and to make decisions required to administer the ESLR. This committee will be entitled the "Emergency Sick Leave Reserve Committee" (hereafter the ESLR Committee) and shall be composed of three (3) bank members appointed annually as follows:

    (i) The president of the YSU-OEA or his/her designee

    (ii) The Director of Faculty Relations or his/her designee

    (iii) A member selected by the above two members.
     
  2. During its September meeting, the ESLR Committee will choose a chairperson from among its three members.
     
  3. Should a vacancy occur on the ESLR Committee, a replacement for the vacant position shall be appointed by the authority making the original appointment.
     
  4. The ESLR Committee will be responsible for developing the forms, if any, needed to operate the ESLR.
     
  5. The ESLR Committee shall, during September of each year, review and amend (if necessary) the bank's rules and regulations. All members and potential members will be notified of any changes before the beginning of the new enrollment period.