General Information

APPLICABLE TO ALL EMPLOYEES

The District provides employees paid sick leave as required by law and additional paid sick leave as a privilege of employment.  Refer to your applicable collective bargaining agreement and/or administrative regulations.

Proper uses of Sick Leave:

  • Inability to work due to the employee’s own illness or disability
  • Medical or dental appointments
  • Pregnancy or convalescence period following child birth
  • For absence due to the illness, injury, or medical appointment of a parent, dependent child, or spouse or registered domestic partner

Examples of improper uses of sick leave:

  • Calling in sick to extend an approved vacation
  • Claiming you cannot work due to illness; when you are not ill
  • Using sick leave when your arrival to work is delayed by traffic

A leave is an authorized absence from duty for a specific period requested by completing the applicable leave form. A leave is an authorized absence from duty for a specific period requested by completing the applicable leave form.

Leave that is Foreseeable – Generally, an employee must give at least 30 days advance notice of the need to take medical leave when they know about the need for the leave in advance and it is possible and practical to do so.  For example, if an employee is scheduled for surgery in two months, the need for leave is foreseeable and the employee must provide at least 30 days advance notice.  If an employee does not provide at least 30 days advance notice, and it was possible and practical to do so, the employer may delay the leave request approval.

For planned medical treatment, the employee must consult with their employer and try to schedule the treatment at a time that minimizes the disruption to the company operations.  The employee should consult with the employer prior to scheduling the treatment in order to arrange a schedule that best suits the needs of both the employee and employer.  Of course, any schedule of treatment is subject to the approval of the treating health care provider.

Leave that is Unforeseeable - When the need for leave is unexpected, the employee must provide notice as soon as possible and practical.  It should usually be reasonable for the employee to provide notice of leave that is unforeseeable within the time required by the employer’s usual and customary notice requirements.  Whether the employee’s notice of unforeseeable leave is timely will depend upon the facts of the particular case.

Medical certification/ doctor’s note is required for sick leave in excess of five (5) continuous working days.  If you have a chronic medical condition requiring multiple treatments or periodic visits over an extended period of time a request for leave form and supporting medical certification/doctor’s note from a health care provider is required.

Leave Extension:  An employee who wishes to extend a leave of absence must complete and submit a leave form to his or her immediate supervisor at least two weeks before the expiration date of the current leave.  If the request is for sick leave, medical certification must be provided.

Leave Abridgement:  An employee who wishes to abridge a leave must submit an amended Request for Leave form before returning to work, and if the employee was on sick leave, the health care provider must certify that the employee is physically able to return to work.

Supervisors - Contact the Human Resources Department for guidance with employee attendance problems or suspected sick leave abuse.

Release to Work without restrictions - Employees returning from medical leave of absence shall present to their supervisor and to the Human Resources Department a medical certification/doctor’s note indicating that they have been released to work without restrictions.

When necessary, the District makes reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities who request an accommodation with the advice of their health care providers.  For information and for a copy of the San Francisco Community College Employees’ Americans with Disabilities Act Accommodations Program Brochure contact the District’s ADA Compliance Officer at 415-452-5123 and visit the
webpage.

Failure to return to work - An employee who does not return to work when they are expected is considered absent without official leave (AWOL), and shall be subject to automatic resignation.  In the absence of an automatic resignation, an unauthorized leave of absence may be grounds for discipline, up to and including termination.

Types of Leaves