Policy

Ramapo College faculty and staff have leave entitlements as specified by Board policy, contractual agreements, Administrative Code, Statute, and/or local agreements. The following leaves apply to managerial and bargaining unit (AFT) professional employees:

• Vacation
• Sick
• Family Leave
• Maternity
• Child Care
• Sabbatical
• Professional Leave
• Jury Duty
• Leave to Appear as a Witness
• Military
• Voluntary Furlough
• Educational or Professional Leaves
• Leave of Absence Without Pay
• Donated Leave

Reason for Policy

To set forth policy and procedure for leave entitlements for managerial and bargaining unit (AFT) professional employees

To Whom Does the Policy Apply

Ramapo College managerial and bargaining unit (AFT) professional employees

Related Documents

Procedure

Contacts

Director of Human Resources
(201) 684-7506

Vacation Leave

Non-teaching unclassified employees shall accrue 1.5 days of vacation credit for each full month of service from the date of appointment through December 31 of the year in which appointment occurs. For each succeeding year thereafter, unclassified employees shall accrue 22 days vacation credited at the beginning of the calendar year.

Non-teaching, ten-month, unclassified employees shall accrue 1.5 days vacation credit for each full month of service from date of appointment through June 30 of year hired. For each academic year thereafter, said employees shall accrue 18 days vacation credit.

Managerial employees on a 12-month contract employed after July 1 shall accrue 1.83 days credit for each full month of employment from the date of appointment through June 30 of the fiscal year in which appointment occurs and 22 days per fiscal year thereafter. For each succeeding fiscal year thereafter, managerial employees shall accrue 22 days vacation credited at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Ten-month managerial employees shall accrue 1.8 days per month, or 18 days per fiscal year thereafter.

Vacation may be scheduled and used in fifteen (15) minute intervals.

Permission to use vacation time is subject to the operational needs of the College and the permission of the employee’s supervisor requested in advance.

Vacation allowance must be taken during the current year, (calendar year for bargaining unit staff, fiscal year for managerial staff and academic year for 10-month staff) at such time as permitted or directed by the College, unless the College determines that it cannot be taken because of pressure of work. Employees may request a maximum of one year of earned vacation allowance to be carried forward into the next succeeding year only (calendar year for bargaining unit staff, fiscal year for managerial staff and academic year for 10-month staff).

During the first year of employment, vacation may only be used as it is accrued. Not until January 1 of the second calendar year of employment (July 1 for managers, September 1 for ten-month staff) is the full year’s vacation allowance credited in advance. If an employee separates from the College having used unearned vacation leave, adjustments will be made in the final paycheck.

Sick Leave

Sick leave may be used when employees are unable to perform their work because of personal illness, accident, or exposure to contagious disease. Sick leave may be used because of death in the employee’s immediate family. Sick leave may be used to care for an ill family member in accordance with the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and as amended in 2008, as well as the State Family Leave Act (FLA).

Proof of injury or illness may be required when there is reason to believe there is abuse, an employee has been absent for five or more consecutive work days, or an employee has been absent on sick leave for more than an aggregate 15 days in a 12-month period.

The employee is required to notify his/her supervisor of the reason for absence due to illness at the earliest possible time, but in no event later than the usual reporting time.

All faculty in their first year of employment accumulate 1.25 days per month and thereafter a total of 12.5 days per year, credited at the beginning of the academic year.

Non-teaching professionals on a 12-month contract employed after January 1 shall accrue 1.25 days per month for their first year of employment and thereafter 15 days per calendar year credited at the beginning of the calendar year. Ten-month employees shall accrue 12.5 days per calendar year pro-rated for the first year and credited at the beginning of the calendar year.

Managerial employees on a 12-month contract employed after July 1 shall accrue 1.25 sick days per month for their first year of employment and thereafter 15 days per fiscal year credited at the beginning of the fiscal year. Ten-month managerial employees shall accrue 12.5 sick days per fiscal year pro-rated for the first year and credited at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Any amount of sick leave allowance not used in any calendar year shall accumulate to the employee’s credit from year to year to be used when needed for such purpose.

If an employee separates from the College having used unearned sick leave, adjustments will be made in the final paycheck. At retirement, employees (not faculty) may be eligible for a lump sum payment for a portion of unused, accumulated sick leave up to a maximum of $15,000.

Sick leave may be taken in fifteen (15) minute intervals.

Part-time employees earn a pro-rated portion of leave entitlement.

Except for emergencies, all absences must be requested in advance and approved by the supervisor. Excessive absenteeism may be cause for disciplinary action.

Please see Sick Leave Policy on the Human Resources web page for additional information.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ Compensation laws are “no fault” laws designed to ensure that employees who are injured or disabled on the job are provided with fixed monetary awards, eliminating the need for litigation. New Jersey Workers’ Compensation law provides medical treatment, wage replacement and permanent disability compensation to employees who suffer job-related injuries or illnesses, and death benefits to dependents of workers who have died as a result of their employment.

If an injured employee is disabled for a period of more than seven days, the employee will be eligible to receive temporary total benefits at a rate of 70% of the employee’s average weekly wage, not to exceed 75% of the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW), or fall below the minimum rate of 20% of the SAWW. These benefits are provided during the period when an employee is unable to work and is under medical care.

Family

Eligible employees (generally those employed at Ramapo at least 12 months) may be entitled to 12 weeks of leave (paid or unpaid) to care for a newborn child, an adopted child, an ill family member or personal illness. Pregnancy is treated like any other temporary medical condition requiring a leave of absence. An employee anticipating such a leave should submit the request in writing to the supervisor with copies to the People Operations and Employee Resources Department, accompanied by supporting documents. (Medical records should be directed to the People Operations and Employee Resources Department only.)

Provisions of the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA, 1993) and the New Jersey Family Leave Act, (FLA, 1990) vary. The State Family Leave Act (FLA) provides for leave from employment for 12 weeks in any 24-month period so that the employee may provide care made necessary by reason of the birth of a child of the employee; the placement for adoption of a child with the employee; or the serious health condition of a family member. The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides for 12 weeks of FMLA in a 12-month period because of the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care; because the employee is needed to care for a child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition; or because the employee’s own serious health condition makes the employee unable to do his or her job. Leave may be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule. Please see Family Leave on the HR web page. FMLA also provides for care for a covered military service member or for managing the affairs while member is on active duty.

Maternity

The length of time required for the leave is a medical decision between the employee and the physician. Earned and accumulated vacation and sick time may be applied to the leave. An employee anticipating such a leave must notify his/her supervisor and submit to the People Operations and Employee Resources Department a physician’s certificate indicating the anticipated date of delivery.

Child Care

Employees eligible for family leave (described above), may use such unpaid leave for child care purposes. In the event Family Leave entitlement is unavailable, child care may be granted to employees under the same terms and conditions as all other leaves without pay.

Sabbatical

All tenured faculty members and librarians are eligible after they have completed six or more consecutive years of service as of June 30 prior to the year for which the leave is requested. Sabbatical leaves are granted no more frequently than once every seven years. The Office of Employee Relations will advise eligible faculty and librarians of the submission date for applications and the timetable to complete the process, including Unit and Sabbatical Leave Committee actions. Please see Sabbatical procedures on the Provost web site.

Professional

See Professional Leave for Managerial Non-Aligned Non-AFT Policy #615.

Jury Duty

Leave is granted with pay when jury duty requires an employee’s absence from assigned duties. Supervisors must be notified and a copy of the subpoena requiring jury duty must be forwarded to the People Operations and Employee Resources Department in addition to certification of dates served. (This certification should be requested of the Court Clerk by the juror when the duty is completed.)

Leave to Appear as a Witness

Employees shall be granted time off with pay to appear as a witness or a party before a judicial or administrative body or legislative committee when such appearance is part of the job function. If an employee appears as a witness or a party during his or her normal day off, the employee shall be compensated in accordance with College compensatory time policy. When an appearance before a judicial or administrative body is not part of the job function, the employee shall be granted time off with pay when summoned as a witness in a proceeding to which he or she is not a named party, and shall be granted time off without pay to appear at a proceeding to which he or she is a party. However, an employee is entitled to time off with pay to attend his or her workers’ compensation proceeding.

Military Leave

An employee who enters the military service will be granted a leave of absence without pay for the period of active duty. Any employee who is a member of the Reserve component of the armed forces and is required to participate in annual active duty shall be granted a leave of absence with pay not to exceed 90 days in one year. Employees requesting such leaves must notify supervisors and submit a copy of their military orders to the People Operations and Employee Resources Department well in advance. A permanent employee who returns from military service is entitled to full vacation allowance for the calendar year of return and for the year preceding, provided the latter can be taken during the year of return.

Voluntary Furlough

The purpose of the Voluntary Furlough Program is to reduce salary costs and thereby lessen the need for reductions in the workforce by allowing employees to take time off from work without pay in a calendar year without adversely affecting certain benefits. Voluntary furlough may be taken so long as there is no increase in overtime costs, there is no need to backfill the position, and no loss of anticipated revenue occurs. Voluntary furlough may be used for any purpose except for sick leave, leave without pay due to disability, or to seek or engage in alternative employment. Additional details are available on the New Jersey Division of Pension and Benefits web page, or in the Benefits Section of the People Operations and Employee Resources Department.

Educational or Personal Leaves

Requests for leaves for educational or personal reasons are within the discretion of the College. All requests shall be submitted to the appropriate supervisors.

Leaves of Absence Without Pay

LEAVES OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY MAY NOT EXCEED ONE YEAR unless otherwise prescribed by union contracts, state/federal law, or exceptional circumstances.

Donated Leave

An employee shall be eligible to receive donated sick or vacation leave if the employee has completed at least one year of continuous state service; has exhausted all accrued sick, vacation, compensatory time, and sick leave injury benefits; has not, in the two-year period immediately preceding the employee’s need for donated leave, been disciplined for chronic or excessive absenteeism, chronic or excessive lateness or abuse of leave; and either suffers from a catastrophic health condition or injury, or is needed to provide care to a member of the employee’s immediate family who is suffering from a catastrophic health condition or injury; or requires absence from work due to the donation of an organ. Details are available in the People Operations and Employee Resources Department, Benefits Office.

Records of Leave

The College shall maintain for each employee records of all uses of leave time, including use of sick and vacation time. When an employee leaving the College has unused sick leave, the College shall certify the amount of such unused sick leave. Any managerial employee who had previous employment at another New Jersey State College or University; Rutgers University, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; New Jersey Institute of Technology; or a position within state service shall be credited with the unused sick leave accumulated at his or her prior position as certified by the prior employer. No transfer of unused sick leave shall be permitted if there is a break in service of greater than 30 calendar days between the two positions.