Type of Policy
Academic
Policy No
2.11
Last Revised:
Review Date:
Policy Owner
Human Resources
Contact Name
Kevin Merkel
Contact Title
Senior Director-Payroll and Total Rewards
Contact Email
Kevin.Merkel@ohr.gatech.edu
Reason for Policy

This policy ensures consistent application of leave at Georgia Tech.

 

Policy Statement

This policy outlines the process for the granting and the use of a Leave of Absence at Georgia Tech.

Scope

All regular part-time or full-time classified or faculty employees within the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Policy Terms

Personal Leaves of Absence without Pay
Due to unforeseen events or special circumstances, an employee may need time off for personal reasons. Such approved leaves shall allow the employee the right to elect to continue their group insurance benefits by making arrangements through the Office of Human Resources Benefits Department and paying the total amount of all premiums due. All other benefits for which the employee is eligible would not accrue during the unpaid leave. Employees requesting a personal leave of absence of more than 30 days must first exhaust accrued vacation before going into an unpaid status. Failure to return to work at the conclusion of the leave period constitutes grounds for termination of employment. Every effort will be made to place an employee in the same position or another of equal status upon return from an approved leave of absence. Temporary personnel may be employed to fill the vacancy during the approved leave period.

Educational Leave with and without Pay
Please refer to the USG Time Away from Work Educational Leave Policy for additional information.

Military Leave
Please refer to the USG Time Away from Work Military Leave Policy. A Military Leave Reporting Form should be completed and submitted along with the supporting orders to the Benefits Department in the Office of Human Resources prior to start of the military leave. Employees should also contact the Office of Human Resources Benefits Department prior to the start of an extended military leave to make arrangements with regards to their benefits.

Maternity Leave
Appropriate sick leave provisions shall apply. See 2.13 Sick Leave Policy and 2.12 Family and Medical Leave Policy for more details.

Family Leave
See 2.12 Family and Medical Leave Policy for more details.

Miscellaneous Leave
Bereavement Employees may take up to five accrued sick days due to the death of an employee’s immediate family member (employee’s spouse, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, children, brothers, sisters, and members of the employee’s household). Employees must notify his/her supervisor immediately if he/she needs to take time off due to the death of an immediate family member. If an employee does not have adequate sick days to cover the absence, then he/she must use vacation time.

Court Duty
Any employee summoned for court duty as a juror or witness must notify his/her immediate supervisor as soon as official orders are received and provide a copy of the orders. Employees called for jury duty or witness duty will be paid at the normal rate of pay for any regularly scheduled time lost from the job. If the court duty is completed prior to the end of the employee’s normal work schedule, the employee must report to work for the remainder of his/her shift.

Voting Employees
are encouraged to exercise their constitutional right to vote in all federal, state, and location elections. If election polls are not open at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after an employee’s normally scheduled work shift, sufficient leave time must be granted to permit the employee to vote. In this instance, an employee should be granted a two-hour block of time in which to vote, if needed.

Selective Service and Military Physical Examinations
Any employee required by Federal law to take a physical examination for Selective Service must notify his/her immediate supervisor as soon as orders are received and provide a copy of such orders. The employee shall be paid for any time lost to take such an examination.

Leave for Blood Donations
An employee is allowed a leave of absence, without loss of pay, of not more than 8 hours in each calendar year for the purpose of donating blood with his/her supervisor’s approval. This absence shall be computed as 2 hours per donation, up to 4 times per year. Any employee who donates blood platelets or granulocytes through the plasmapheresis process shall be allowed a leave of absence, without loss of pay, of not more than 16 hours in each calendar year. This leave shall be computed as four hours per donation, up to four times per year. Tracking and monitoring of Blood Donation leave shall be done by the department.

Leave for Organ and Marrow Donation
Each employee who serves as an organ donor for the purpose of transplantation shall receive a leave of absence, with pay, of 30 days. Each employee who serves as a bone marrow donor for the purpose of transplantation shall receive a leave of absence, with pay, of 7 days. Leave taken under this provision shall not be charged against or deducted from an employee’s accrued vacation or sick leave. Such leave shall be included as service in computing any retirement or pension benefits. This provision shall apply only to an employee who actually donated an organ or marrow and who presents his/her supervisor with a statement from a licensed medical practitioner or hospital administrator that the employee is making an organ or marrow donation. Leave for the purpose of organ or marrow donation may qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act (see 2.12 Family and Medical Leave Policy for more details). Tracking and monitoring of Organ and Marrow Donation leave shall be done by the department.

Procedures

Requesting Leave
Personal or educational leaves must be approved by the supervisor and department/unit head via the Leave of Absence request form.

Leave of Absence Request Form
If the request is for a Classified employee, the form must be submitted to the AVP of Human Resources for approval.

If the request is for an Academic Faculty member, the form must be submitted to the Office of the Provost for approval.

If the request is for a Research Faculty member, the form must be submitted to the Office of the Executive Vice President- Research for approval.

Requests for military leave and supporting orders must be submitted to the Benefits Department in the Office of Human Resources via the Military Leave Reporting Form. After receiving approval for any of the above requests, the originating department would then submit an ePersonal Services Form (ePSF) when the person begins his/her leave.

Reporting Leaves of Absence
Time granted for leaves of absence without pay will not be reported on time sheets/documents, etc. Court duty and military leave with pay will be reported.

Exempt Employees with Insufficient Accrued Leave
When an exempt employee is absent from work for less than one scheduled workday and his/her accumulated leave is insufficient to cover the partial day of absence, the employer will deduct the cost for such leave in hourly increments from an exempt employee’s salary.

Responsibilities

8.1. AVP-OHR
Ensure appropriate utilization of leave

8.2. OHR-Consultancy
Provide guidance to institution human resources officers on effective utilization of policy and monitor for compliance.

Enforcement

To report suspected instances of ethical violations, please visit Georgia Tech’s Ethics Helpline, a secure and confidential reporting system, at: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=7508