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Leave Entitlement for Unclassified Employees
AFT, non-unit administrators, and Grant employees receive annually-allotted vacation and sick leave. Leave time is allotted at the beginning of the calendar year on the assumption that the employee will remain in pay status throughout the year. The number of days allotted to an employee upon initial hire is prorated based on their hire date, FTE, status as a 10 or 12 month employee, with adjustments made for periods of leave without pay.
Vacation Leave
Ten-month, full-time AFT, non-unit administrators and Grant employees receive 18.5 vacation days per year. Twelve-month, full-time AFT, non-unit administrators, and Grant employees receive 22 vacation days per year. Ten-month administrators may carry forward to the next year up to 18.5 unused vacation days, and twelve-month administrators may carry forward up to 22 unused vacation days. Part-time employees earn vacation at a rate proportional to their workload as established in their employment contract.
Faculty does not receive vacation leave.
Sick Leave
Ten-month, full-time AFT, non-unit administrators and Grant employees receive 12.5 sick days per year. Twelve-month, full-time AFT, non-unit administrators, and Grant employees receive 15 sick days per year. Part-time employees earn sick time at a rate proportional to their workload as established in their employment contract. All unused sick leave shall accumulate from year to year to be used if and when needed.
Faculty does receive sick leave and is able to carry forward unused sick leave.
An employee who has been re-employed shall be credited with the total accrued sick leave at the termination of his/her previous State employment.
Employees may use sick leave when they are unable to report to work due to personal illness, accident or exposure to contagious disease, and/or for medical appointments when such appointments cannot be scheduled after working hours. Sick leave may also be used to attend to members of the immediate family who are ill and/or in instances of death in the employee's immediate family.
For purposes of attending to a family member who is ill, medical documentation must be provided verifying that the employee's assistance was essential to the family member's well being. For purposes of using sick leave due to death in the immediate family the New Jersey Department of Personnel defines immediate family members as "father, mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, grandchild, spouse, child, foster child, sister or brother of the employee". It shall also include relatives of the employee's household who are living with the employee.
Personal doctor visits which can be arranged during non-working hours, taking family members to the doctor for non-emergency tests or check-ups, or serving as a nurse or housekeeper are not considered appropriate uses of sick leave.
All unused sick leave shall accumulate from year to year to be used if and when needed. An employee shall not be reimbursed for accrued sick leave at the time of termination of his/her employment except upon retirement. Faculty and Grant employees are not reimbursed for accrued sick leave upon retirement. An employee who has been re-employed shall be credited with the total accrued sick leave at the termination of his/her previous State employment. Documentation of prior sick leave is the responsibility of the employee.
a. Authorization for Sick Leave Use
If it is necessary for an employee to use sick leave, the supervisor shall be notified promptly at the employee's usual reporting time, except in those work situations where notice must be made prior to the employee's starting time.
An employee who is on sick leave absence for five or more consecutive working days must submit to his/her supervisor and the Office of Human Resources acceptable medical evidence substantiating the illness. Employees may also be required to submit proof of illness or injury:
- when there is reason to believe that an employee is abusing sick leave
- when an employee has been absent on sick leave for any aggregate of more than 15 days in a 12-month period. When an illness is of a chronic or recurring nature causing occasional absences of one day or less, one proof of illness shall be required for every six month period. The proof of illness must specify the nature of the illness and that it is likely to cause periodic absences from employment
At the discretion of the supervisor, a doctor's certificate may be requested for illness immediately preceding or immediately following a holiday.
Failure to provide appropriate medical documentation in any of the above circumstances may result in the denial of sick leave for an absence and constitute cause for disciplinary action.
b. Medical Notes
Employees submitting a medical note should ensure that the note contains the following information:
- the date the employee was seen by the doctor
- the date(s) the employee was out or will be out
- the expected date of return
- the reason for the absence and/or the nature of the illness
- a statement from the doctor that the employee is unable to carry out expected duties
Any medical excuse not containing this information will be returned for the necessary details.
Bereavement Leave
Sick leave “for a reasonable period of time” may be used by an employee due to death in the immediate family. The New Jersey Department of Personnel defines immediate family members as "father, mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, grandchild, spouse, child, foster child, sister or brother of the employee.”
Energy Leave
AFT Non-Teaching Professionals, grant employees and Non-Unit employees participate in the Energy Savings Program (click here for details).
