Sick and Other Paid Leave

Sick Leave

Accrual Rates
Adjuncts who have an active assignment accrue 3.75 sick hours per month, up to a max of 72 hours. Sick hour leave balances carry over each calendar year. 

When can I use sick leave?
Sick leave may be used for the following reasons:

  • Diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition of an employee or an employee’s family member (self, child, parent, in loco parentis, spouse, registered domestic partner, or designated person, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, and legal guardians and wards)

  • Preventive care for an employee or an employee’s family member

  • Leave for an employee who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking

The University prefers that all employees schedule medical appointments outside normal working hours. However, if it is impossible to do so, sick leave may be used for medical appointments and advance notice should be given to the employee’s supervisor.

Reporting Sick Leave
Only accrued time can be used and must be approved by the employee’s supervisor. If the need to use sick leave is foreseeable, employees must provide reasonable advance notice of absence to their supervisor. For unpredictable situations, such as emergencies, accidents, or sudden illnesses, employees must provide notice as soon as practicable. Specifically:

  • All staff should inform their supervisor if they cannot work due to illness and record the sick hours in USFWorks.

  • All faculty (full-time and adjunct) should inform their supervisor and department head if they cannot teach a class due to illness and record the sick hours in USFWorks.

  • Staff and faculty can visit the USFWorks training web page for detailed instructions.

Sick leave of less than three days normally requires no verification; however, supervisors may ask Human Resources to request appropriate documentation from an employee, depending on the circumstances or absenteeism history.

Sick Leave Balances
Sick leave balances for employees will appear on their pay slips, which are accessible in USFWorks (an app accessible through your MyUSF login).

Unlike vacation time, sick leave is not considered a form of earned wages; therefore, unused sick leave is not paid to employees upon separation from the university. Furthermore, upon termination, unused sick leave cannot be used as necessary notice for resignation.

If employees are rehired within one year from the date of separation, their previously accrued and unused paid sick hours will be reinstated upon rehire.

Using Sick Leave to Care for Family Members
Paid sick leave taken under this policy may run concurrently with other applicable leaves including the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), or Kin Care. For questions about using and reporting sick leave to care for an eligible family member who is ill, please contact the Leave Manager at leaves@usfca.edu.

 

Disability Leave and Benefits 

Provided the adjunct has an active teaching assignment, they are eligible to apply for Medical disability benefits (including Pregnancy Disability) that provide partial income protection at 60% of weekly earnings, with a maximum of $1,216 per week. You may read more about USF’s Short-Term and Voluntary Disability Leave benefits here. TRISTAR is our vendor who approves and pays the disability benefits. They are available by phone at: 1-844-702-2352.

Medical certification is required. 

There is a 7-day waiting period before benefits begin. Sick hours may be used in conjunction with disability benefits. If an adjunct is receiving disability benefits, but has no sick hours, they will go on unpaid leave, and will need to reimburse USF for their health insurance premium contribution. 

Paid Family Leave (PFL)

Eligibility
To qualify to take family or medical leave, the adjunct must have worked 12 months or 52 weeks within the last 7 years. The adjunct must have worked at least 1,250 hours during the last 12 month period immediately before the date when the leave is requested to commence.

Provided the adjunct has an active teaching assignment, they are eligible to apply for PFL to care for an eligible family member (spouse, registered domestic partner, child, parent, parent-in-law, sibling, grandparent or grandchildren). PFL provides partial income protection at 60% of weekly earnings, with a maximum of $1,216 per week. PFL pays for a total of 6 weeks. TRISTAR is our vendor who approves and pays the PFL claims.

Medical certification is required. 

PFL benefits are also used for bonding with a new child through birth, adoption, or foster care placement. PFL must be taken within 12 months of birth or placement. 

Sick hours may be used in conjunction with PFL. If an adjunct is receiving disability benefits, but has no sick hours, they will go on unpaid leave, and will need to reimburse USF for their health insurance premium contribution. 

See full guidelines and initiate a FMLA/CRFA leave at usfca.edu.

See the Time Away from USF page at usfca.edu for information about other types of leave.