SCOPE: ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF

Issued: 5/01/02

Revised: 1/01/07

1. Absence/Attendance: A staff member is expected to report to work according to departmental work schedule. If unable to do so, the supervisor or designee must be notified at the opening of the work day or as soon as possible. Unless approved by the supervisor, Voice Mail should only be used in an emergency to give notice to the supervisor and followed up as soon as possible. Excessive absenteeism (including tardiness), unexcused absences, or failure to give proper notification of absences, shall be considered sufficient cause for disciplinary action or separation from University employment. An unauthorized absence of more than three (3) consecutive working days (with or without prior notification) may be considered job abandonment and may result in separation for cause.

In a situation of absence of more than three (3) consecutive days for illness, the employee must notify the supervisor of the reason for absence and upon return provide a doctor's statement releasing the employee to full duty or identifying any restrictions. A written statement acceptable to the supervisor may be substituted for the doctor’s release to work. Patterns of absence or situations of possible abuse of sick leave will be addressed by the supervisor as a disciplinary matter and a doctor's statement may be required for absences of less than three (3) consecutive days.

Employees who are on sick leave for more than ten (10) consecutive working days must be put on leave with pay status and an appropriate F3.2 (Personnel Action Request) must be generated by the department. The employee will remain on leave with pay until all approved leave usage is expended, then a leave without pay adjustment must be made by the department.

2. Leave Eligibility: It is the policy of the University to provide leave benefits, subject to the standards within the Texas Government Codes, Interpretations by the Office of the State Auditor, and other state laws, for all eligible staff members of the University. All regular full-time (100% FTE) staff members, and regular part-time (50%-99% FTE) staff, are eligible for leave benefits. The accumulation of leave and pay for eligible regular part-time (50%-99% FTE) staff members will be on a prorated basis. Employees appointed for less than half time (50% FTE) or less than four and one-half months are not eligible for leave.

3. Leave With Pay: In order for a staff member to be eligible for pay when absent from work, he/she must qualify in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate policy, i.e., Compensatory Leave, Development Leave, Emergency Leave, Administrative Leave, Holidays, Jury Duty, Military Leave, Sick Leave or Vacation Leave.

4. Leave Without Pay: A regular staff member may be allowed a leave of absence without pay for a reasonable period of time. A leave without pay is for a reason not specifically referred to in one of the policies covering absences with pay. Any absence of this nature is considered to be a leave of absence without pay (LWOP) in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate policy, i.e., Leave Without Pay, Military Leave, or Family Medical Leave.

5. Job Abandonment: An employee is deemed to have abandoned his/her job when for a period of three consecutive days the employee has been absent without approval. This employee is subject to termination. Supervisors should implement the following procedure:

5.1 Documentation should be provided to the Director of Human Resources

5.1.1 Reflecting the length of the unapproved leave and any known circumstances, and

5.1.2 Efforts expended to contact the employee.

5.2 The Director of Human Resources or the department manager shall send a certified letter to the last known address of the employee informing the employee of the imminent loss of employment and giving the employee a time frame in which to respond.

5.3 If the employee fails to respond, or responds with a reason that is unacceptable to the supervisor, then the Department Manager, with the approval of the Director of Human Resources, may terminate the employee. To do so:

5.3.1 A certified letter must be sent to the employee notifying him/her of the termination and referring him/her to the Office of Human Resources for an exit interview.

5.3.2 All passwords and information systems accounts must be deactivated by the supervisor. All credit cards, telephone cards, and cell phone accounts must be deactivated.

5.3.3 An F 3.2 Personnel Action Form must be prepared to terminate the employee. The date of termination shall be the first day after the close of the third day of unauthorized absence.