At some point in your career, you may be faced with a personal or family illness or other life event that requires you to be away from work for an extended period of time.  The Office of Human Resources and the Departmental Absence Partner are available to assist you in managing the leave you need to handle these events and to ensure a smooth transition back to your role within the University community.

Leave Types

The A&M System provides many types of leaves to regular employees (those budgeted for at least 50% time for at least 41/2 months, except students employed in positions that require student status as a condition for employment).

  • Holidays
  • Vacation
  • Sick Leave
  • Sick Leave Pool
  • Leave of Absence With and Without Pay
  • FMLA

Holidays

Vacation

Eligible employees are entitled to vacation and are allowed to take it when requested as long as the timing does not unduly disrupt the department’s function. However, an employee must have six months of continuous state service in either the present position or a previous state position, including a student employee position, before he/she can take vacation. Supervisors may require employees to use their accrued FLSA compensatory time, if any, before using vacation. (System Policy 31.03.01.)

Sick Leave

Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave each month.  You earn a proportional amount if you work at least half-time. Eligible part-time employees earn sick leave based on the percentage of time worked. The amount of sick leave that may be accrued and carried over to the next year is unlimited.

  • Employees may use up to eight hours of sick leave (Educational Activities) each fiscal year to attend parent-teacher conferences concerning their Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade children.
  • If employees or members of their immediate family become ill while on vacation, the time the employee or family member are ill should be reclassified as sick leave. Generally, a physician’s statement is not required if the period reclassified is three consecutive work days or less.
  • New parents eligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may take up to twelve (12) weeks, for the birth of a natural child or the adoption or foster care placement of a child younger than three (3) years. An employee who is not eligible for FMLA leave is entitled to a parental leave of absence, not to exceed twelve (12) weeks, for the birth of a natural child or the adoption or foster care placement of a child younger than three (3) years. This period begins with the date of birth or the date of the adoption or foster care placement.
  • When an employee is absent for more than three (3) consecutive working days, a Medical Certification form or a physician’s statement that indicates the cause or nature of the illness and the estimated recovery date, or a comparable written statement of the facts concerning the illness from the practitioner will be required upon his/her return to work.

Sick Leave Pool

The Sick Leave Pool was designated by the Texas Legislature for catastrophic illness or injury. The maximum amount an employee can receive from the Sick Leave Pool is 720 hours per illness.

Privacy Notice: State law requires that you be informed that you are entitled to: (1) request to be informed about the information collected about yourself on this form (with a few exceptions as provided by law); (2) receive and review that information; and, (3) have the information corrected at no charge.

Eligibility

To be eligible the employee or a member of his or her family must be suffering from a catastrophic illness or injury. A catastrophic illness or injury is a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting physical or mental health and which requires treatment by a licensed practitioner for a prolonged period and forces the employee to exhaust all leave time earned and therefore results in the loss of compensation from the State. A severe condition or combination of conditions is one that will:

  1. Result in death if not treated promptly, or
  2. Requires hospitalization for more than 72 consecutive hours, or
  3. Causes a person to be legally declared a danger to him/herself or others.

Leave of Absence With Pay

A regular employee is eligible for leaves of absence with pay. While on leave with pay, an employee will continue to receive regular salary and benefits and will continue to accrue vacation, sick leave and state service credit. System Policy 31.03.03. Leave of Absence With Pay include:

  • Emergency Leaves
  • Foster Parents 
  • Jury Service 
  • Volunteer Firefighters & Emergency Medical Services Volunteers 
  • Disabled Employees 
  • American Red Cross Disaster Service Volunteers 
  • Administrative Leave 
  • Organ, Bone Marrow or Blood Donors 
  • Voting 
  • Faculty Development Leave 

Leave of Absence Without Pay

Leave without pay is available for employees who have exhausted their accumulated paid leave and require time off for medical reasons, unpaid military leave or other approved reasons.

Family Medical Leave Act

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law which came into effect in 1993. It requires that employees are granted up to 12 weeks of FMLA job-protected leave per fiscal year, for specific medical reasons. FMLA may be granted at any time but it does not mean that it will be automatically approved or that the employee is eligible for FMLA leave.

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Must have worked for the employer for a total of 12 months;
  2. Must have worked at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months
  3. Must complete and turn in FMLA Application

** Prior state service counts. Time military members spend deployed count.

Forms:

WH-380E Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition

WH-380F Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition

Reasons for FMLA

  1. Birth and care of the eligible employee’s child, placement for adoption or foster care of a child with the employee.
  2. Care of an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent) who has a serious health condition.
  3. Care of the employee’s own serious health condition.

** “Serious Condition

  • Inpatient care (i.e., an overnight stay) in a hospital, hospice, etc.
  • Continuing treatment by a health care provider.

 

Ms. LaToya Douglas, M.B.A., Director of Equal Opportunity & HR Compliance has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies.
Ms. Douglas can be reached at: P.O. Box 519: Mail Stop 1337; Harrington Science Building, Suite 109; Prairie View, TX 77446-0519, or by calling 936-261-1792