2.5 Leave Request Form – the form used to request and document leave; required by UHS Internal Auditors to be attached to appropriate Time and Effort Report.

2.6 Time and Effort Report – the forms for exempt and non-exempt employees to document time for payment of wages and salary. Also referred to as TAE reports or timesheets. TAE reports for non-exempt employees are submitted on a bi-weekly basis prior to payroll calculation; TAE reports for exempt employees are submitted immediately following monthly paydays. Both types of TAE reports must be signed by the immediate supervisor to certify the accuracy of the report. These reports are subject to audit by UHS, state and federal officials.

2.7 WCI – workers’ compensation insurance. The “WCI Division” is the workers' compensation division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office, charged with administration of WCI claims and benefits for most state employees.

3.0 POLICY

3.1 UHCL allows its regular employees who qualify to apply for, and be considered for, specific leaves of absence.

3.2 Except for disciplinary suspension, active military duty and workers’ compensation situations, all accumulated paid leave entitlements must be exhausted before any unpaid leave of absence covered by this policy is granted.

3.3 Leaves of absence described in this policy shall be for no longer than twelve (12) months.

3.4 An approved leave of absence, whether paid or unpaid, is considered to be a guarantee of employment for the approved leave period.

3.5 Failure to return to work as scheduled from an approved leave of absence, and to inform the employing department of an acceptable reason for not returning as scheduled, will be considered voluntary resignation of employment.

3.6 All requests for leave of absence shall be submitted in writing to the appropriate approving authority. Each request shall provide sufficient detail such as the reason for the leave, the expected duration of the leave, and the relationship of affected family members, if applicable. A copy of the approved or disapproved leave request will be placed in the employee’s personnel file in the Office of Human Resources.

3.7 The UHCL Office of Human Resources will maintain a record for each employee including time and attendance records, a record of the vacation and sick leave accrual and absences of each employee, and the reasons for absences, i.e., from sickness, vacation, other paid leave, or leave of absence without pay. Employing departments are advised to maintain similar records for each employee, so leave availability may be verified before leave requests are approved.

3.8 It is not necessary for a full-time, exempt employee to record an absence of less than a day due to illness or for personal reasons if the employee works at least 40 hours in that workweek. If the employee does not work 40 hours in that workweek, absences must be recorded as vacation, sick leave, or other appropriate leave, to comply with State law.

3.9 Nothing in this policy shall be used as the basis for discrimination or retaliation against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

4.0 LEAVES OF ABSENCE WITH PAY

4.1 Emergency Leave. The President, or designee, will grant an emergency leave with pay to a regular, benefits-eligible employee because of a death in the employee’s family. The death of the employee’s spouse, or the employee’s or spouse’s parents, step-parents, brothers, step-brothers, sisters, step-sisters, children, step-children, grandparents, and grandchildren constitute adequate need for emergency leave. The head of the employing department may approve up to five (5)days of leave for the death as described above. Requests for more than five (5) days must be approved by the President or designee. The President may consider other reasons for emergency leave and may grant such leave when, in the President’s determination, the employee shows good cause.

Benefits eligible employees may be allowed time off with pay (emergency leave) to attend the funeral or off campus memorial service of another UHCL employee/retiree. Employees must receive approval of the department head, or designee, in writing prior to absence.

The department head, or designee, may approve time off with pay for any benefits eligible employee to attend the funeral or memorial service of a family member of a UHCL employee/retiree. Family member is limited to employee’s spouse, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild or child.

4.2 National Guard duty. A leave of absence with full pay shall be provided to any employee who is called to active duty with the National Guard by the Governor of Texas  because of an emergency in accordance with Section 431.085, Government Code. When National Guard training or duty, not exceeding 15 days in any one federal fiscal year, is authorized for an employee by a proper authority, neither the employee’s salary nor accrued leave balances will be reduced and the employee’s performance ratings will  not be adversely affected because of leave for National Guard duty.

4.3 Military leave of absence for Reservists (training duty). An employee called to active reservist duty or engaged in duly authorized military training will be entitled to paid leave of absence not to exceed fifteen (15) days in a calendar year. During this paid leave of absence, the employee will not lost time, efficiency rating, vacation time or other benefits which normally accrue to active employees.

Unpaid leave of absence for Armed Forces reservists called to active duty is covered in Section 5.1.

4.4 Volunteer firefighter leave. An employee who is a volunteer firefighter shall be granted a leave of absence with full pay to attend training schools conducted by state agencies, provided such leave does not exceed five working days in any one fiscal year.  UHCL will grant leave with full pay to any employee who is a volunteer firefighter and who responds to an emergency situation summons during regular working hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. If such a summons is issued and an employee uses volunteer firefighter leave to respond to the summons, the employee must provide upon returning to work acceptable documentation of the emergency situation and the summons issued. A copy of this documentation will be attached to the TAE report for the pay period during which volunteer firefighter leave was taken.

4.5 Foster parent leave. An employee who is a foster parent to a child under the conservatorship of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (“DPRS”) is entitled to a leave of absence with full pay to attend staffing meetings regarding the child held by the DPRS, or to attend the Admission, Review and Dismissal (“ARD”) meeting held by a school district regarding the child.

4.6 Red Cross volunteer leave. An employee who is a certified disaster service volunteer, with the authorization of the employee’s supervisor, may be granted a leave not to exceed ten days each fiscal year to participate in specialized disaster relief services for the American Red Cross, upon the request of the American Red Cross and with approval of the Governor’s office. Such leave will be without loss of pay, vacation time, sick leave, or earned overtime and/or compensatory time. Proper documentation must be provided to support Red Cross volunteer leave, including documentation from the Governor’s office that the employee is a certified disaster volunteer.

4.7 Blind employee training leave. An employee who is blind is entitled to a leave of absence with full pay for the purpose of attending a training program to acquaint the employee with a seeing-eye dog to be used by the employee. This leave of absence will be limited to ten (10) working days per fiscal year and is in addition to other leave to which the employee is entitled. The employee continues to accrue vacation and sick leave while on this type of leave.

4.8 Jury Duty Leave. The time an employee must be absent from work because of jury duty is paid leave. The employee is required to present a copy of the jury duty summons in advance of the absence. Time spent on jury duty should be documented by submission of a jury duty voucher or other official statement showing the time spent in the jury duty assignment, along with a leave request completed to show the dates of absence. A copy of the jury duty documentation and leave request must be attached to the employee’s TAE report for the affected pay period.

4.9 Witness leave. IF an employee is called to appear in an official capacity in any judicial action or legislative investigation, the employee may neither accept nor receive any witness fees for such governmental appearance. However the time used for such purpose is paid leave and does not affect any other paid leave entitlement such as  vacation or compensatory time.

5.0 LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY

5.1 Active duty in the United States Armed Forces reserves. Any employee called to active reservist duty who has exhausted fifteen (15) days paid leave of absence will be placed on leave of absence without pay. Such an individual will accrue state service credit while on active duty, but will not accrue vacation or sick leave. An employee on leave of absence without pay will retain any accrued vacation or sick leave and will be credited with such balances upon return to active work status at UHCL.

1. An employee having accrued vacation or compensatory time may opt to exhaust any or all vacation time before being placed on leave of absence without pay. During the time the employee is on vacation or compensatory leave, all benefits and salary remain intact.
2. An employee called to active military duty and placed on leave of absence without pay is not eligible to receive state group insurance or state retirement fund contributions. Such an employee may continue group insurance plan participation by making direct monthly payments to the University of Houston System in the full amount of the premiums due. The affected employee may receive retirement plan tenure credit for the eligible time spent in active military duty as defined by the retirement plan’s rules and regulations.
3. If an employee on military leave of absence without pay chooses not to continue group insurance participation during the leave, that employee may be subject to evidence of insurability requirements upon return to active work status and re-entry to the group insurance program. Insurance plan exclusions and limitations based on “war” or “acts of war” may apply to Reservists called to active duty.

An employee called to active duty is entitled to reemployment upon discharge from active duty under the following conditions:

1. If the individual received an honorable discharge; and
2. If application for reemployment is made to UHCL within ninety (90) days of
3. discharge from active duty; and
4. If the length of active duty does not exceed five (5) years.

A Reservist who is re-employed will not receive back pay for the period of military service. A re-employed Reservist will receive salary or wages at a rate that reflects state mandated increases that would have been granted had the Reservist not been called to active duty.

A Reservist returning to work following active duty will be restored to the position held before called to active duty, or to a position of like seniority, status, and pay if the individual is still qualified for that position. If a Reservist is not qualified for the previous position because of a disability sustained during active duty, but is qualified for a different existing and vacant position, the Reservist will be offered the different and vacant position.