Sick Leave Policy

Updated non-union sick leave to reflect changes re: New York State Paid Sick Leave effective September 30, 2020.

Reason for Policy

The University depends on your regular attendance at work. However, it is recognized that there are instances in which an employee might have to miss work due to their own illness or injury, or the illness or injury of a family member.

Who Is Governed by this Policy

Non-union employees: full-time, part-time, hourly, and student employees.

Sick Policy

Adelphi University recognizes that an employee’s illness or injury or the illness or injury of a family member may necessitate an employee’s absence from work. Employees who will be out sick must contact their designated supervisor at least one hour prior to the reporting time whenever possible. All non-union full-time employees, part-time, hourly and student employees are covered. Sick day entitlement for union represented employees is covered in the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Sick time can be utilized for the following reasons:

• Employee’s mental or physical illness, or injury, or diagnosis, care, treatment, or preventive care for employee’s mental or physical illness or injury;
• A family member’s (defined below) mental or physical illness or injury or diagnosis, care, treatment, or preventive care for a covered family member’s mental or physical illness or injury;
• Absences related to employee’s status as a victim of domestic violence, family offense, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking; or
• Absences related to a family member’s status as a victim of domestic violence, family offense, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking.

The minimum amount of sick time that can be utilized is either ½ day for full and part-time employees or for students and hourly employees, the scheduled shift for that day, whichever is the lesser figure. Employees will be paid their normal rate of pay for any paid leave time under this law, or the applicable minimum wage rate, whichever is greater.

Employees may not exceed the allotted sick days in an academic year or they may face disciplinary action. Those who do exceed the accrued allotment will not receive pay for any additional days of absence, except for short-term disability. Employees who abuse the sick leave policy, for example, taking frequent Friday and/or Monday absences, may be subject to discipline, up to, and including, termination of employment.

If an employee is scheduled to work on campus but is unable to do so due to illness, the employee should not assume they will be granted approval to work from home for that day. Managers have the right to determine whether permission to work from home on a given day will be granted, or if the employee will be charged a sick day (in which case, the employee should not perform any duties from home).

If an employee is requesting permission to work from home instead of coming to campus, they must get approval from their supervisor prior to beginning work that day. 

Full-Time Non-Union Employees

Full-time non-union employees with greater than one (1) year of service will be credited with ten (10) sick days at the beginning of the academic year. New employees with less than one (1) year of service and employees who work less than a 12-month basis will accrue up to ten (10) sick days per academic year, accumulated at .83 days per month, paid at full base salary. Up to ten (10) unused sick days may be carried over into the following academic year, but in no event shall the total sick days exceed twenty (20) days during any one academic year, including those carried over from the previous year. Unused sick days are not payable upon termination of employment.

Part-Time Non-Union, Hourly and Student Employees

Part-time, hourly and student employees will accrue one (1) hour of sick time for every thirty (30) hours worked, to a maximum of fifty-six (56) hours per year. Up to fifty-six (56) hours of sick time may be carried over into the following academic year, but in no event shall the total sick days to be taken exceed fifty-six (56) hours during any one academic year. Unused sick days are not payable upon termination of employment.

Sick Days During an Emergency Closing

For Non-Union Employees

In the event of a scheduled sick day on a day which was subsequently designated by the University as an emergency closing, the employee will NOT be charged for the sick day as originally approved. The employee’s timesheet will reflect the emergency closing (e.g., a snow day, flood, etc.) for the day or portion of the day (.5) if the University closed early.

For Union Employees

In the event of a scheduled sick day on a day which was subsequently designated by the University as an emergency closing, the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will supersede University policy. Union employees should refer to their CBA for further details on emergency closings.

Definitions

Family Member: Includes an employee’s child (biological, adopted, step, or foster child, a legal ward, or a child of an employee standing in loco parentis), spouse, domestic partner, parent (biological, foster, step, adoptive, legal guardian, or person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child), sibling, grandchild, or grandparent, and the child or parent of an employee’s spouse or domestic partner.

Procedures

Sick time must be documented on the PTO portal in eCampus and will autopopulate on the timesheet for non-exempt employees.

Forms

This policy does not have forms associated with it at this time. Upon periodic policy review this area will be evaluated to determine if additional information is needed to supplement the policy.

Related Information

The New York Paid Sick Leave website has more information on this required policy.

Document History

• Last Approval Date: February 6, 2024
• Policy Reviewed by: Policy Owner and Policy Experts – Substantive Changes
• Last Reviewed Date: January 11, 2024
• Policy Origination Date: September 30, 2020

Who Approved This Policy

Executive Leadership