Lewisburg Area School District Policies	Printable version
539 Uncompensated Leaves 539. UNCOMPENSATED LEAVES The Board provides that leaves of absence without pay for justifiable emergencies or personal reasons may be granted, depending on the circumstances involved, and subject to arrangements regarding return to active employment being approved by the employee's supervisor and the Director of Administrative Services. A leave of absence to extend an approved vacation will not be considered an emergency. The Board has the authority and responsibility to establish the conditions under which uncompensated leave may be taken and directs the Superintendent or designee to develop guidelines for administering this provision. Eligibility Uncompensated leave may be taken for study, travel or for circumstances approved by the Superintendent.A leave of absence will be permitted after the employee has completed three (3) consecutive years of full or part time employment, unless the leave qualifies under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Thereafter, the employee must complete five (5) consecutive years of full or part time employment in order to be eligible for another leave of absence. Uncompensated leave may be granted at the conclusion of leave taken under the Family Medical Leave Act. Unexcused absences cannot be converted to uncompensated leave. Application - Long Term Leave Requests for uncompensated leave shall be made to the immediate building/ department supervisor at least six (6) weeks in advance of the desired starting date of the leave.Special consideration and waiver of the time requirements for submission of requests will be given to emergency situations. 1. The immediate building/department supervisor shall send the employee’s request, with a recommendation, to the Superintendent. 2. All applications for such leave are subject to final approval by the Board. Application - Short Term Leave Requests for uncompensated leave shall be made to the immediate building/ department supervisor in advance whenever possible.Special consideration and waiver of the time requirements for submission of requests will be given to emergencies. 1. The immediate supervisor shall send the employee’s request, with a recommendation, to the Superintendent. 2. The Superintendent may authorize short-term uncompensated leaves of ten (10) working days or less without any interruption of benefits, given consideration of the following criteria: a. The reason for the request. b. The impact of the employee’s absence on the district. A maximum of two (2) short term leaves will be considered per year per employee. Limitations An uncompensated leave may be granted for a period of, but not to exceed, the total number of days in the employee’s work year. In the event that the uncompensated leave is an extension of approved sick leave days, the length of time covered by the uncompensated leave shall not extend beyond the fiscal year in which the uncompensated leave is requested. Fringe benefits may continue at employee expense. While on uncompensated leave, an employee shall be entitled to insurance benefits provided to peers, provided the employee pays the premiums due and the insurance carrier(s) approves. Employee Responsibilities The employee requesting uncompensated leave for travel shall submit, in addition to the application for uncompensated leave, details of the travel itinerary along with his/her request. The employee requesting uncompensated leave for study purposes shall submit, in addition to the application for uncompensated leave, statements regarding nature of the study to be undertaken, the location of the study program, and an explanation of the expected benefits to both the employee and the school district to be derived from the study program. The employee requesting uncompensated leave for the restoration of health shall submit, in addition to the application for uncompensated leave, a physician’s statement certifying the medical reason for the leave and expected duration of the convalescence. Return to Work At the expiration of the uncompensated leave, the employee shall be offered a position in the same job category, if possible. Time on uncompensated leave shall not count as time on the job or for the purposes of seniority.