The College offers multiple leave options for employees depending on the situation and the need. From Annual Leave and Sick Leave to Disability Leave and the Family Medical Leave Act, the College supports work/life balance for all employees. 

Annual Leave should be used for Vacation, No-show to work, or requests that are not related to illness. Vacation leave for full-time non-instructional employees may be accumulated up to a maximum of 44 days or 352 hours (senior management up to a maximum of 60 days or 480 hours) as of the end of the calendar year. For more information, view [APM 03-1003 – Non-Instructional Vacation Leave].

Sick Leave should be used when employees are unable to report to work due to illness, doctor appointments, or a death in their immediate family.  Sick Leave is governed by the State. Employees on approved extended medical leave are not permitted to return to work without receiving a return to full duty release from their physician. A supervisor or administrator at any time can ask for a physician’s notice or other substantiation if it seems that an employee is misusing Sick leave.  For more information, view [APM 03-1005 – Sick Leave and FL State Statute 1012.865].

Sick Leave Personal is a component of Sick Leave and is not an additional bucket of leave. Employees can use up to 32 hours of Sick Leave annually for personal reasons; the employee does not have to be sick to use it.  Sick Leave Personal is taken from the Sick Leave balance, so if Sick Leave is unavailable, Sick Leave Personal cannot be taken.  If the entire 32 hours is not used within the current calendar year, the remainder is not carried to the next calendar year; the 32-hour count starts over each January 1.  For more information, view [APM 03-1005 – Sick Leave]

Non-Compensatory Sick Leave is excess of the maximum Annual Leave permitted to carry into the new year and is determined at the end of the calendar year.  Excess Annual leave hours are placed into Non-Compensatory Sick Leave and classified as Sick leave which is governed by the State. These hours are not used in the calculation of terminal Sick leave pay. When asking for Sick leave, the system automatically pulls from Non-Compensatory Sick leave if it is available before pulling from Sick leave.  For more information, view [APM 03-1003 – Non-Instructional Vacation Leave].

Sick Leave Transfer is Sick leave transferred from another FL State institution.  By Florida Statutes, a full-time employee who has an earned sick leave balance at any public educational institution in the state of Florida (public school system, community college, university system), Florida Department of Education or a state agency may transfer previously accumulated Sick leave into FSCJ; however, at least one-half (1/2) of accumulated sick leave at any time must have been earned at FSCJ.  Transferred Sick leave is moved into Sick leave each month the employee accrues Sick leave until the balance is depleted. For more information, view [APM 03-1005, Sick Leave].

Leave Without Pay (LWOP) may be granted to full-time College employees in accordance with Florida Statutes when all other forms of leave have been exhausted. An employee who is on Leave Without Pay for the major portion of the calendar month (one day more than half of the actual days in the month) earns no sick leave, annual leave, or group insurance plan benefits for the month. Employees on an approved unpaid leave of absence may continue their health, vision, and/or dental coverage and dependent coverage by paying the Employee and Employer portions of premiums.  Employees must be in a paid status during any portion of the work day before and the work day after an official College holiday, based on the employee’s work schedule, to receive pay for that holiday.  Supervising administrators may grant LWOP for any period of up to ten (10) consecutive work days. The College President, appropriate Vice President, or designee may approve leave without pay for a maximum of six (6) months. Click here to view the LWOP request form and instructions. For more information, view [APM 03-1012, Leave Without Pay]. 

Resources:
Cancelling a Leave Event
Editing a Leave Event
How to View Absence Balances