Section 1. Paid Leaves

1. All graduate assistants with an academic year or semester appointment shall be allowed five (5) working days of absence per semester, without pay deduction.

2. All graduate assistants with a fiscal year appointment shall be allowed fifteen (15) working days of absence without pay deduction.

3. For purposes of this Section, a working day is a day an employee is scheduled to work.

4. All paid leave must be scheduled with the approval of the employee's supervisor, to assure the maintenance of university operations. Such approval will not be unreasonably denied.

5. In the event that the department specifically requires the graduate assistant to remain at work during previously approved leave time, the department shall give such employee thirty (30) days’ notice except in case of emergency. At such time, the employee and the department shall reschedule the leave time.

Section 2. Sick Leave

1. Employees may be absent due to illness without loss of pay not to exceed 13.5 days during an academic year appointment, and eighteen (18) days during a twelve (12) month appointment. Different appointment periods will receive sick leave on a proportionally equivalent basis.

2. For purposes of this provision, a day of sick leave means a day an employee is scheduled to work and is absent due to illness.

3. If an employee has exhausted paid sick leave due to illness, they may request an unpaid leave of absence which will be granted at the sole discretion of the department consistent with any applicable State or Federal regulations, or alternatively may request additional paid sick leave in accordance with Section 5 below.

Section 3. Family Illness Leave

Employees may use available sick leave for care of and necessary attention to ill or injured members of the immediate family (as defined in Section 4 below) or for parental leave including birth and adoption. Use of sick leave for this purpose is limited to five (5) workdays per year.

Section 4. Bereavement Leave

1. Employees may use available sick leave for three (3) workdays when a death occurs in the employee's immediate family.

2. For purposes of this section, the term "immediate family" shall mean spouse, domestic partner, child, step- child, foster child, parent, step-parent, foster parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or parent-in-law, and corresponding relatives of the employee's spouse/partner.

Section 5. Additional Paid Leave

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1-Paid Leave, Section 2-Sick Leave, Section 3-Family Illness Leave, and Section 4-Bereavement Leave, departments may grant additional paid leave. Such leaves may be granted provided the department determines the employee is able to meet the time and effort obligation reflected in the percentage of appointment over the full term of their appointment as defined in ”Appointments” above.

Section 6. Jury Duty

1. Employees on jury duty will not incur a loss of pay for time spent on jury duty. Upon return from jury duty the employee shall remit any amount of pay received for jury service to the University, less any amount paid for travel or personal expenses.

2. An employee summoned as a juror shall immediately inform their supervisor of the absence. An employee who reports for jury duty and is dismissed shall be expected to resume their normal duties following dismissal from service.

Section 7. Coverage Responsibility

In the event of the absence of a teaching assistant pursuant to this Article, it is the responsibility of the

teaching assistant to make a good-faith effort to find a replacement. However, the department is responsible to assure the coverage of classes.

Section 8. Holidays

1. Employees shall receive the following paid holidays which occur during the term of their appointment: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, a day before or after Christmas Day.

2. Monday will be recognized as a holiday for all holidays occurring on a Sunday and Friday for all holidays occurring on a Saturday.

3. Employees may be absent for the above holidays unless the department specifically requires the employee to be on duty. At such time, the department and the employee shall schedule alternate paid time off. Departments will make an effort to minimize holiday work for employees and if it requires work on a holiday, shall provide such employee(s) with no less than thirty (30) days written notice, whenever feasible.

4. Employees taking paid leave contiguous with a holiday shall not have the holiday counted against their paid leave.