Civil Service Leaves/Absences

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Last Updated: Jul 01, 2026, 12:20 PM

[The following was approved on May 23, 1996, with amendments on July 26, 1997, October 9, 1998, February 7, 2002, and July 7, 2005, in accordance with provisions set forth in SIU Board of Trustees 2 Policies C. Per current Board Policy, the following was approved by the Chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on August 26, 2004. This policy applies to range and prevailing civil service employees only. Civil service employees represented by collective bargaining agents should consult their union contracts for the policies which affect them.]

  1. Sick Leave
    1. Permanent, apprentice, trainee, intern and provisional employees will earn 12 sick days per year. Sick leave accrual will be proportionate to the percentage of full-time equivalent (FTE) employment. The amount of sick leave accumulated at the time any illness begins will be available in full. Vacation and sick leave will continue to accrue while an employee is using sick leave. There is no limit in the amount of sick leave which may be accumulated.
    2. Effective July 1, 2026, employees will be granted non-accruable sick leave (also referred to as “granted sick leave”) benefits at the rate of approximately twenty days or a max of 160 hours, whichever is less, per fiscal year for full-time employees in lieu of ESL time. Part-time employees will earn this granted sick leave proportionate to the percentage of full-time equivalent employment. Granted (non-accruable) sick leave may not be carried over from one fiscal year into the next. For employees newly hired to the University, the employee will receive granted sick leave at a prorated rate based on the Employee’s start date and the remaining days in the fiscal year. Current employees hired into new roles at the University or otherwise transferring between positions will not receive additional granted sick leave. Should an Employee be absent for three (3) or more consecutive working days, a return-to-work release from a relevant care provider must be provided to their supervisor upon request. Should an Employee be absent for five (5) or more consecutive working days, medical documentation must be provided to the Human Resources Department. If at any time a member of this agreement changes classification to a represented classification, the employee will then be under the sick leave policy for that classification.

      Notwithstanding any other provision of this policy, the university may require documentation from an employee's healthcare provider when the university has a reasonable suspicion that sick leave is being abused or misused.

      Vacation and accruable sick leave will continue to accrue during the use of granted sick leave.  Any sick or vacation time used that would qualify for FML will be counted towards the12-week family and medical leave entitlement.

      Both accruable and granted sick leave compensation will be at the normal rate of pay. Employees may use their sick leave for personal illness or injury, for personal medical and dental appointments, for any approved family and medical leave, for the illness or injury of a member of the immediate family or household or additional bereavement in accordance with established policy. For these purposes, the immediate family is defined as spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, stepparent, sibling, grandchild or grandparent. Household includes anyone maintaining a family relationship living in an employee's home.

      Pregnancy and related illnesses shall be considered by the university as any other medical condition and will merit leave consideration as such. Up to six weeks of leave may be taken for the medical condition resulting from a normal delivery. Use of additional leave necessitated by medical complications requires an order from the employee's physician.

    3. Employees receiving sick leave pay may not work elsewhere without forfeiture of this pay, except when outside employment has been approved by the university.  Employees working elsewhere or misusing sick leave may be suspended or discharged.
    4. Employees' supervisors or  Human Resources may require documentation from a physician or other administratively acceptable proof when there is reasonable suspicion of misuse of sick leave.
    5. Sick leave benefits will apply only to employees' regular work schedules.
    6. Effective January 1, 1998, sick leave for all eligible civil service employees will be used in the following order:
      1. Granted sick leave days for the current fiscal year.
      2. Sick leave days earned and accrued before January 1, 1984;
      3. Sick leave days earned and accrued after January 1, 1998;
      4. Sick leave days earned and accrued on or after January 1, 1984 but before January 1, 1998.
    7. Upon termination of employment for any reason, an employee or an employee's estate is entitled to be paid for one-half of the unused sick leave which was accrued on or after January 1, 1984 and before January 1, 1998, except as limited by Illinois statute pertaining to the transfer or reemployment of State of Illinois employees to other state institutions or agencies.

      Subject to appropriate verification, current status employees within the State Universities Civil Service System or regular classified state civil service or personnel code department employees who are selected for permanent employment by this institution and who enter such employment without break in pay status will be credited with that amount of non-payable accumulated sick leave which they had to their credit on their last day of pay status in their previous state employment.
  2. Vacation

    Permanent, apprentice, intern or provisional employees earn vacation based on the schedule listed below and proportionate to the percentage of full-time equivalent (FTE). The maximum amount of vacation employees can accumulate is based on their rates of vacation accrual. The maximum for each rate is equal to the amount of vacation that can be accrued in a two-year period at that rate of accrual. Once they reach the maximum, employees cease to earn additional vacation until they take some vacation.

    Use of vacation must be approved by department heads in advance except in cases of emergency, bereavement leave or disability leave.

    When employees separate from the university, they are paid for their unused, accrued vacation except as limited by Illinois statute pertaining to the transfer or reemployment of State of Illinois employees to other state institutions or agencies.

    Non-exempt Employees (37.5-hour work week)

    Years of Service Approximate Days per Fiscal Year Computer Maximum Policy Maximum Accrual Rate (per hour)
    0-0.99 12 188.41 180.88 0.0462
    1-1.99 13 203.91 195.75 0.05
    2-2.99 14 219.82 211.02 0.0539
    3-3.99 15 235.31 225.9 0.0577
    4-4.99 16 251.22 241.17 0.0616
    5-5.99 17 267.12 256.44 0.0655
    6-6.99 18 282.62 271.31 0.0693
    7-7.99 19 298.52 286.58 0.0732
    8-8.99 20 314.02 301.46 0.077
    9-9.99 21 329.93 316.73 0.0809
    10-10.99 22 345.42 331.61 0.0847
    11-11.99 23 360.92 346.48 0.0885
    12-12.99 24 376.92 361.75 0.0924
    13-13.99 25 392.32 376.63 0.0962
    14-14.99 26 407.82 391.5 0.1
    15-15.99 27 423.72 406.77 0.1039
    16+ 28 439.22 420 0.1077

    Non-exempt Employees (40-hour work week)

    Years of Service Approximate Days per Fiscal Year Computer Maximum Policy Maximum Accrual Rate (per hour)
    0-0.99 12 200.97 192.94 0.0462
    1-1.99 13 217.5 208.8 0.05
    2-2.99 14 234.47 225.09 0.0539
    3-3.99 15 251 240.96 0.0577
    4-4.99 16 267.96 257.25 0.0616
    5-5.99 17 284.93 273.53 0.0655
    6-6.99 18 301.46 289.4 0.0693
    7-7.99 19 318.42 305.68 0.0732
    8-8.99 20 334.95 321.56 0.077
    9-9.99 21 351.92 337.84 0.0809
    10-10.99 22 368.45 353.71 0.0847
    11-11.99 23 384.98 369.58 0.0885
    12-12.99 24 401.94 385.87 0.0924
    13-13.99 25 418.47 401.74 0.0962
    14-14.99 26 435 417.6 0.1
    15-15.99 27 451.97 433.69 0.1039
    16+ 28 468.5 448 0.1077

    Exempt Employees (37.5-hour work week) hired after June 1970

    Years of Service Approximate Days per Fiscal Year Computer Maximum Policy Maximum Accrual Rate (per hour)
    0-2.99 25 392.32 376.63 0.0962
    3-5.99 26 407.82 391.5 0.1
    6-8.99 27 423.72 406.77 0.1039
    9+ 28 439.22 420 0.1077

    With proper documentation, employees who have previously worked for other state of Illinois universities or state of Illinois agencies may receive credit for previous state service, which may result in higher rates of vacation accrual.

    In the event of a change of status of a civil service employee, such as resignation, layoff of undetermined duration, termination, death, or retirement, the employee's payroll records will be closed and a lump sum payment of all earnings and accrued and unused vacation must be made, except as limited by Illinois statute pertaining to the transfer or reemployment of State of Illinois employees to other state institutions or agencies.

  3. Medical

    A leave without pay may be granted to status employees for medical reasons, when justified by their state of health and when recommended by their physicians. Employees must return to employment when released by their attending physicians in order to retain employment status. If the leave is for disability, accrued sick leave must be taken by the employee prior to beginning date of leave.

  4. University Activities

    Excused absences with appropriate prior notification and approval of the department supervisor will be granted with pay to participate as a member of a university-sponsored or recognized activity. Examples of activities for which released time may be granted include, but are not limited to, the following organizations:

    1. Employees' Advisory Committee to the State Universities Retirement System
    2. Civil Service Council
    3. University Civil Service Advisory Committee to the State Universities Civil Service System of Illinois Merit Board
    4. University Joint Benefits Committee
    5. SIU Credit Union Board of Directors
  5. Voting in Elections

    Employees will be excused, without pay, to vote in a general election not exceeding 2 hours provided the said employees are scheduled to work more than 4 hours during the hours the polls are open.

  6. Mutual Benefit

    A leave without pay, for reasons other than disability, which represents a proposal of mutual benefit to the employee and the university, may be approved by the employee's fiscal officer with the concurrence of Human Resources. The duration of a nondisability leave is determined by the department head, Human Resources, and the employee.