12-13 Employee Handbook Cover.psd - Southwest ISD

Any leave taken for which leave balances are insufficient shall result in a deduction from
the employee’s paycheck commensurate with the amount of leave used.
When an employee who has used more leave than he or she had accumulated ceases to be
employed by the District, the cost of the unearned leave days shall be deducted from the
employee’s final paycheck.
Temporary Disability Leave
All full-time employees are eligible for temporary disability leave.
The purpose of temporary disability leave is to provide job protection to full-time
employees who cannot work for an extended period of time because of a mental or physical
disability of a temporary nature. Pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy are treated
the same as any other temporary disability.
Employees must request approval for temporary disability leave. The leave request must
be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming the employee’s inability to work
and estimating a probable date of return. If disability leave is approved, the length of leave
is no longer than 180 calendar days. If disability leave is not approved, the employee must
return to work or be subject to termination procedures.
If an employee is placed on temporary disability leave involuntarily, he or she has the right
to request a hearing before the board of trustees. The employee may protest the action and
present additional evidence of fitness to work.
When an employee is ready to return to work, their supervisor should be notified at least 30
days in advance. The return-to-work notice must be accompanied by a physician’s
statement confirming the employee’s ability to resume the regular duties of the position.
Professional employees returning from leave will be reinstated to the school to which they
were previously assigned as soon as an appropriate position is available. If a position is not
available before the end of the school year, professional employees will be reinstated at the
beginning of the following year.
Extended Leave
After exhausting all earned sick and personal leave, including paid vacation, a professional
or paraprofessional employee who has been employed by the District on a full-time basis
for the previous 12 months may be eligible to request up to 20 workdays of extended sick
leave during a school year for the catastrophic illness or injury of the employee or a
member of the employee’s immediate family. During such leave, the substitute’s daily rate
of pay shall be deducted from the employees pay for each day of extended leave used.
Southwest ISD Employee Handbook 36
August 15, 2013