The various bargaining agreements and Civil Service Rules provide for the accrual and utilization of paid sick time for State employees.
The paid sick time accrual rate for full-time employees, regardless of length of service, is 8 hours for each completed full month of service.
For part-time employees, the accrual rate is prorated in proportion to their authorized part-time hours. For example, a 20-hour employee would accrue sick time at 4 hours per month.
Intermittent employees are unique. Intermittent employees do not accrue any paid sick time until the completion of 1,040 hours of actual work. After completing 1,040 hours of actual work, intermittent employees begin accruing sick time for each 173 hours of actual work. Because of the inherent nature of intermittent work, intermittent employees do not have an established accrual date or established hours from which a sick leave accrual rate can be derived. The only limitation to the hours an intermittent employee can work is the total annual authorized hours for the position. Since accrual can only be based upon annual authorized hours, intermittent employees accrue sick leave each 173 hours of actual work, regardless of the rate of pay (regular or premium rate) in effect when the hours are worked.
Non-status, acting capacity employment or project employment is not considered state service for purposes of calculating service dates or accrual rates. Non-State employees serving in an acting capacity assignment may begin to accrue paid sick time after 90 days of continuous service. Project employees do not accrue sick time at any time during the assignment.
The method of posting accrued paid sick leave varies, depending on the agency. Agency human resource representatives should be consulted regarding actual accrual dates.
The maximum paid sick time accrual is 120 days (960 hours) after which paid sick time lapses. A record of lapsed sick time for each employee must continue to be maintained by the employing agency. In the event of an extended illness, an employee with lapsed sick leave may request the Director, Bureau of Human Resources, approve the restoration of lapsed sick time.
Paid sick time may be utilized as follows:
- For the employee’s illness or disability
- Necessary or medical or dental care
- For the illness or disability of a member of the employee’s immediate family that requires the attention or presence of the employee. "Immediate family" is defined as the employee’s spouse, parents, stepparents, guardian, children, stepchildren, brothers, stepbrothers, sisters, stepsisters, wards, grandparents, grandchildren, or significant other living in the same household with the employee.
An employee transferring from one agency to another agency, without a break in State service, is entitled to transfer all accumulated sick time.
In the event that a former State employee is re-appointed to a status position within four years of separation, sick time accrued during a previous period of employment may, upon approval of the new appointing authority, be restored for use in the new position.
In the event that a temporary, acting capacity appointee moves from one acting appointment to another, without a break in service, accrued sick time transfers from one acting position to the other. If a temporary, acting capacity appointee moves from one acting appointment to another, but the initial acting appointment was fewer than 90 days in duration, the 90-day continuous service requirement continues, as long as there was no break in service.
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