Frequently Asked Questions:
Administrative Leave Policy
Q: What family members are covered by bereavement leave?
A: The loss of a family member may require time away from work. If there is a death in the family, staff may take up to three working days off as leave with pay. The family is defined as spouse, son, daughter, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister, brother, grandparent or grandchild. This policy would also include domestic partner, step-parent, step-sibling and step-child.
Q: What is the procedure for bereavement leave?
A: All regular and term full-time and part-time staff are eligible. Bereavement leave is to be utilized within fourteen (14) days of the date of death. Exceptions for unusual circumstances (i.e., remains must be transported from overseas) must be coordinated with Employee Relations. Supervisors may ask staff to provide a certification of the death, such as a death certificate or a published death notice, before bereavement pay will be authorized.
Q: What happens when a staff member is on jury duty?
A: The regular or term staff member will receive his/her regular Vanderbilt paycheck while on approved jury duty and does not have to return the jury duty payment. Time spent on jury duty will count towards the scheduled work week. Hourly- paid temporary staff are only paid for actual hours worked at Vanderbilt, and the temporary staff member will not be paid for the time they are on jury duty.
NOTE: When called as a juror or a witness, the staff member should immediately notify his/her supervisor. If the jury obligation is less than three hours in a day, the staff member must report for the rest of his/her work shift. Staff who work an evening or night shift and are scheduled to report to jury duty the next morning, will be excused from, and paid for, that shift. If the staff member spends more than three hours in jury duty, he/she will be excused from his/her next shift if the shift occurs within twenty-four hours of jury duty service.
Q: What happens when a staff member is subpoenaed or requested to testify as a witness in a case related to employment at Vanderbilt?
A: If the case is related to the staff member's employment at Vanderbilt, he/she will be compensated for that time away from work.
NOTE: When called as a juror or a witness, the staff member should immediately notify his/her supervisor. If the jury obligation is less than three hours in a day, the staff member must report for the rest of his/her work shift.
Q: What happens when a staff member is subpoenaed or requested to testify in a case unrelated to work?
A: Staff who appear in court on their own behalf, or who are subpoenaed for matters unrelated to the staff member's employment at Vanderbilt, must use vacation, holiday or personal leave time. If accrued leave is not available, approved leave will be unpaid.
Q: What guidelines does Vanderbilt follow for military leave?
A: Vanderbilt follows the guidelines established by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) regarding military leave and endorses the "Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve" from the United States Department of Defense.
Q: What is the process for military leave?
A: Regular and term full-time staff who receive orders to report for training duty in the uniformed services of a State or of the United States shall be entitled to military leave without pay for up to fifteen working days per calendar year. However, staff may elect to use accruals to cover the fifteen days from their vacation, personal or holiday banks.
Q: What reemployment rights does a staff member have on military leave?
A: A staff member on full active military duty is eligible for reemployment. For specific criteria, additional information, and/or conditions under which we can re- employ, the manager should consult with Employee Relations.
Q: What happens to the staff member’s benefits while he/she is on military leave?
A: The University will activate the returning veteran's benefits based upon the length of service he/she would have had if he/she remained on the job. However, vacation and sick time are not accrued during the time spent in military service. The staff member may, while in the service, elect to continue University health plan coverage and is required to pay only the staff member's portion of the insurance premium when in the service for 30 days or less. Thereafter, the staff member must pay the COBRA rate. If coverage is terminated at the staff member's option, the University may not impose a waiting period for benefit reinstatement upon return to employment. A returning staff member is considered as not having incurred a break-in-service.
Q: What happens when a staff member on military leave fails to report?
A: USERRA defines the timeliness of a staff member's return to work or application for re-employment. Contact Employee Relations to discuss specific criteria and possible exceptions prior to denying reemployment.
For additional information regarding military leave, please refer to http://www.esgr.org/factUserra.html
Q: What is "Other Administrative Leave"?
A: This is a general leave status, initiated by the supervisor, which is paid. Examples include, but are not limited to: a work area must be closed for repairs, an internal review or investigation, or an investigation of an external event-such as a criminal arrest. Supervisors should consult with Employee Relations before placing an individual on leave to determine the appropriate type of leave and to coordinate the appropriate payroll processing information.
Q: What is "Temporary Layoff Leave"?
A: Some departments layoff staff on a temporary or seasonal basis in accordance with their staffing needs. Departments for which seasonable layoff is a recurring activity should share these policies with staff members during the employment process. Questions about temporary or seasonal layoffs should be directed to Employee Relations. The definition is "a layoff period of six months or less, where the department expects to recall the staff member to active employment status." A seasonal or temporary layoff of less than one month is handled at the department level as an informal leave and is not processed through the payroll system as a temporary layoff leave option. A layoff of more than six months that is due to the elimination of a staff position with no expectation for recall or rehire is considered a regular layoff. For VUMC staff, please refer to the VUMC Reduction-in-Force policy for more information on this process.
Q: What is the process for Temporary Layoff Leave?
A: The temporary layoff leave process is outlined below:
- The effective start date of a layoff leave is the first missed workday.
- For a temporary layoff, staff must utilize all accrued paid time away (holiday, vacation and personal leave) before the layoff moves into the unpaid status. Use of sick time is not an option.
- For full-time staff who receive health care benefits, as long as accrued.
- If vacation, holiday and personal leave time are available, benefits will continue. When paid time ends, the staff member has the option to continue coverage at his/her own expense. The staff member should be advised to contact the Benefits’ Office before the leave goes into unpaid status.
- Staff on temporary layoff leave who fail to return to work at the end of the designated leave period, must repay Vanderbilt for the employers portion of the health coverage premiums paid while the staff member was on unpaid leave.
- When the department is ready to recall staff members from layoff leave status, the staff member should be contacted by phone or registered or certified mail at least seven (7) days in advance to confirm the date when they are expected to return to work. Staff members who do not return within seven days (7) of recall, and who do not have authorization to delay their return, will be terminated
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HR Express 2525 West End Ave Suite 218 Nashville TN 37203 Hours M-F 7:30 - 5:30 Last Updated: October 19, 2009 |
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