The number of vacation days accumulated and the maximum balance that can be carried in any month depends on the position's classification (exempt or nonexempt) and the employee's length of service.

• Vacation Policy

When a nonacademic part-time employee has completed two years of continuous University service, working at least 750 hours each year, such employee shall accumulate earned time. Earned time shall be accrued on the basis of 8 hours for each 168 hours paid. Such earned time may be accumulated up to a maximum of 96 hours. Accumulated earned time can be used by an employee to account for work time missed due to illness, vacation, etc.

• Earned Time Policy

While standing appointment faculty members do not earn vacation leave as such, some academic units have established systems for defining days not on duty between the 48-week contract and the 52-week calendar year. Each faculty member should consult with her/his department head.

• Faculty Contracts

The number of vacation days accumulated and the maximum balance that can be carried in any month depends on the employee's length of service. Please see the Agreement between the University and Teamsters Local Union No. 8 for details.

Vacation time off is scheduled by mutual agreement between the employee and the college or department. Each employee should verify with her/his supervisor how the process works in that unit.

Full-time employees in staff and technical service positions earn one sick day per month. There is no maximum cap on the number of sick days that can be accumulated. With the exception of the Applied Research Laboratory and the University Libraries, employees on full-time academic appointments do not have a defined paid sick day program - the amount of paid time off is determined by the past practice of the college.

• Staff Paid Sick Days

Sick days are to be used:

• when the employee is unable to perform her/his duties because of her/his illness or injury, or
• to account for time off for an employee's routine appointment with a physician, dentist, hospital, or optometrist, or
• to care for a sick family member (up to five days of accumulated sick leave per calendar year to care for a sick family member
  • Staff Paid Sick Days

If a full-time employee expends all accumulated sick leave, additional absence, at the option of the employee, shall be charged to accumulated vacation. If the employee expends all accumulated vacation, or elects not to charge the absence to accumulated vacation, the employee shall be granted a leave of absence without pay in accordance with HR16, Leave of Absence Without Salary. In addition, both a short-term and a long-term disability program may be available.

• Staff Paid Sick Days
• Use of "no pay" days in Lieu of Short Term Leave of Absence
• Leaves of Absence Without Salary (HR-16)
• Sickness and Accident Supplement Policy
• Long Term Disability (LTD)

On the unfortunate occasion when a personal catastrophe results in an employee being absent from work for a prolonged period of time, University policies outline procedures for the use of applicable paid time off and leaves of absence without pay. In the event that the employee exhausts all applicable paid time off, coworkers in the employee's work unit may want to donate some of their accumulated vacation time to the absent employee.

• Vacation Donation Program

FMLA entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons. The law contains provisions on employee eligibility for the law's benefits; entitlement to leave, medical certification; maintenance of health benefits during leave, and job restoration after leave; notice and certification of the need for FMLA leave; and, protection for employees who request or take FMLA leave. The law also requires employers to keep certain records.

University policies frequently provide for leaves in excess of the 12-weeks provided in the FMLA. Therefore, it is important to consult University policies when considering a leave of absence.

• FMLA

All healthcare insurances continue as long as the employee is in full-pay status. If the employee is enrolled in healthcare insurances prior to a leave of absence without pay for illness or injury, then health care coverage may be continued during the leave and the employee will be billed the regular, employee rate for such coverages. Please Note: A decision not to continue insurances is considered a break in continuous benefits participation and may have an adverse effect on the employee's eligibility to continue the insurances after retirement. If coverage is not continued during the leave and is requested at a later date, some restrictions will apply (See Option to Continue Benefits During Periods of Non-Employment for Faculty and Staff).

• Option to Continue Benefits During Periods of Non-Employment for Faculty and Staff
• Healthcare Insurance Costs
• Sickness and Accident Supplement Policy

Retirement plan contributions continue as long as the employee is in full-pay status. A faculty or staff member who is on leave of absence without salary, regardless of the reason, is not eligible to contribute or receive credit in any retirement plan unless he or she is a member of, and makes private arrangements to contribute to, TIAA-CREF.

• Contributions to Retirement Plans while on Leave of Absence

Staff in the Employee Benefits office are available to answer your questions, or you can talk to your Human Resources Representative.

• Benefit Staff Contacts
• List of Human Resources Representatives

Report the injury to your supervisor immediately. Your supervisor will provide you with the Workers' Compensation Panel Providers List of where to seek medical treatment. An Employee's Report of Occupational Injury or Disease form must be completed by your supervisor/manager or department head.

• Workers' Compensation

A full-time employee has the option to request a leave of absence without pay or to charge the absence to her/his accumulated sick leave (or, if sick leave has been expended, to accumulated vacation, personal holiday, service days, or compensatory time off). An employee electing to use such paid time off shall be charged one-third of a day for each workday of absence and shall continue to receive full salary.

• Workers' Compensation Policy

Employees may elect to participate in long-term disability coverage.

• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• SERS retirement disability

A temporary accommodation may be available, dependent upon the work needs of your department. In addition, alternate work arrangements (flexible scheduling and telecommuting) are available for faculty and staff whose responsibilities can be accomplished outside of a University office and/or traditional work schedule for part or all of the workweek. Finally, if you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of your major life activities, then assistance may be available to you from the University's Affirmative Action Office.

• Alternate Work Arrangements
• Affirmative Action ADA Office

Personal problems are a normal part of living. For this reason, Penn State offers a University-wide, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (absolutely confidential) to help deal with life's rough spots - whether they occur on or off the job.

• What is an EAP? Information about the Employee Assistance Program

A faculty or staff member who is on leave of absence without salary for illness or injury, who is eligible for educational privileges, will retain those privileges during the term of the leave. Dependents of such faculty or staff members who are eligible for grants-in-aid will retain this eligibility during the term of the leave.

• Continuation of Educational Privileges

Each college/administrative area has an assigned Human Resources Representative. This individual is responsible for the management of the University's human resources program in that specific college or major administrative unit.

• List of Human Resources Representatives

In addition, the central Office of Human Resources has placed a variety of information in its website.

• The Office of Human Resources at Penn State

The University's Hospital, Surgical, Major Medical Plan (Plan A) as well as the PPO (Healthpass in those areas where HealthAmerica administers the plan; Open Choice where Aetna is the plan administrator) are each subject to lifetime coverage maximums. The maximum benefit for each covered individual (either employee or dependent) is $500,000. There are, however, provisions for the restoration of some or all of the amounts previously used.

On January first of each year, each covered person who has had health care services provided by their health plan will automatically have an amount restored for future use. The amount restored each year will be either the amount needed to bring the maximum back to the full amount or $1,000, whichever is less.

Additionally, at any time after the amount charged toward an individual's overall maximum has exceeded $1,000, that individual may request a full restoration of the benefit by furnishing satisfactory proof that he or she is in good health. The decision to grant full restoration is at the discretion of the health plan administrator. Questions regarding the restoration process can be directed to the Employee Benefits Division at (814) 865-1473 or by email to benefits@psu.edu.

Long term care insurance is designed to help defray the cost of extended care without using your income, retirement savings, and other investments. Long term care may be required for the elderly as a result of the effects of aging, but also for others because of chronic disease or while recuperating from an accident or serious illness.

Long term care insurance normally pays for nursing home care, home and community based care, and care received in assisted living Alzheimer's facilities and hospices. Special benefits include respite care, durable medical equipment, caregiver training, emergency response systems, care management, bed reservations, and alternate care services. Optional benefits, such as inflation protection (increase in dollar coverage amount over time), survivor waiver of premium, shared care, and non forfeiture are available. Families should view a variety of plans and carefully review the plan provisions prior to selecting a long term care insurance carrier.

Long term care coverage is available from a number of insurance companies and can be purchased on an individual basis. Information and assistance in making an informed choice among long-term plans is available from several websites, including The Pennsylvania State Department of Aging, The American Associate of Long Term Care Insurers and The American Association of Retired Persons. References and links to other websites can be found at: AARP The Magazine

Additionally, long term care plans are available from the following insurance companies currently providing other services to the University. This list is provided to supplement information that may be obtained from the websites listed above.

Please note that the University has not evaluated any of these long-term care plans and offers no endorsement of any of the plans listed. Many insurance agents and brokers will be able to provide information on these and additional long term care insurance products.

This absence will be for an FMLA qualifying reason, therefore we have to think of FMLA as well as University policies - they run concurrently. Let's look at University policies first.

There are two University policies to reference: HRG-7, Absence From Work for Pregnancy or Childbirth, and HRG-11, Family and Medical Leave. HRG-7 covers the period of time when a woman is pregnant and the period of disability following childbirth. In summary, given a normal pregnancy and a normal delivery, the woman can start her maternity leave anytime during the eighth month of pregnancy up until the day the baby is born - that decision is up to the woman. The maternity leave would last until the baby's six-week birthday. If there is a problem with the pregnancy and/or the delivery, then the length of the maternity leave may change. Pay continuance for faculty is outlined in HRG-18, Paid Parental Leave for Faculty.

During the maternity leave (6 to 14 weeks, depending on how long before delivery the maternity leave started) a staff employee uses accumulated sick days to cover the absence. If she runs out of sick days, then she has the option to use vacation days or go on a leave without pay. As long as the employee is in pay status, she will accrue additional sick days and vacation days while she is absent. If the woman goes on a maternity leave without pay, then healthcare insurances may be continued at the regular employee contribution rates.

Normally at the baby's six-week birthday the woman no longer is considered to be disabled. So we look to HRG-11 for guidance. In summary, a male or female may take a child care leave for the birth of a child for any length of time up until the baby is one year of age. In the case of adoption, such a leave is granted from the date the child begins to reside with the employee and continues up to twelve months.

During this absence, a staff employee elects to use some or all vacation days (not sick, because the employee is not disabled) and then takes a leave without pay. If the employee takes a child care leave without pay, healthcare insurance coverages may be continued, the cost to the employee is dependent upon how long the employee has been absent. (See below).

Now, for FMLA. Three items here. First, all employees should receive the employee notification form (a medical certification form is not necessary for leaves related to the birth or adoption of a child) from the supervisor. Second, the time off needs to be recorded as FMLA on the vacation/sick leave card for staff and as a note in the file for faculty. And, the third item is the employee contribution rate during a child care leave.

During a child care leave without pay, how much the employee pays for healthcare coverages will depend on how many of the FMLA 12-weeks already have been used. For example, if the employee has been absent for 8 weeks in pay status (maternity and child care leaves combined) and then goes on a child care leave without pay, then for the first four weeks of the leave without pay the employee pays the regular employee contribution rate for healthcare coverages. Starting with the 13th week of absence, the employee is charged the full cost for healthcare coverages.

• Leave of Absence Without Salary
• Absence from Work Resulting from Pregnancy or Childbirth
• Family Medical Leave
• Paid Parental Leave for Faculty
• Staying of the Provisional Period for tenure-track faculty
• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff

Upon request, a leave not to exceed three calendar months shall be granted if the employee's partner, parent, or child has a serious health condition and the employee is needed to care for such family member or if there is an extended breakdown in the arrangements for independent child care, and the employee is needed to care for the child. During the leave, the employee shall first use all sick family days, accumulated vacation, personal holiday, service days, and compensatory time off, as applicable, prior to commencement of no-pay status for the balance of the leave.

If, in the 12-month period immediately preceding the requested leave, the employee has been absent without pay for the purposes of child care, family illness, or due to the employee's own illness, such absence shall be included in calculating the three-month-leave-time limit.

If the employee requests to continue on leave without pay after the family illness leave has expired, such request for additional leave shall be considered on the same basis as any other request for leave for personal reasons, and the conditions applicable to such general personal leaves shall apply. If the additional time is granted, any immediate prior leave time shall be included in calculating the leave-time limit for the new leave in accordance with HR16, Leave of Absence Without Salary.

• Family Medical Leave
• Sick Family Days
• Leave of Absence Without Salary
• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff

On the unfortunate occasion when a personal catastrophe results in an employee being absent from work for a prolonged period of time, University policies outline procedures for the use of applicable paid time off and leaves of absence without pay. In the event that the employee exhausts all applicable paid time off, coworkers in the employee's work unit may want to donate some of their accumulated vacation time to the absent employee.

• Vacation Donation Program

FMLA entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons. The law contains provisions on employee eligibility for the law's benefits; entitlement to leave, medical certification; maintenance of health benefits during leave, and job restoration after leave; notice and certification of the need for FMLA leave; and, protection for employees who request or take FMLA leave. The law also requires employers to keep certain records.

University policies frequently provide for leaves in excess of the 12-weeks provided in the FMLA. Therefore, it is important to consult University policies when considering a leave of absence.

• FMLA

All healthcare insurances continue as long as the employee is in full-pay status. Such coverages may be continued during a leave without pay - the cost will be dependent on the reason for the leave of absence. Please Note: A decision not to continue insurances is considered a break in continuous benefits participation and may have an adverse effect on the employee's eligibility to continue the insurances after retirement. If coverage is not continued during the leave and is requested at a later date, some restrictions will apply (See Option to Continue Benefits During Periods of Non-Employment for Faculty and Staff).

• Option to Continue Benefits During Periods of Non-Employment for Faculty and Staff
• Healthcare Insurance Costs

Retirement plan contributions continue as long as the employee is in full-pay status. A faculty or staff member who is on leave of absence without salary, regardless of the reason, is not eligible to contribute or receive credit in any retirement plan unless he or she is a member of, and makes private arrangements to contribute to, TIAA-CREF.

• Contributions to Retirement Plans while on Leave of Absence

Staff in the Employee Benefits office are available to answer your questions, or you can talk to your Human Resources Representative.

• Benefit Staff Contacts
• List of Human Resources Representatives

The promotion and tenure policy provides for the staying of the provisional period for tenure-track faculty. Upon the written request of a faculty member, the Executive Vice President and Provost may grant a temporary staying of the tenure provisional period, if in his/her judgment, the academic performance of the provisional faculty member would be adversely affected by: the responsibility as primary care giver after the birth or adoption of a child, a serious personal illness, the provision of care for a seriously ill family member, or any similar situation.

• Staying of the Provisional Period

Five University locations provide on-site child care: College of Medicine, Penn State Erie, Penn State Fayette, Penn State Harrisburg, and University Park. The Work/Life website provides a variety of information including helpful tips in selecting a child care provider, a resource guide for Centre County, parenting links, etc.

• Penn State Work/Life Child Care Family Resources
• Child Care Program Policy

Alternate work arrangements are encouraged when, in the opinion of the supervisor, the University's work needs can be efficiently and effectively met. The purpose of flexible work schedules is to provide a greater capability for each employee to establish her/his own program of working hours within the workweek without changing the number of hours to be worked. Telecommuting is a work arrangement in which employees, for a portion of their scheduled work hours, perform their regular job responsibilities away from their primary business location utilizing telecommunication and information technology as appropriate. These arrangements can be either temporary or ongoing.

University and departmental demands are a priority throughout any alternative work arrangement - the arrangement must be transparent to customers in terms of service and quality. Alternative work arrangements are flexible and subject to change as business needs change.

• Flexible Work Schedules
• Telecommuting

A faculty or staff member who is on leave of absence without salary for illness or injury, who is eligible for educational privileges, will retain those privileges during the term of the leave. Dependents of such faculty or staff members who are eligible for grants-in-aid will retain this eligibility during the term of the leave.

• Continuation of Educational Privileges

Personal problems are a normal part of living. For this reason, Penn State offers a University-wide, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (absolutely confidential) to help deal with life's rough spots - whether they occur on or off the job.

• What is an EAP? Information about the Employee Assistance Program

Each college/administrative area has an assigned Human Resources Representative. This individual is responsible for the management of the University's human resources program in that specific college or major administrative unit.

• List of Human Resources Representatives

In addition, the central Office of Human Resources has placed a variety of information in its website.

• The Office of Human Resources at Penn State

Long term care insurance is designed to help defray the cost of extended care without using your income, retirement savings, and other investments. Long term care may be required for the elderly as a result of the effects of aging, but also for others because of chronic disease or while recuperating from an accident or serious illness.

Long term care insurance normally pays for nursing home care, home and community based care, and care received in assisted living Alzheimer's facilities and hospices. Special benefits include respite care, durable medical equipment, caregiver training, emergency response systems, care management, bed reservations, and alternate care services. Optional benefits, such as inflation protection (increase in dollar coverage amount over time), survivor waiver of premium, shared care, and non forfeiture are available. Families should view a variety of plans and carefully review the plan provisions prior to selecting a long term care insurance carrier.

Long term care coverage is available from a number of insurance companies and can be purchased on an individual basis. Information and assistance in making an informed choice among long-term plans is available from several websites, including The Pennsylvania State Department of Aging, The American Associate of Long Term Care Insurers and The American Association of Retired Persons. References and links to other websites can be found at AARP The Magazine

Additionally, long term care plans are available from the following insurance companies currently providing other services to the University. This list is provided to supplement information that may be obtained from the websites listed above.

Please note that the University has not evaluated any of these long-term care plans and offers no endorsement of any of the plans listed. Many insurance agents and brokers will be able to provide information on these and additional long term care insurance products.

The purpose of a Sabbatical Leave is to provide a leave of absence with pay for purposes of intensive study or research which has as its outcome increasing the quality of the individual's future contribution to the University. A sabbatical is a privilege which may be granted to an individual who has demonstrated by publication, teaching, exhibition or performance an above average ability in scholarship, research, or other creative accomplishment.

• Sabbatical Leave Policy

Various salary continuance options are available dependent upon the length of the leave.

• Sabbatical Leave Policy

An individual who is granted a sabbatical leave and who is a member of the University insurance program may maintain membership during the sabbatical leave. If an individual is enrolled in the Plan A medical plan while on a sabbatical leave, he or she will pay the lesser HealthPass rate for that medical coverage, rather than the Plan A rate. If the individual is a member of a retirement plan in effect at the University, the individual is required to contribute to that plan; the amount that is contributed is based on the full salary of the individual rather than the salary received from the University during the sabbatical leave if less than full salary.

• Sabbatical Leave Policy

Individuals granted sabbatical leaves are required to return for a full contract year of service following the sabbatical leave. Any person who does not return, or does not remain for the full contract year following the sabbatical leave, will be required to refund the salary received from the University during the sabbatical leave. There will be no proration of the amount to be returned if the employee remains for any fraction less than the full contract year. In addition, any person who does not return for a full contract year of service following the sabbatical leave will not be eligible to receive credit in any retirement plan for the period of the sabbatical leave.

• Sabbatical Leave Policy

Formal study, as outlined in HR16 (Item "b" under "Purpose of Leave") shall mean study leading to a degree, certificate, or license, or acquisition of expertise clearly necessary for the conduct of University assignments. Recognized awards (e.g. Fulbright, Guggenheim, Ford, etc.) shall be considered formal study only if the program of activity to be undertaken during the leave of absence meets the requirements listed above.

• Formal Study Leave
• HR-16, Leave of Absence Without Salary

No, a formal study leave does not provide for salary continuance.

All healthcare insurances continue as long as the employee is in full-pay status. If the employee is enrolled in healthcare insurances prior to a leave of absence without pay for formal study, then health care coverage may be continued during the leave and the employee will be billed the regular, employee rate for such coverages. Please Note: A decision not to continue insurances is considered a break in continuous benefits participation and may have an adverse effect on the employee's eligibility to continue the insurances after retirement. If coverage is not continued during the leave and is requested at a later date, some restrictions will apply.

• Option to Continue Benefits During Periods of Non-Employment for Faculty and Staff
• Healthcare Insurance Costs
• HR-16, Leave of Absence Without Salary

Retirement plan contributions continue as long as the employee is in full-pay status. A faculty or staff member who is on leave of absence without salary, regardless of the reason, is not eligible to contribute or receive credit in any retirement plan unless he or she is a member of, and makes private arrangements to contribute to, TIAA-CREF.

• Contributions to Retirement Plans while on Leave of Absence

The purpose of a graduate study leave is to allow an eligible person permanently assigned away from University Park to pursue graduate study on a full-time basis as a regularly registered student working for an advanced degree.

• HR-18, Graduate Study Leave

The purpose of a graduate study grant is to provide for the pursuit of graduate study by faculty and certain staff personnel assigned away from University Park, who because of the location of their work, do not have use of the University Park Campus facilities for graduate study programs.

• What is the intent of a Graduate Study Grant?

Partial salary continuance options are available dependent upon the classification of the employee's position and the length of the leave.

• HR-18, Graduate Study Leave

A faculty or staff member on graduate study leave who is a member of the group life insurance plan, the group health care program (hospital/ surgical/major medical coverages or Healthpass, Dental, and Vision), or the voluntary accidental death and dismemberment plan, is required to maintain his or her membership during the leave. If the faculty or staff member is a member of a retirement plan in effect at the University, he or she continues in that plan. The amount contributed is determined by the salary received during the leave.

Individuals granted graduate study leaves are required to return to full-time active service with the University for two (2) consecutive contractual years, or, if they do not return or do not remain for the full two years, to refund all the salary received from the University during the leave. There will be no proration of the amount to be returned if an individual remains for any time less than two years.

An individual who is on sabbatical, graduate study, or formal study leave and who is eligible for educational privileges will retain those privileges during the period of the sabbatical leave. Dependents of employees who are eligible for grants-in-aid will retain the eligibility during the time that the employee is on such leave.

Each full-time University faculty or staff member who has completed one day of regular employment with the University immediately preceding the effective date of the requested military leave, and who has been ordered to report to active duty on a specific date, is eligible for a military leave of absence. Some part-time employees may have re-employment rights upon completion of military service.

Salary may be continued for part or all of the absence depending on the length of and reason for the leave. During the period of time the employee remains on the University payroll, benefits coverages/deductions and retirement contributions continue.

A leave of absence without salary for active military service shall be granted for an aggregate maximum of sixty calendar months, unless a longer absence is provided by exception by law. Immediately prior to commencement of the leave, the employee may elect to use or not use all or part of accumulated vacation, personal holiday, service days, compensatory time off, as applicable, during the leave prior to commencement of no-pay status for the balance of the leave.

During an leave of absence with salary:

1. The employee shall have the option to continue any or all of the benefits in which enrolled for self and/or eligible dependents by paying the employee cost of such coverages. Some of the benefits may include a war exclusion.
2. Eligibility for educational privileges and dependent grant-in-aid continues.
3. Employer retirement contributions will cease effective with the start of the leave without pay. If upon returning to work, an employee elects to make retirement contributions to cover the period of time absent under this policy, then employer contributions shall also be made to the extent required by law.

For related details, please refer to policy HR-19, Leave of Absence for Active Military Service or Training.

• Leave of Absence for Active Military Service or Training

Absence from work because of death in a full-time employee's family may be allowed with full pay depending on the relationship, provided the employee attends the funeral. Please see HR-34, Employment Conditions for Staff Employees, for details.

• Death-in-family Paid Time Off

Paid time off may be provided to full-time employees for the following activities:

• Involuntary Jury Service
• Volunteer Fire Fighting
• Ambulance Driving
• Subpoenaed Witness
• Certified Air-Raid Wardens, Airplane Spotters, Civil Defense Officials, and Civil Air Patrol Members.
• Emergency Rescue

Please see HR-34, Employment Conditions for Staff Employees, for details.

• Miscellaneous Paid Time Off

On occasion, an employee may request a leave of absence to pursue personal interests. Such leave may be granted if it is determined to be at the convenience of the University in the judgment of the dean or administrative officer.

While on a personal leave of absence all health care insurances in which the employee is enrolled continue as long as the employee is in pay status. Such coverages may be continued during a leave without pay - the cost will be dependent on the reason for the leave of absence.

• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff
• Leave of Absence Without Salary
• Family Medical Leave