8.2 Sick Leave

  1. As used in this section, "sick leave" means the necessary absence from duty of an employee because of:
    1. Illness or injury, including illness or injury relating to pregnancy;
    2. Exposure to a contagious disease which is determined by a physician to require absence from work;
    3. Dental, eye, and other physical or medical examination or treatment by a licensed practitioner;
    4. Absence from duty for attendance upon the employee's ill or injured mother, father, husband, wife, domestic partner (as defined in accordance with Family Code section 297), son, daughter, brother, sister, or any person residing in the immediate household. Such absence shall be limited to six (6) workdays per occurrence or, in extraordinary situations, to the time necessary for care until physician or other care can be arranged.
      1. Labor Code 245.5 defines family member as any of the following: a child, meaning a biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, legal ward, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis. This definition of a child is applicable regardless of age or dependency status. A biological, adoptive, or foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of an employee or the employee's spouse or registered domestic partner, or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child, as well as a spouse, registered domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild and a sibling.
    5. Labor Code 246.5 allows the use of sick leave for an employee who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
  2. A full-time employee who has eleven (11) or more working days of service in a monthly pay period shall be eligible for up to eight (8) hours of sick leave credit. On the first day of the monthly pay period following completion of each qualifying pay period of service, each full-time employee shall earn eight (8) hours of credit for sick leave with pay.
  3. Credit for less than full-time employees shall be computed as follows:
    1. Part-time employees: On the first day of the monthly pay period following completion of each monthly pay period of continuous service, each part-time employee shall be allowed, on a pro rata basis, the fractional part of the employee's appropriate accrual rate of credit for sick leave with pay in accordance with the schedule in Article 7.1 (L).
    2. Multiple positions under this rule:
      1. An employee holding a position in State service in addition to the primary full-time position with the State shall not receive credit for sick leave with pay for service in the additional position;
      2. Where an employee holds two (2) or more "less than full-time positions," the time worked in each position shall be combined for purposes of computing credits for sick leave with pay, but such credits shall not exceed the amount earned for [eight (8) hours per pay period] full-time employment credit.
  4. An employee may be required to provide a physician's or licensed practitioner's verification of sick leave when:
    1. The employee has a demonstrable pattern of sick leave abuse; or
    2. The supervisor has good reason to believe the absence was for an unauthorized reason. A supervisor has good reason if a prudent person would also believe the absence was for an unauthorized reason.
    3. The State recognizes the confidential nature of the relationship between the health care provider and patient and if verification is required it shall be limited to the anticipated length of the absence, any restrictions upon return to work that prevent the employee from performing the full range of the employee's normal work assignment and anticipated future absences. If the department head or designee does not consider the verification adequate, the request for sick leave may be disapproved. Upon request, a denial of sick leave shall be in writing stating the reason for denial.

  5. An employee will not be denied the right to use sick leave or be subject to any type of corrective or disciplinary action, or in any manner discriminated against for using or attempting to exercise the employee's right to use sick leave based solely on the amount of use.
  6. Sick leave may be accumulated without limit.
  7. Sick leave may be requested and taken in fifteen (15) minute increments.
  8. A full-time employee whose continuity of employment is broken by a permanent separation of six (6) months or longer and is subsequently reemployed cannot be credited with any unused sick leave accumulated prior to the employee's separation and the full-time employee must complete one month of continuous service before being granted one day of sick leave credit. In addition, when a full-time employee has a break in the continuity of employment because of a permanent separation of less than six (6) months or because of a temporary separation, the full-time employee's prior unused sick leave balance is restored.
  9. When an employee's sick leave balance is zero, other leave credits such as vacation, CTO, PLP, personal holiday, or holiday leave may be substituted with the supervisor's approval, and shall not be unreasonably denied.
  10. Time during which an employee is excused from work because of sick leave shall not be considered as time worked for purposes of calculating overtime.
  11. Disabled Veterans Credit
    1. In addition to any other entitlement for sick leave with pay, a state officer or employee hired on or after January 1, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs shall be entitled to additional credit for sick leave with pay of up to 96 hours for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment, including mental health treatment, for the employee's service-connected disability. Credit for sick leave granted under this paragraph shall be credited to qualifying officer or employee on the first day of employment and shall remain available for use for the following twelve (12) months of employment. Sick leave credited pursuant to this paragraph that is not used during the 12-month period shall not be carried over and shall be forfeited. Submission of satisfactory proof that sick leave granted under this paragraph is used for treatment of a service-connected disability may be required pursuant to the rules adopted by the department.
    2. In addition to any other entitlement for sick leave with pay, a state officer or employee who serves as a member of the California National Guard or Federal Military Reserve Force who is called up to active service and as a result sustains a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs shall be entitled to additional credit for sick leave with pay of up to 96 hours for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment, including mental health treatment, for the employee's service-connected disability. Credit for sick leave granted under this paragraph shall be credited to a qualifying officer or employee on the effective date of the employee's disability rating decision from the United State Department of Veterans Affairs or on the first day that the qualifying employee begins, or returns to, employment after active duty, whichever is later, and shall remain available for use for the following 12 months of employment. Sick leave credited under this paragraph that is not used during the 12-month period shall not be carried over and shall be forfeited. Submission of satisfactory proof that sick leave granted under this paragraph is used for treatment of a service-connected disability may be required pursuant to rules adopted by the department.