Sick Bank for Service Personnel

APPENDIX A

Ulster BOCES Employees’ Sick Bank

I. MEMBERSHIP STATEMENT

This policy covers employees who are classified as follows:

  • Ulster BOCES United Employees
  • Service Personnel
  • Service Professionals
  • Service Coordinators
  • Executive Secretary/Board Clerk
  • Service Administrators

II. PURPOSE

The Sick Bank has been created through the contribution of sick leave by employees of the UBUE and Service Employee Classifications for fellow UBUE and Service employees who are experiencing extensive loss of time due to illness, accident or recuperation. It is expected that the beneficiaries of Sick Bank benefits will return to work and are not permanently disabled to the extent that their disability cannot be accommodated. The Sick Bank is funded solely by and for employees in the above listed classifications who choose to participate and meet the eligibility requirements to participate.

III. ELIGIBILITY

A. Current Employees

  • Current employees shall either have already contributed one (1) day of unused sick leave to the existing Sick Bank or will be eligible, during a special “Open Enrollment” period to join the Sick Bank by contributing one (1) day of unused sick leave to the Sick Bank.
  • The special enrollment period will be held prior to the implementation of this policy to give all interested current employees an opportunity to join the Sick Bank without having to meet the one (1) year service requirement that will be enforced once this policy is activated.

B. New Employees

  • New employees may join the Sick Bank after a minimum of one (1) year of service at Ulster BOCES by donating one (1) day of their accumulated sick leave days during the annual open enrollment periods which shall be September 1 through September 30 and March 1 through March 31 annually.
  • The Sick Bank year shall be October 1 through September 30.Employees hired after September 30 will be eligible to participate in the Sick Bank after one (1) full Sick Bank year has passed.
  • At the time of initial hire a form will be given to each new employee stating the date of their eligibility for membership. The new hire may elect to join the Sick Bank at the time of hire by signing the Enrollment Contribution form or wait until the Open Enrollment period after the eligibility date for membership has past.
  • If an Enrollment Contribution form has been signed the Personnel Department will deduct one (1) accumulated sick leave day from the employee’s sick day accrual on the date they are eligible for membership.
  • It is the employee’s responsibility to notify the Personnel Department in writing if they decide not to participate in the Sick Bank and they signed an Enrollment Contribution form at the time of hire. This notification must be received prior to their enrollment eligibility date.
  • Once membership has been established Sick Bank members shall waive the right to reclaim days contributed.

Applications for new membership must be submitted during the open enrollment periods of September 1 through September 30 and March 1 through March 30 annually.

IV. ADMINISTRATION

  • The Sick Bank shall be administered by a Sick Bank Committee consisting of one (1) member of the UBUE and (1) member of the service employees group and two (2) administrators, all of whom will be appointed by the District Superintendent.
  • The District Superintendent will be responsible for establishing the nominating procedure and implementing it.
  • The UBUE member and service employee will be appointed from a list of nominees who have been recommended by the Sick Bank membership.
  • Each appointed committee member will serve a three (3) year term.
  • The District Superintendent shall appoint or reappoint committee members prior to November 1 the year in which appointments expire.
  • If, after appointment, any appointee becomes unable or unwilling to serve, the District Superintendent will appoint someone to serve out the remainder of the appointee's term.
  • The Assistant Superintendent for Administration will act as the Executive Director for the Sick Bank Committee. This administrator will compile all necessary paperwork, organize all meetings but will not have voting rights.
  • The Sick Bank Committee will act on requests made to the Sick Bank in a timely manner. In the event that a majority decision cannot be reached, a fifth neutral person, agreed on by the committee members will be called in to review the case and cast the deciding vote. Upon formation, the committee shall appoint an individual who shall act as a fifth and deciding vote.
  • The Sick Bank Committee is authorized to develop rules and regulations regarding its procedures provided they are in accordance with this policy and are approved by the District Superintendent.

V. REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION OF BENEFITS

  • The applicant must prove need to the Sick Bank Committee for extensive loss of time as a result of illness, accident, or recuperation. Maternity leave and any other Family Medical Leave situation will not qualify for benefits under this policy.
  • An application for Sick Bank benefits that is related to a Workers’ Compensation claim will be considered in the same manner as all other eligible cases, with the exception that any reimbursements for lost wages received by Ulster BOCES from Workers’ Compensation will first be used to restore the Sick Bank and the remainder, if any, will be credited to the employee.
  • A completed application form supported by a physician’s statement must be submitted to the Sick Bank Committee. The Committee, at its discretion, can require additional information from the applicant’s physician and/or request an independent medical examination conducted by or under the direction of the school physician. The decision of the Sick Bank Committee shall be final.
  • To be eligible to receive Sick Bank days the member’s accumulated sick leave days must be exhausted and a two (2) week deductible period must have been met. [The two (2) week deductible period is defined as ten (10) continuous workdays of absence due to illness, accident or recuperation, whether sick leave is paid or unpaid.]
  • The two (2) week deductible time period shall be applied to each illness that is submitted to the Sick Bank Committee for consideration.

VI. BENEFITS

The Sick Bank Committee shall grant a maximum number of Sick Bank days to members whose applications are approved and who meet the following criteria:

  • 1 - 3 continuous* years of employment – maximum 10 days per illness/accident/recuperation
  • 4 - 5 continuous* years of employment – maximum 20 days per illness/accident/recuperation
  • 6 -10 continuous* years of employment – maximum 30 days per illness/accident/recuperation
  • 11-15 continuous* years of employment – maximum 50 days per illness/accident/recuperation
  • 16 + continuous* years of employment – maximum 75 days per illness/accident/recuperation
  • Continuous employment shall be calculated from the employee’s date of hire through the date the Sick Bank Application form is received in the office of Executive Director of the Sick Bank. Unpaid Leave of Absence up to one (1) year will be counted as continuous employment.
  • There is no entitlement by members to the above schedule of benefits that exceed the actual days in the Sick Bank. The Sick Bank is null and void when the Sick Bank is depleted to twenty (20) days.

VII. CARRYOVER OF DAYS

All days that remain in the Sick Bank on September 30 shall be carried over into the following Sick Bank year up to a maximum of 2 ½ times the Sick Bank membership on that date.

VIII. RENEWAL OF DEPLETED SICK BANK

  • When the Sick Bank is depleted to twenty (20) days prior membership by all participants becomes null and void.One (1) unused sick day must be contributed by all employees who wish to remain members of the Sick Bank. If the Sick Bank has been exhausted no one will be eligible for benefits until it has been replenished by the participating membership.
  • Sick Bank members who are receiving benefits at the time the Bank is depleted shall remain eligible for their approved benefits as listed above or until the Sick Bank’s days are exhausted.In order to continue membership in the Sick Bank these employees must donate one (1) sick day upon receipt of the employee’s annual sick day allotment. A form authorizing this donation will be signed at the time the Sick Bank is being replenished by the Sick Bank membership.

IX. DONATION OF SICK DAYS

Members who are separating from their employment at Ulster BOCES or have reached the maximum sick leave accrual of 200 days, may donate their unused or excess sick leave days to the Sick Bank.A form must be completed authorizing this option.