Sick Leave Bank

MEMO TO:  ALL EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED BY ACE-AFSCME Local 2250

FROM: RICHARD PUTNEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and TERRY HOUSTON, ADMINISTRATIVE ASS’T, SICK LEAVE BANK COMMITTEE

SUBJECT: OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR ACE-AFSCME SICK LEAVE BANK, JULY 1 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2006

DATE: SEPTEMBER 6, 2006

OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR ACE-AFSCME SICK LEAVE BANK

JULY 1, 2006 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2007

SHOULD YOU JOIN THE SICK LEAVE BANK?

1 Q:  Why should I join the sick leave bank? 

A. The Sick Leave Bank will pay you your full salary for up to one full year while you are recovering from an illness. (10 months for 10-month employees & 12 months for 12-month employees). 

 2. Q.  Will the Sick Leave Bank pay my full salary?

A.  The Sick Leave Bank will pay you your full salary for the first 60 days that you

have been approved to use the Bank.  Starting with the 61^st day, the Bank will

pay you 80% of your salary, for example, instead of receiving 10 days of pay,

you would receive 8 days of pay.

3.  Q.  What do I need to do to join the Sick Leave Bank?

A.  You need to complete the Sick Leave Donation Form and donate 2-1/2 days

 of sick leave.  As long as you are a member of the Sick Leave Bank,  you must continue to donate 2-1/2 days of sick leave each school year.

4. Q.  If I join today, can I use the Bank right away?

A.   Not right away.  There is a 90 calendar day, 60 working day waiting period. After you finish the waiting period, you would be eligible to use the Bank.

5. Q.   What if I do not have enough leave to cover the 90 calendar day waiting period?

A. If you do not have enough sick, personal or annual leave to cover you for the 90 calendar day waiting period, you will be placed in a leave without pay status.  However, you may apply for Family Medical Leave through Human Resources in order to maintain your benefits.  The Union can help you apply. The Union also offers a short-term disability plan through Select Benefits that works with the Sick Leave Bank to pay you benefits from your 7^th day of illness until you are eligible for the Sick Leave Bank.

6. Q.   Do I have to use all of my available leave before I can use the bank?

A. Yes.  Whether you have 40 hours or 2,400 hours of accumulated leave, you must use all available leave before applying to use the bank.  However, if you have more than 60 days of leave (90 calendar days) when you exhaust all your leave, you do not have to wait another 90 calendar days.  You are eligible to use the bank immediately.

7.Q.  What if I was injured on the job?  Can I still apply for the Sick Leave Bank?

A.   The School Board offers the employees a 90-day disability leave for worker’s compensation injuries.  You would go through the normal procedures if you are injured on the job—turn in the Initial Report of Injury, Attending Physician Report, and have your payroll person send in a report to Payroll every 2 weeks.  Any sick leave you use will be reimbursed to you up to 90 days.  If you have no leave and your claim is approved by worker’s compensation, you will be paid.  After the 90 days are up and you still cannot go back to work, you can then apply to go on the Sick Leave Bank for the remainder of your one year period

 8. Q.  Do I need a doctor’s certificate to go on the sick leave bank?  How do I get approved for the bank?                 

A.  Yes, you will need to take a form from the union office to your doctor, have the doctor fill it out stating why you cannot work, when he/she expects that you will be able to return, and you must get your supervisor to sign the form.  Once that is done, you turn in your form to the union office.  The Sick Leave Bank Committee consists of three members and Terry Houston, a staff person.  They meet every 3 weeks to review these forms to determine if you are eligible to use the bank.  Once they determine you are eligible or not, they send the forms to the Board of Education to see if they agree with their decision.  If the Board of Education agrees that you qualify, Ms. Houston will notify you that you are eligible and when you should expect your 1^st check.

9. Q.  Is that all I need to do?

A.  Every 30 days, you will need to follow the same procedure in the answer to    Question #6 except that your supervisor does not need to sign again. Our staff person will send you a new form each month. 

10. Q.  What if my doctor says I can never drive again or work in the kitchen, etc.?

  A.  If the doctor puts on the sick bank form that you can never return to work, the   sick leave bank will recommend to the Board of Education that you retire, and if they also say you need to retire, Ms. Houston will send you a letter asking you to apply to the Maryland State Retirement System.  The Union Office will help you do this.  As long as you have put in your application to retire, you will not be cut off from receiving sick bank benefits until your retirement is final.

11.  Q.  What is the most important feature of the Sick Leave Bank?

  A.  Job security.  The Board of Education cannot replace you from your current  position while you are on the sick leave bank.  When you are ready to come back, whether you work in the garage, at a bus lot, in a school, or at Central Office, your job will be waiting for you.  Where else do you know that will happen!  The only exception is if you are a secretary II in a school.  The Union has agreed that a permanent employee may sit in your spot temporarily while you are gone to assist the Principal, however when you are ready to come back, that person will be transferred elsewhere. Benefits - your insurance benefits will continue (life, medical and prescription)

Please call our office at 301-809-0472 with any questions you have regarding the Sick Leave Bank.  Do not accept information from co-workers. It may be incorrect, and you may lose benefits.