El Paso County Hospitalpolicy: H-2-15

EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITALPOLICY: H-2-15

DISTRICT POLICYEFFECTIVE DATE: 04/03

LAST REVISION DATE: 067/1316

PERSONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE

POLICY

El Paso County Hospital District (EPCHD) Associates may request a temporary leave of absence (LOA) for personal reasons and/or educational purposes. Management Associates reserve the right to approve or deny Personal Leave based on operational demands and/or staffing needs.

RESPONSIBLE

Board of Managers

EPCHD Hospital Associates

Management Associates

Human Resources Department

Occupational Health

POLICY REFERENCES

H-1-0Announcement of Position Vacancy

H-1-5Associate Selection Process

H-2-19Merit Increase

H-2-27Paid Time Off

H-3-1Attendance

H-7-3Substance Abuse and Testing

H-1-3Associate Records

H-3-8 Associate Separation and Clearance Process

PROCEDURE

A.Requirements When Requesting a Personal Leave of Absence

1. Eligibility - Regular full-time (forty [40] hours a week) and part-time Associates (twenty [20] hours a week) who have worked for at least one (1) year are eligible to request a Personal Leave for personal reasons or educational purposes for a period not to exceed twelve (12) weeks.

2. Requested leave is for a period of more than seven (7) consecutive days

3. Leave is not intended to provide time off to fulfill another job’s responsibilities and will not be approved for that purpose.

4. Required Notices for Personal Leave request include the following:

1. Associates requesting Personal Leave are required to provide sufficient advance notification to their immediate management Associate in accordance with the Paid Time-Off Policy, H-2-27 and departmental policies and procedures.

1. When approached with a request for personal leave, the management Associate should refer the Associate to Occupational Health to review eligibility and complete the Acknowledgement/Request for Leave of Absence form.

1. The Associates will be required to indicate the reasons for the leave and expected duration of the leave. Documentation supporting the reasons for request maywill be required. Failure to provide sufficient information to explain the reasons for the leave may result in denial of the leave request.

1. Occupational Health will discuss the request with the management Associate, determine eligibility and obtain approval/denial of the leave.

1. Approval/Denial of leave

1. The management Associate has the discretion to approve or deny the request for leave based on operational demands, workload, staffing needs, or other business considerations.

1. The management Associate will indicate their decision on the request and advise the Associate and Occupational Health. A copy of the approval/denial will be provided to the Associate, and maintained in the Associate’s personnel file.

1. If the leave is not approved, the Associate will be expected to return to work as scheduled. Should the Associate fail to report to work, the Attendance Policy, H-3-1 guidelines apply.

1. Duration of Approved Personal Leave

1. The total time off under the Personal Leave policy may not exceed a total of twelve (12) weeks in any twelve (12) month rolling period. Leave exceeding this period may result in the Associate’s separation from employment.

1. The combination of all leave requests, including but not limited to personal, medical and/or FMLA may not exceed a total of twenty-four (24) weeks in any twelve (12) month rolling period. Leave exceeding this amount period may result in the Associate’s separation from employment.

1. Leave will only be granted for the period of time requested. An request to extend the time beyond the original request will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Approval is at the discretion of the mManagement Associate.

1. If an Associate gives unequivocal notice that he/she will not return to work, the hospital’s obligations under the Personal Leave policy cease. The Associate may be considered to have left without providing sufficient notice of separation and may not be eligible for rehire.

D.Job Status

1. The Associate does not have job protection while on Personal Leave, even after the leave has been approved.

1. Since there is no job guarantee while an Associate is out on a Personal Leave of Absence, the Associate’s position may be filled on a temporary or regular basis as per H-1-0, Announcement of Position Vacancy Policy, if the Department cannot otherwise function effectively.

1. An Associate on a Personal Leave is not eligible to apply for a transfer, unless the position held by the Associate was released for staffing and is not vacant when the Associate is scheduled to return to work. In cases where the Associate’s vacant position has been filled:

1. the Associate may apply for a transfer to any vacant position for which they meet the minimum qualifications in accordance with the H-1-5, Associate Selection Process policy,

1. the transfer request must be initiated within will be granted for two (2) weeks following the Associate’s notification of the Associate’s return to work or the expiration of the approved leave, whichever comes first.,

1. Associates who do not meet the minimum qualifications and/or are not selected for a vacant position will be separated from employment. Associates will remain eligible for rehire if they have no active or pending disciplinary action.

E.Associate Benefits While on Leave of Absence

1.Paid Time Off (PTO) - Associates are required to use any available Paid Time Off (PTO) during the leave of absence. PTO hours will be applied in an amount consistent with the Associate’s normally scheduled hours.

1. If the Associate does not have sufficient PTO to cover the entire time requested, PTO will be applied until all hours are exhausted and the remainder of the leave will be unpaid.

1. If the Associate does not have any PTO hours available, the leave will be unpaid.

1. PTO or Extended Illness (EIL) will not accrue while an Associate is on a leave or absence.

1. Health, dental, disability and life insurance benefits will be retained during the approved leave period and at the coverage levels elected by the Associate. provided the premium amounts are paid. EPCHD will pay the hospital’s portion of the benefit premium. However, the Associate will be required to continue to pay their own portion of the benefits premium on a timely basis.

1. Benefits Premiums

Premiums will continue to be deducted are due on a bi-weekly basis in line with the hospital’s payday. Failure to provide payment of the premium(s) may result in cancellation of coverage if payment is more than thirty (30) days late. HR-Benefits Team will provide the Associate a fifteen (15) day written notice prior to cancellation of benefits.

1. Paid leave - If the Associate has PTO hours available, the leave is considered paid and the premium payment will be deducted from their pay.

1. Unpaid leave - When the PTO hours have been exhausted, the Associate may continue benefits coverage by making arrangements with HR to pay the premium contributions on an after tax basis the payroll system will track missed payments and automatically deduct the outstanding premiums when the Associate returns to work. The missed payments will be deducted until all premiums in arrears have been paid. .

c.Upon return from Personal Leave, the Associate will be responsible for the repayment of any amount in arrears. Premium contributions paid by the hospital may be recovered if the Associate chooses not to return from leave; or the Associate returns back to work for less than thirty (30) calendar days and then separates from their employment.

*NOTE: Failure to repay any amount in arrears will cause the Associate to be placed in a no rehire status.

1. Retirement Benefits:

a. Participation under TCDRS will continue for eligible Associates while on a paid Personal Leave. However, any full month of unpaid Personal Leave will not be treated as credited service for that month.

b. While under paid Personal Leave, voluntary contributions to 403(b) and/or governmental 457(b) plans will continue unless Associate initiates a stoppage in their contribution.

c. Associates under an unpaid Personal Leave will not have voluntary contributions made to 403(b) and/or governmental 457(b) plans or TCDRS.

F.Wages and Performance Evaluations

1. Associates are entitled to any unconditional pay increases, which may have occurred during the Personal Leave period such as across the board market wage adjustments.

2.Merit reviews that fall during an approved Personal Leave will be determined as per policy and procedure H-2-19, Merit Increase.

G.Return from Leave of Absence

1. Associates are required to confirm their intent to return to work with their management Associate one week prior to their anticipated return to work date and make arrangements to be placed on the schedule.

1. Associate must clear through Occupational Health prior to reporting to work.

1. Associates that have been on leave status for a period exceeding 12 weeks will be required to submit to a substance abuse test prior to returning to work as per H-7-3, Substance Abuse and Testing policy.

1. Occupational Health will give the Associate the Return To Work form and the Personnel Action form (PAF) to take to their management Associate when they have been cleared.

1. Upon receipt of the Return to Work form, the Management Associate will complete the PAF indicating the actual date of return and submit it to Human Resources to update the HRIS system. Failure to submit the PAF to HR may result in the Associate not being classified correctly thereby affecting their pay.

1. Associates that fail to report to work as scheduled at the end of the approved leave period will be considered to have voluntarily resigned from their position. The effective date of termination will be the day following the expiration date of approved leave period. The Associate will be classified as not eligible for rehire.

1. Abuse of personal leave privileges will be reason for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. EPCHD reserves the right to deny restoration if leave was obtained fraudulently.

1. Record Retention

Records pertaining to Personal Leaves and other authorized time off will be maintained in accordance with policy H-1-3, Associate Records.

FORMS

Acknowledgement/Request for Leave of Absence 100-035-06 (Rev. 03/1204/15)

Response to Associate Request for Medical or Personal Leave 951-049-10 (Rev. 03/1204/15)

Associate Return To Work Form 951-012-08 (Rev. 04/13)

Personnel Action Form 100-021-02 (Rev. 12/02)

El Paso County Hospital District
Policy and Procedure Committee
Chairperson / Date
President and Chief Executive Officer / Date

Board of Managers Chairperson

/ Date

Review/Revision History:

P&P
Committee / Legal Review / Board of Managers
04/03 / 02/03 / 05/06
04/06 / 04/06 / 04/10
02/10 / 01/10 / 06/13
05/13 / 05/13
6/16
P&P
Committee / Legal Review / Administrative Team / Board of Managers
04/03 / 02/03 / 06/16 / 05/06
04/06 / 04/06 / 04/10
02/10 / 01/10 / 06/13
05/13 / 05/13 / 07/16
06/16 / 06/16

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