INDIANA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Unauthorized Leave

Policy O-20
 
Policy:  Each employee has the responsibility to ensure that he/she has sufficient accrued leave to cover absences from work.  When an employee is absent from work and does not have sufficient accrued leave to cover the absence, or when an employee fails to follow prescribed procedures for obtaining approval to use accrued leave, the employee may be assessed unauthorized leave and lost time.  Unauthorized leave may be cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.  

Proper notice shall consist of a verbal request from the employee for a specific type of leave no later than fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of the shift for sick and personal leave.  Extenuating circumstances occurring en-route to work such as flat tires, accidents, etc. may be authorized as leave by the supervisor. Vacation leave and compensatory leave for appropriate staff must be requested and approved by the supervisor or his/her designee, 48 hours in advance using a request for leave slip.  Vacation leave may not be used in lieu of sick leave. For employees in multi-shift operations, notice shall be required not less than one (1) hour prior to the start of the shift.  The call in must be made by the employee unless the employee is incapacitated.

        Absences may be recorded as Unauthorized Leave in circumstances including, but not limited to, the following:

 

  1. Failure to obtain prior approval for absence from duty.
  2. Failure to provide proper notification of absence.
  3. Arrival to duty after the start of the scheduled work shift.
  4. Unscheduled absence without appropriate requested leave time on the books.
  5. Employee previously requested the day off and had been denied and subsequently calls in for the same day.
  6. Failure to provide requested/required documentation.
  7. Employee failed to call in or show up for duty.
  8. Unscheduled absences immediately before, after, or on a State holiday and any other holiday or any other time in which the ISBVI has demonstrated staffing issues.  No unscheduled absences on these days will be authorized without proper documentation of an illness or emergency that would make it impossible for the employee to report for duty.

    
Procedures and Responsibilities:  If an employee commits a violation of the provisions of this policy, the employee’s supervisor shall report the absence as unauthorized leave.  Unauthorized leave instances shall subject the employee to the following disciplinary actions:


1.    Unauthorized Leave
First Instance……………….. Fact File
Second Instance…………….. .Letter of Counseling  
Third Instance………………..Written Reprimand
Fourth Instance………………Written Reprimand in lieu of a one day
suspension*
Fifth Instance………………...Written Reprimand in lieu of three day
suspension*
Sixth Instance………………...Five day suspension
Seventh Instance……………. .Dismissal recommended

*or a suspension for the appropriate amount of days

NOTE:  Absence from duty, without approval for a period of five (5) consecutive working days is sufficient cause for dismissal.

Employees receiving consecutive unauthorized leave instances may subject themselves to that level of progressive discipline as outlined above.  Each Unauthorized Leave instance will be considered as one incident.  For example, an employee failed to comply with call-in procedure on four consecutive days and receives four unauthorized leave instances.  This employee is subjected to a pre-deprivation meeting and is subject to a written reprimand in lieu of a one (1) day suspension.

Prior disciplinary actions may be considered in determining the appropriate level of discipline for the above infractions.

All reprimands in lieu of suspension, suspensions, and dismissals against employees with status require a pre-deprivation meeting prior to taking any action.

Supervisors shall record all instances of unauthorized leave in the employee’s fact file and on the A-4 Attendance Record.  The Employee Fact File form may be used within the fact file for this purpose.

Exceptions to the requirement that sufficient leave be accrued to cover absences are FMLA, military leave, disability leave, worker’s compensation leave, jury/witness duty, and funeral leave.
Notwithstanding the exceptions listed above, unpaid authorized leave will not be granted when an employee has the appropriate accrued leave available.

The immediate supervisor shall periodically review each staff person’s attendance record for appropriate use of time.

Supervisors shall report lost time occurrences as unauthorized leave unless the employee is covered by the Family Medical Leave Act.


 

Immediate supervisors are responsible for ensuring that leave is requested in accordance with prescribed procedures, that unauthorized leave/lost time is assessed where appropriate, and that any needed progressive discipline or work improvement plan is initiated in a timely manner.  An immediate supervisor must consult his/her supervisor prior to initiating disciplinary action.

This policy/procedure shall be applicable to all staff within the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Effective: January 24, 2005      Revised: 03/21/05, 1/23/06, 8/5/11

 

 

ISBVI Policy O-20

 

Reviewed and Approved:  1/11/10

 

ISBVI Superintendent:  ______________________________          ____________

                                                                                                                        Date

 

ISBVI Board Chair:       ______________________________          ____________

                                                                                                                        Date