Sick Leave
You may request sick leave only for the necessary absence from duty because of personal or family illness, including pregnancy and recovery, injury, health care provider appointments or legal quarantine.
Similar to vacation leave, you cannot take sick leave until after it has been accrued. Excessive use of sick leave may result in disciplinary action.
The amount of sick leave provided to you by the University is based on several factors including the amount of time you work during a pay period, your employment type (i.e. University Support Staff, Unclassified Professional Staff, etc.), and whether you are considered exempt (salaried) or non-exempt (hourly).
Eligibility
All employees in regular positions are eligible to accrue and request sick leave. You are able to earn sick leave at the end of your first pay period of employment.
Requesting Sick Leave
You need to immediately notify your supervisor if you plan on taking sick leave. Sometimes, your supervisor may require you to submit a medical documentation from a health care provider to substantiate the need for sick leave. Medical documentation may also be required to substantiate the leave pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Accruals and Payouts
Sick leave is accrued each pay period. The amount you accrue is based on whether you are:
- A University Support Staff member or an unclassified employee (i.e. Unclassified Professional Staff, Unclassified Academic Staff, Faculty Member), or
- Considered exempt (salaried), or non-exempt (hourly) as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Accrual rate details for University Support Staff (USS), and Unclassified Professional Staff, Fiscal Year Unclassified Academic Staff, and Faculty are provided in the drop-down sections below. For hourly employees, accruals are based on paid hours whether working or taking a paid absence or holiday. For salaried employees, accruals are based on the Appointment FTE in effect at the end of the payroll period.
University Support Staff (USS)
Non-Exempt (Hourly)
If you are a non-exempt USS employee, you accrue sick time based on the number of hours you have worked during a pay period as outlined in the table below.
| Number of Paid Hours Worked During a Pay Period | Number of Sick Hours Earned per Pay Period |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 hours | 0.0 |
| 8 to 15 hours | 0.4 |
| 16 to 23 hours | 0.8 |
| 24 to 31 hours | 1.2 |
| 32 to 39 hours | 1.6 |
| 40 to 47 hours | 2.0 |
| 48 to 55 hours | 2.4 |
| 56 to 63 hours | 2.8 |
| 64 to 71 hours | 3.2 |
| 72 to 79 hours | 3.6 |
| 80 or more hours | 3.7 |
Exempt (Salaried)
If you are an exempt USS employee, you accrue sick time based on the number of hours you have worked during a pay period as outlined in the table below.
| Number of Paid Hours Worked During a Pay Period | Number of Sick Hours Earned per Pay Period |
|---|---|
| 0 hours | 0.0 |
| More than 0 hours | 3.7 |
Unclassified Professional Staff (UPS)
Unclassified Academic Staff, and Faculty Non Exempt (Hourly)
If you are a non-exempt unclassified employee, you accrue sick time based on the number of hours you have worked during a pay period as outlined in the table below.
| Number of Paid Hours Worked During a Pay Period | Number of Sick Hours Earned per Pay Period |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 hours | 0.0 |
| 8 to 15 hours | 0.4 |
| 16 to 23 hours | 0.8 |
| 24 to 31 hours | 1.2 |
| 32 to 39 hours | 1.6 |
| 40 to 47 hours | 2.0 |
| 48 to 55 hours | 2.4 |
| 56 to 63 hours | 2.8 |
| 64 to 71 hours | 3.2 |
| 72 to 79 hours | 3.6 |
| 80 or more hours | 3.7 |
Exempt (Salaried) and Academic Year Faculty and Academic Staff
If you are an exempt unclassified employee, academic year faculty, or academic staff member, the number of sick leave hours you earn each pay period is based on your FTE appointment as outlined in the chart below.
| Appointment FTE | Number of Sick Leave Hours Earned per Pay Period |
|---|---|
| Less than 0.25 | 0.9 |
| 0.25 to 0.49 | 1.9 |
| 0.50 to 0.74 | 2.8 |
| 0.75 to 1.00 | 3.7 |
Sick Leave Payout (All Eligible Employees)
Employees Not Eligible for Retirement
If you leave the University and you are not eligible for retirement, your sick leave hours will be forfeited. Those forfeited hours can be reinstated if you return to a State of Kansas regular position within one year.
Employees Eligible for Retirement
If you leave the University with a sick leave balance of 800 hours or more, and you retire or are eligible for retirement, you will be paid for a portion of the hours accrued as follows:
| Number of Years You Have Worked for the State of Kansas | Minimum Balance Sick Leave Hours (Days display based on 8 hour workday) | Hours Paid When You Are Eligible to Retire (Days displayed based on 8 hour workday) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 or more years | 800 (100 Days) | 240 (30 Days) |
| 15 or more years | 1,000 (125 Days) | 360 (45 Days) |
| 25 or more years | 1,200 (150 Days) | 480 (60 Days) |
If you retire, any sick leave hours not paid out are forfeited, including any sick leave balances for retiring employees who are not eligible for a sick leave retirement payout. Unused sick leave balances are not reinstated if a retiree is rehired.
The sick leave hours will be paid in a lump sum on a separate pay check which is generally paid at that the same time as your last regular paycheck.
1. Employee has less than 800 sick leave hours; no sick leave payment is made.
2. Employee has 27 years of state service and 600 hours; no sick leave payment is made.
3. Employee has 15 years of state service and 900 sick leave hours; sick leave payment for 240 hours is made.
4. Employee has 20 years of state service and 2000 sick leave hours; sick leave payment for 360 hours is made.
Reviewing Your Sick Leave Balance
To view your sick leave balance, simply log in to HR/Pay and follow the steps below:
- Click on "Self Service"
- Click on "Benefits"
- Click on "Benefit Information"
- Click on "Absence Balances"
HR/Pay self service will display your active sick leave balance as of the end of the last pay period. You can also view your balance for vacation leave, discretionary day, holiday comp time, etc. Leave balances are also displayed on your paycheck, which you can electronically download and view as a PDF from HR/Pay self service.
Additional Information
You can learn more about vacation leave accruals, payouts, and conditions by reviewing the Sick Leave Policy.