A Closer Look at Leaves

If you are sick, injured, or need to visit a doctor… use your SICK LEAVE.
If a family member is ill or passes away… use your NON-DISCRETIONARY PERSONAL LEAVE.
If you want to do something fun… use your DISCRETIONARY PERSONAL LEAVE.
If you get called for jury duty… use your JURY DUTY AND SUBPOENA LEAVE.
If you want to take off a year for school, childcare, or medical reasons… request a LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
If you want to take an unpaid day… request an unpaid SHORT-TERM PERSONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
How to take leave…
Questions? Check out Part IV of the SVEA CBA or contact your SVEA building representative.
- Full time employees start each school year with 12 days (96 hours) of paid sick leave. Unlike other leaves, one sick leave day equals 8 hours.
- Sick leave accumulates from year to year up to 180 days. Sick leave is NOT “use it or lose it.”
- In a year, up to 3 days of sick leave may be used for personal emergencies if approved.
- After 5 consecutive days or if improper use is suspected, a doctor’s note may be requested.
- Find out more in Article 26 of the SVEA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
If a family member is ill or passes away… use your NON-DISCRETIONARY PERSONAL LEAVE.
- A combined total of 5 days (37.5 hours) of non-discretionary (bereavement & family illness) personal leave are available each school year.
- Non-discretionary personal leave does not carry over or accumulate from year to year.
- Bereavement: Up to 5 days of non-discretionary personal leave will be granted for the death of a family member. Up to 3 days of leave is available for the death of a close personal friend.
- Family Illness: Up to 4 days of non-discretionary personal leave can be used to care for an ill family member. After this leave is exhausted, sick leave may be used to care for a sick child.
- For the purposes of non-discretionary personal leave, family is defined as: father, mother, parent-substitute, brother, sister, spouse, children, anyone permanently living at the employee’s residence and considered part of the family, parent of spouse, or grandparents.
- Find out more in Section 28.1 of the SVEA CBA.
If you want to do something fun… use your DISCRETIONARY PERSONAL LEAVE.
- SVEA members receive 2 days (15 hours) of discretionary personal leave (DPL) days each year.
- Unused DPL days accumulate up to 6 days (45 hours) or may be cashed out in full-day increments at the substitute rate of pay. Any DPL in excess of 6 days (45 hours) will be automatically cashed out at the substitute rate of pay.
- DPL: (1) is not available the first or last 5 days of instruction, (2) must be requested at least 48 hours in advance, (3) is limited to 10% of a building’s staff (except TRS), (4) is limited to no more than 3 consecutive days, (5) must be requested a month in advance if requesting 3 consecutive days, (6) is limited to 6 employees district-wide on days immediately before/after a holiday, vacation period, or optional non-student day (more information at: svsd410.org/Page/6126).
- Exceptions to DPL rules may be appealed to the Superintendent. These may grant these appeals in cases of unforeseen or once-in-a-lifetime events.
- Find out more in Section 28.2 of the SVEA CBA.
If you get called for jury duty… use your JURY DUTY AND SUBPOENA LEAVE.
- Leaves with pay will be granted for jury duty. Inform the district when notification of jury duty is received.
- Find out more in Article 29 of the SVEA CBA.
If you want to take off a year for school, childcare, or medical reasons… request a LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
- Leaves of absence must be requested by February 1.
- Find out more in Article 30 of the SVEA CBA.
If you want to take an unpaid day… request an unpaid SHORT-TERM PERSONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
- Employees are contracted to work 185 mandatory days as shown on the SVEA Staff Work Calendar. An absence on any of these days requires approval - even when unpaid. Learn more in Section 30.10 of the CBA.
How to take leave…
- Use Skyward to enter Sick, Non-Discretionary Personal, Discretionary Personal, and Judicial Leaves.
- If an appointment or jury service is canceled, you must zero out your leave in Skyward, cancel any substitute request, and report for work.
- Sick Leave: Just enter a brief description such as: “Sick” or “Dental Appointment.” 1 day = 8 hours.
- Non-Discretionary Personal Leave: An eligible relationship must be entered in the description. For example, enter: “Sick Child” or “Grandmother Passed Away.” 1 day = 7.5 hours.
- Discretionary Personal Leave: Just enter “Personal Leave” in the description. Detail is not required. 1 day = 7.5 hours. Check the calendar at svsd410.org/Page/6126 before requesting DPL.
- If a substitute is required, use Frontline Absence Management to request a sub.
Questions? Check out Part IV of the SVEA CBA or contact your SVEA building representative.