FUNERAL LEAVE:

Full-time employees will be granted two full days off with pay, upon the death of parents, siblings, children or spouses. Time off for bereavement of other relatives may be taken as personal, vacation time, or without pay.

Part-time employees are not eligible for funeral leave, however, time may be taken as personal, vacation time, or without pay.

NOTE: All paid earned leave must be used before time off without pay is granted.


JURY DUTY:

All employees will be granted leave with pay if called to perform jury duty on a regularly scheduled workday. Employees serving on juries will be paid their regular Library pay.


MILITARY RESERVE DUTY:

All employees will be granted leave with pay if called to perform military reserve duty. Employees on military reserve duty will be paid their regular Library pay, less the amount received by serving as a reservist. If the reserve duty fee exceeds the employees regular pay, the employee will be able to keep the difference.


OTHER LEAVES OF ABSENCE:

A leave of absence without pay may be granted by the Library Director. An employee wishing to have leave should apply, in writing, to the Library Director. Extended leaves (one week or more) will need to have the approval of the Board of Trustees, who will follow the guidelines of the Family Medical Leave Act. Leaves must be requested well in advance. The Library Board does not assume any financial responsibility for the employee during an extended leave of absence without pay; however, the employee may retain group insurance at his/her own expense.

Note: Vacation or personal time cannot be used for Saturday or Sunday hours. If vacation/personal time has been requested and approved, Saturday and Sunday hours will not be scheduled.


VICTIM’S ECONOMIC SECURITY AND SAFETY ACT

Statement of Policy

Eligible employees may use unpaid victim’s economic and security and safety leave for up to 12 weeks per 12-month period for any one or more of the following reasons:

  1. Seeking medical attention for, or recovering from, physical or psychological injuries caused by domestic or sexual violence to the employee or the employee’s family or household member; or
  2. Obtaining services from a victim services organization for the employee or the employee’s family or household member; or
  3. Obtaining psychological or other counseling for the employee or the employee’s family or household member; or
  4. Participating in safety planning, temporarily or permanently relocation, or taking other actions to increase the safety of the employee or the employee’s family or household member from future domestic or sexual violence or ensuring economic security; or
  5. Seeking legal assistance or remedies to ensure the health and safety of the employee or the employee’s family or household member, including preparing for or participation in any civil or criminal legal proceeding related to or derived from domestic or sexual violence.

Definitions

  1. “12-Month Period”- means a rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date leave is taken and continuous with each additional leave day taken.
  2. Family or Household Member”- means a spouse, parent, son, daughter, and persons jointly residing in the same household:
  3. “Parent”- means the biological parent of an employee or an individual who stood in loco parentis to an employee when the employee was a child.
  4. “Son or Daughter”- means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is under 18 years of age, or is 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.
  5. “Domestic or Sexual Violence”- means domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Coverage and Eligibility

Both full and part-time employees are eligible to apply for this leave.


Intermittent or Reduced Leave

An employee may take leave intermittently (a few days or a few hours at a time) or on a reduced leave schedule.


Substitution of Paid Time Off/Family Medical Leave

An employee is required to give 48 hours notice to the Library in the event of a foreseeable leave. In unexpected or unforeseeable situations, an employee should provide as much notice as is practicable, usually verbal notice within one or two business days of when the need for leave becomes known.


Certification

  1. For leaves taken pursuant to this policy, the employee may be required to submit a certification demonstrating the need for the leave. The certification must be provided by the employee as soon as reasonably possible, but in most cases, within 15 days after requested.
  2. The certification requirement may be satisfied by the submission of a sworn statement from the employee and one of the following:
    • Documentation from a victim services organization, attorney, clergy, or medical or other professional from whom the employee or the family/household member has sought assistance from in addressing domestic or sexual violence and/or its effects;
    • A police or court record; or
    • Other corroborating evidence.
  3. All documentation related to the employee’s need for the leave pursuant to this policy will be held in strict confidence and will only be disclosed as required/permitted by law.

Effect on Benefits

During an approved VESSA leave, the Library will maintain your health benefits, as if you continued to be actively employed. If paid leave is substituted for unpaid VESSA leave, the Library will deduct your portion of the health plan premium as a regular payroll deduction. If your leave is unpaid, you must pay your portion of the premium during the leave. Your group health care coverage may cease if your premium payment is more than 30 days late. If you do not return to work at the end of the leave period, you may be required to reimburse the Library for the cost of the premiums paid by the Library for maintaining coverage during your unpaid leave, unless you cannot return to work because of the continuation, recurrence, or onset of domestic or sexual violence or their circumstances beyond your control.


Job Protection

If you wish to return to work at the expiration of your leave, you are entitled to return to the same position or to an equivalent position with equal pay, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment. If you take leave because of your own medical condition, you are required to provide medical certification that you are fit to resume work. Employees failing to provide the medical certification will not be permitted dot resume work until it is provided.


Reasonable Accommodations

The Library supports the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act and will attempt to provide reasonable accommodations for people who are entitled to protection under this Act, unless such accommodations would present an undue hardship for the Library.


Reasonable accommodation applies to applicants and employees and may include adjustment to a job structure, workplace facility, or work requirement, transfer, reassignment, or modified schedule, leave, a changed telephone number or seating assignment, installation of a lock, or implementation of a safety procedure in response to actual or threatened domestic or sexual violence.


A qualified individual is an individual who, but for being a victim of domestic or sexual violence or with a family or household member who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires.


Should you wish to request a reasonable accommodation pursuant to this policy, you should contact the Library Director.



Adopted: September 28, 2017