Policies & Forms

Northwestern University’s policy on incidental and extended sick time effective September 1, 2012, follows below.  These policy sections replace the former policies on “Paid Sick Time,” found on pages 25 and 26, and the “Supplemental Disability Policy,” found near the bottom of page 27 of the Staff Handbook.

Incidental Sick Time (IST) and Extended Sick Time (EST)

Northwestern University provides paid time off as a form of income protection for staff unable to work because of illness or injury. The sick time policy has two main components:

• Incidental Sick Time, for all exempt and non-exempt staff, consists of 18 days which are immediately available September 1, 2012.  Pursuant to the terms of this policy, these days are for use during a personal illness or the illness of a qualifying family member who requires direct care by the employee.  Qualifying family members are defined as a spouse, civil union partner, child, stepchild, child of a civil union or domestic partner, parent, stepparent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling and those bearing the same relationship to the staff member’s spouse or domestic partner.

The Incidental Sick Time allocation:

• is replenished at the start of each fiscal year (September 1) with no ‘carry over’ or banking of sick time from one year to the next.
• will be 15 days, effective September 1, 2013; the allocation effective September 1, 2014 and all years thereafter will be 12 days. 

Incidental sick days used for a personal health issue cannot be used in a sequence longer than seven calendar days (five business days).  At the end of seven calendar days, staff with a personal health issue must contact The Hartford for approval of the extended absence.  In the event that the staff member is not yet eligible for Extended Sick Time, they may use their full allotment of incidental sick days for approved sick time absences.   

• Extended Sick Time provides 100 percent of a staff member’s hourly rate or monthly salary for an approved extended illness or injury for up to 26 weeks after a seven-calendar day elimination period has been met.  For additional information, visit http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/disability-plans/Extended-Sick-Time.html.  Any additional compensation such as overtime pay, bonus, on-call pay, incentive pay, or additional pay is excluded.  Extended Sick Time is provided at no cost to employees and is available after a staff member has been employed in a benefits-eligible staff position for six months. 

If the injury or illness extends beyond 26 weeks, the staff member may apply for long-term disability benefits.  For additional information on any of these programs, visit http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/.  Eligible staff members who are away from work for more than seven calendar days (five business days) should apply for a Family Medical Leave Act absence (FMLA). This process, if approved, ensures a staff member’s position is held for up to 12 weeks.  For additional information, visit http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/leave-of-absence/index.html.

Incidental Sick Time Accrual

Staff are granted incidental sick time on September 1 of each fiscal year (September 1 to August 31).  New staff members hired on or after September 1 are granted incidental sick time as follows:

Fiscal Year (September 1 to August 31)	Current Staff	New Hires September 1 to November 30	New Hires December 1 to February 29	New Hires March 1 to May 31	New Hires June 1 to August 31
2012 – 2013	18 days	18 days	12 days	6 days	3 days
2013 – 2014	15 days	15 days	10 days	5 days	2 days
2014 – 2015	12 days	12 days	8 days	4 days	1 day

Incidental sick time will be granted on each subsequent September 1 following the date of hire.  If a staff member is not in paid status on September 1, the sick time will be refreshed upon return to paid status, and prorated accordingly. 

Part-time staff receive the percentage of incidental sick time and extended sick time proportionate to the percentage of full-time that they are scheduled to work.

Hire Date

The hire date is the staff member’s first day of work as a benefits-eligible employee. 

Incidental Sick Days Granted Upon Hire

Staff receive sick time on their hire date according to the chart above.

Using Incidental Sick Time

Incidental sick days used for a personal health issue cannot be used in a sequence longer than seven calendar days (five business days). At the end of seven calendar days (five business days), staff with a personal health issue must contact The Hartford for approval of the extended absence.   

Northwestern University may require satisfactory evidence for any paid incidental sick time. Visits to licensed/certified caregivers for treatment or checkups qualify for use of paid incidental sick time, and must be scheduled at a time least disruptive to department operations and require advance supervisory approval.  Incidental sick time for exempt staff is to be used in one-half or whole day increments and reported in the University-approved time entry system as sick time is used.

Absence due to an injury on the job or occupational disease is not charged to incidental or extended sick time, but instead is paid as Workers’ Compensation. For additional information, visit http://www.northwestern.edu/risk/workers-compensation

Unauthorized or misuse of sick time is a basis for denial of sick time being approved by a manager or supervisor, for the denial of sick time pay, and grounds for corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.

Incidental sick time that is unused at the end of the fiscal year (August 31) is forfeited. 

For non-exempt staff, any unused sick days as of August 31, 2012, will be frozen and paid out upon retirement based on the current policy (not to exceed $3,000). The frozen sick bank hours are maintained as long as the staff member remains in a non-exempt position. Hours for the retirement payout will be listed on Kronos under the accrual balances.        

Transfer and Separation

When a staff member transfers to another staff position at Northwestern University, the staff member and supervisor should ensure that the University-approved time entry system is up to date and accruals are approved by the supervisor. Staff who transfer from one department/unit to another retain their sick time accruals.

When a staff member’s primary role is changed from staff to faculty, sick time will not be paid out upon transfer to the faculty status. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook for more information about medical leaves.  

On separation from the University, the staff member will not be paid for accrued and unused sick time.