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POLICY STATEMENT 12
EMPLOYEE LEAVE
POLICY DIGEST
Monitoring Unit: Human Resource Management
Initially Issued: November 8, 2004
Last Revised: April 25, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2
II.
DEFINITIONS .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
III.
GENERAL POLICY ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
IV.
ANNUAL LEAVE .............................................................................................................................................................. 4
V.
SICK LEAVE .................................................................................................................................................................. 11
VI.
CIVIL LEAVE ................................................................................................................................................................. 19
VII.
PARENTAL LEAVE ....................................................................................................................................................... 20
VIII.
COMPENSATORY TIME .............................................................................................................................................. 22
IX.
HOLIDAYS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23
X.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY ......................................................................................................................... 24
XI.
MILITARY LEAVE .......................................................................................................................................................... 26
XII.
SPECIAL LEAVE ........................................................................................................................................................... 27
XIII.
WORKER'S COMPENSATION PAYMENT ................................................................................................................... 28
XIV.
SABBATICAL LEAVE .................................................................................................................................................... 28
XV.
LEAVE TO OBTAIN AN ADVANCED DEGREE ............................................................................................................ 28
XVI.
EDUCATIONAL PRIVILEGES FOR OTHER ACADEMIC, UNCLASSIFIED AND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES ............ 28
XVII.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE (FMLA) ..................................................................................................................... 29
XVIII.
CRISIS LEAVE PROGRAM .......................................................................................................................................... 31
XIX.
FUNERAL LEAVE ......................................................................................................................................................... 35
XX.
SOURCES ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35
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I. PURPOSE
To define the various leaves of absence policies and procedures in order that the granting of leave
and the maintenance of records may be accomplished in accordance with University, Civil Service
regulations, Executive Orders and Louisiana Revised Statutes.
For the purposes of this policy, “University” will indicate the collective of all LSU campuses across
the state. References to Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (Flagship
campus in Baton Rouge) will be clearly indicated throughout the document.
II. DEFINITIONS
Academic Employees
Faculty
– Members of the academic staff with the rank of Instructor or above and
equivalent ranks. For the purposes of leave accrual and use for full-time faculty, the work
day is deemed to be eight hours and the work week is deemed to be 40 hours.
Other Academic Employees
– Members of the academic staff below the rank of
Instructor or equivalent and other personnel with academic responsibilities not holding
faculty rank (See Article II. Sec. 1. A.1. b. of the Regulations of the Board of
Supervisors).
Annual Leave
– Leave with pay granted to an employee for the purpose of
rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance of work efficiency, Family and Medical
Leave (FMLA), or transaction of personal affairs.
Civil Leave
– Leave with pay without loss of annual or sick leave granted an employee
to perform jury duty; to appear as a subpoenaed witness before a court, public body, or
commission; to perform civil duties in connection with national defense or other civil
emergencies; or to vote.
Classified Employees
– All employees covered by the provisions of the Civil Service System
of the State of Louisiana. A full-time classified employee is a classified employee who works
a standard work week of 40 hours.
Compensatory Leave
– Leave granted to eligible employees in lieu of cash compensation for
overtime work or hours worked on a holiday or other day when the University or applicable
component of the University is closed.
Crisis Leave
– Leave granted to eligible employees who have experienced a catastrophic
illness or injury to themselves or an eligible family member.
Emergency Leave
– Leave with pay granted to employees who have been affected by
extraordinary conditions, as designated by the President, at the time of emergency.
FMLA Leave
– Leave covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Full-Time Classified Employee
– A classified employee who works a standard work week of
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40 hours.
Funeral Leave
– Leave with pay granted to an employee to attend the funeral or burial rites of
certain approved relatives.
Holiday Leave
– Leave with pay for holidays as specified in PM 5.
Leave of Absence
– Permission to be absent from duty.
Leave of Absence without Pay
– Unpaid leave granted to employees for good cause
under stipulated conditions.
Military Leave
– Leave granted to an employee who is ordered to duty with troops or at field
exercises or for instruction with any branch of the Armed Forces, including the National
Guard.
Parental Leave
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Effective for qualifying events occurring on or after January 1, 2024, an eligible
employee may receive paid parental leave of up to 240 hours without deduction from the
employee’s annual, sick, or compensatory leave balances for the birth of a child or placement of a
child under the age of 18 with the employee for adoption or foster care.
Personal Leave
– Leave of up to two days (16 hours) per academic year granted to
unclassified employees who do not receive annual leave. It is granted for personal purposes
of the employee. Personal leave is charged to and deducted from the employee’s sick leave
for the current academic year or sick leave accumulated as provided by La R.S. 17:3311.
Unclassified Employee - a member of the unclassified staff on full-time status as defined by the
appointment; for the purposes of leave accrual and use, the work day is deemed to be eight
hours and the work week is deemed to be 40 hours; administrative officers and unclassified staff,
and employees in positions specifically exempt from classified service under Article X of the
Constitution of the State of Louisiana. Non-exempt hourly as defined by the Department of Labor
and are referred to as unclassified or ‘unclassified hourly’; other positions exempt from classified
service by special action of the State of Louisiana, Department of Civil Service; an employee
whose appointment is for a period of more than 180 calendar days or who has been employed
for more than 180 consecutive calendar days by a successive uninterrupted appointment. This
category excludes transient employees (employees appointed under Civil Service Rule 4.1(d)1)
Regular Employee
– an employee whose appointment is for a period of more than 180
calendar days or who has been employed more than 180 consecutive calendar days by
successive, uninterrupted appointment.
Sabbatical Leave
– Leave granted to faculty for study and research, the object of which is
to enable the faculty to increase their professional efficiency and usefulness to the
University. (See PM 12 for further information)
Sick Leave
– Leave with pay granted an employee who is suffering with an illness or injury
which prevents the employee from performing their usual duties and responsibilities or who
requires medical, dental, or optical consultation or treatment, or who requires the need to
care for an immediate family member with similar circumstances.
Special Leave
– Leave with pay without loss of annual leave or sick leave granted by
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the President for extenuating circumstances.
Temporary Employee
– An employee appointed for 180 calendar days or less.
Transient Employee
– An employee appointed under Civil Service Rule 4.1 (d)1). Transient
employees are not eligible to earn leave.
III. GENERAL POLICY
Employees shall not absent themselves from their duties without proper authorization. It is the
responsibility of the department head, supervisor or their designee to receive and review
requests for all leave requests and leaves of absence and approve or disapprove such requests in
accordance with University policy. If paid leave is neither available nor appropriate, leave without
pay shall be charged. If an employee fails to submit a time off request or leave of absence
request, leave must be administratively deducted from their record. The department head,
supervisor or their designee shall ensure that the department timekeeper maintains accurate
leave records on all departmental employees. No employee shall approve or solely maintain
records for their own leave.
Because of the nature of their appointments, it may be difficult to determine when faculty should
be charged leave. As a minimum, faculty who miss an assigned class or scheduled meeting must
be charged leave appropriate to the circumstances regardless of whether arrangements are made
for someone else to meet the class. Please see Section V.F.3. for additional information.
IV. ANNUAL LEAVE
A. Annual Leave Accrual Conditions
1. Annual accrual for academic and unclassified employees on a fiscal pay basis begins with
the paid appointment or continuation at greater than 50% effort that extends employment
beyond 180 days. (Note: Full-time Faculty appointed on an academic year basis, Part-time
Faculty on an academic year basis, transient, contingent, W.A.E. employees and students
do not accrue annual leave.)
2. Classified employees begin accruing leave from their first day of appointment on a regular
tour of duty for every hour in a paid status. (Note: Classified employees do not accrue
leave while serving on a Classified W.A E. appointment).
3. For accrual purposes, years of service is based on full-time equivalent state service in pay
status.
For academic or unclassified appointments beginning on or after January 1, 1999, the
following types of state service shall count toward service for annual leave accrual
purposes.
a. All service as a classified employee as defined by State Civil Service
b. Service as an academic or unclassified employee at a Louisiana public entity or public
institution of higher education as defined by revised statutes that define the start of
service.
c. Service as an unclassified employee under Civil Service Rules 4.1(d)2 and 11.19(d).
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d. The President may authorize the counting of other unclassified state service when it
was earned on an appointment that was of a recurring and essentially full-time nature
(e.g., unclassified undersecretary at a major state agency).
For academic or unclassified appointments beginning on or after November 8, 2004,
full-time equivalent service in pay status in a parish school system will also count toward
service for leave accrual purposes.
4. Accrual - full month's service:
a. For eligible unclassified and academic personnel, if an appointment is effective on
the first working day of the month, annual leave accrual shall be based on a full month's
service in a paid status.
b. Eligible classified employees will accrue leave from the effective date of appointment
in a paid status.
5. Accrual - partial month's service:
a. Unclassified or academic employees who are appointed, terminated, or begin or
return from leave without pay on a date such that the employee is in a paid status or
whose percent effort is increased on a date such that the employee is in paid status at
more than 50% effort:
i. at least one-half the working days in the calendar month, but less than the entire
month, will accrue a half-month's leave credit,
ii. fewer than one-half the working days in the calendar month, will accrue no leave
credit for that month.
b. Classified employees will accrue leave based on the exact number of hours in a paid
status.
6. Changes with full-time State service (Adjusted Service Date for Leave Accrual):
a. As an employee's years of service increase, the leave accrual rate will increase
according to Leave Accrual Schedules I and II of this section.
b. An unclassified or academic employee whose anniversary date of appointment falls on:
i. the 1st through the 15th of a month will accrue leave at the higher rate for the entire
month,
ii. the 16th through the end of a month will accrue leave at the present rate for that
month and will begin to accrue at the higher rate the following month.
c. For classified employees, their leave accrual rate increase is effective on the
anniversary date.
7. No employee shall be credited with annual leave under the following circumstances:
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a. For any overtime hour;
b. For any hour of leave without pay except if they are on unpaid military leave;
c. For any hour in on-call status outside regular duty hours;
d. For any hour of travel or other activity outside regular duty hours;
e. For any hour of a holiday or other non-work day which occurs while on leave without pay.
f. For any period of sabbatical leave or educational leave. However, time spent on
sabbatical or educational leave does count as service toward leave accrual rate change.
g. For any hour on crisis leave (see section XVII).
8. Submitting annual leave requests:
a. Annual Leave requests must be submitted through LSU’s system of record by the
employee, manager, or a timekeeper as designated by the department. Leave requests
entered by the manager or timekeeper must be supported by other documentation of
the request by the employee and approval by a supervisor. These records must be
maintained in accordance with university records retention requirements.
b. The minimum charge to annual leave is one-half hour. Beyond the first one- half hour,
annual leave may be taken in quarter-hour increments. In the case of Family and
Medical Leave, the minimum charge and subsequent increments may be as low as
one-tenth of an hour.
c. For purposes of the FMLA, the leave or time off request to be taken must be
designated as "FMLA.”
9. Advance of leave:
No advance of annual leave may be granted. Employees who have exhausted their annual
leave may request, in writing, that they be placed on leave without pay.
B. Accrual Schedules: Annual leave is allotted on two schedules. Each new eligible academic
and unclassified employee shall make a choice between Annual Leave Accrual Schedule I
and Annual Leave Accrual Schedule II. The choice must be made within 30 days of
appointment and that election choice is irrevocable for the length of that appointment.
Employees who are appointed for less than full-time but who are eligible to earn leave shall
accrue leave in proportion to their percentage of full-time effort.
1. ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL SCHEDULE I - Applies to:
a. Annual leave for regular academic and unclassified employees appointed on fiscal year
basis who elected leave under the Civil Service annual leave regulations, with no
limitation on total accumulation.
b. Annual leave for classified employees.
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2. ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL SCHEDULE II - Applies to:
Annual leave for academic and unclassified employees on fiscal year basis that have
elected the LSU Leave Schedule.
a. One academic year equals one full year of service for the purpose of computing leave
accrual rate for employees who have worked on academic pay basis.
C. Restoration of Leave Credits upon Reemployment - all employees
1. Return to duty after military service: all annual leave accrued by an employee for which
payment was not made at time of separation from the university to enter military service
will be credited upon the employee’s return to work immediately following such military
service.
2. Reemployment after resignation or layoff: all annual leave accrued by an employee for
which payment was not made upon resignation or upon layoff will be credited to the
employee if reemployed in a leave-accruing status by the university within a period of five
years from date of separation, provided that separation was not made for cause
(disciplinary action).
3. Reemployment after termination: Any remaining leave accrued by an employee whose
separation was by termination for cause or whose separation was by resignation to avoid
termination for cause will not be credited upon any future state of employment if
applicable.
4. Reemployment after retirement: unused unpaid annual leave is not re-credited to
individuals reemployed after retirement from LSU unless an employee was in an Optional
Retirement Plan in which their leave balances are not used for service credit or they have
returned to LSU within 5 years of retirement.
D. Status of Leave upon Change in Pay Basis - all employees
YEARS OF SERVICE
CLASSIFIED
PROF & ACADEMIC
Less than 3 years
.0461 per hour
8 hours per month
3 years but less than 5
.0576 per hour
10 hours per month
5 years but less than 10
.0692 per hour
12 hours per month
10 years but less than 15
.0807 per hour
14 hours per month
15 years or greater
.0923 per hour
16 hours per month
UNCLASSIFIED AND ACADEMIC
14 hours per month with total accumulation limited
to 176 hours. Once 176 hours are accumulated, no
additional annual leave time is earned until annual
leave time is used.
14 hours per month with no limit on total
accumulation.
16 hours per month with no limit on total
accumulation.
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Employees on a fiscal pay basis who are to be transferred to an academic basis should be
permitted, where feasible, to take any accumulated annual leave prior to the effective date of
such change in status. Any annual leave not taken by the effective date of such change in
status is to be retained to the credit of the employee for future use if the employee changes
back to a fiscal year appointment, or for payment and/or service credit upon separation or
retirement in accordance with applicable policies.
E. Status of Annual Leave upon Change in Percent Effort - academic and unclassified
employees
Employees on a fiscal pay basis who were first employed or were reemployed by LSU after a
break in service January 1, 1999 or later, and whose percent of effort drops to 50% or below
cease to accrue and are not eligible to use annual leave for the duration of the period they are
appointed equal to or less than 50% effort. When/if the employee returns to greater than 50%
effort, they will begin to accrue and are eligible to use leave again.
F. Transferring Annual Leave
1. Within the University (any LSU institution) or from another state agency or parish school
system to LSU:
When a classified employee transfers to a classified job within the University or from
another state agency to a classified job in the University, within a period of 30 calendar
days, accrued annual leave credits of the employee shall be certified and credited to the
employee's leave balance.
In the case of academic or unclassified employees on a fiscal pay basis transferring within
the University to an annual leave-accruing status, accrued annual leave credits of the
employee shall be certified and credited to the employee’s leave balance within 30
calendar days. When an academic or unclassified employee transfers to a non-annual
leave-accruing status within the University and without a break in service, accrued annual
leave credits of the employee shall be certified and credited to the employee’s leave
balance but may not be used unless the employee changes to an annual leave-accruing
status.
In the case of academic or unclassified employees transferring from another state agency
or a parish school system to LSU, annual leave cannot be accepted unless the appointment
at LSU is in an annual leave-accruing status. When the appointment is in an annual leave-
accruing status, the leave accepted cannot exceed the leave that they could have accrued
had they performed the service in an annual leave-accruing status under the LSU accrual
regulations and there can be no break in service. Employees transferring to unclassified or
academic positions at LSU are allowed to elect Annual Leave Accrual Schedule I or
Annual Leave Accrual Schedule II.
Note: Employees with less than ten years full-time equivalent state service who elect
Annual Leave Accrual Schedule II and who have in excess of 176 hours of annual leave,
will NOT earn additional leave until such time as their balance is reduced below 176
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hours, unless Leave Accrual Schedule I has been selected.
2. From LSU to state agencies outside the University:
Annual leave earned by academic and unclassified employees at LSU may not be
accepted if the transfer is to a classified position. Whether such leave will be accepted
when the transfer is to an unclassified position outside the University is dependent upon the
rules and policies set forth by the management board of the new agency.
G. Use of Annual Leave - all employees
1. Annual leave may be used for any personal purpose (including care of a family member)
any time after it is earned contingent upon departmental or other designated
approval. The granting of annual leave is not automatic and may be denied or restricted
based on business necessity. The term of the leave may not extend beyond the period for
which support is committed to the position or contract.
2. Under no circumstances may an employee be advanced leave. When employees exhaust
their annual leave they may, with supervisory approval and by making written request,
request to be placed on leave without pay (See Section X). The granting of leave without
pay is not automatic; however, employees who fail or refuse to request leave without pay
shall administratively be placed on unauthorized leave without pay and may be subject to
disciplinary action, including termination.
3. The minimum charge to leave records shall not be less than one-half hour. Beyond the first
one-half hour, annual leave may be taken in quarter-hour increments. In the case of Family
and Medical Leave the minimum charge to annual leave and subsequent increments may
be as little as one-tenth (.1) of an hour, or six minutes.
4. The use of annual leave immediately preceding resignation, termination or retirement of
unclassified, academic or classified personnel will be limited to the amount of annual
leave the employee earns during a calendar year. Where justifiable, exceptions may be
made by the President.
5. Annual leave shall not be charged for non-work days.
6. Academic and unclassified employees on a fiscal year appointment must take leave to earn
additional compensation if the work is performed during normal work hours unless there is
an approved alternate work schedule (See Permanent Memorandum 3 and Policy
Statement 43 for details on additional compensation).
H. Enforcement of Annual Leave - applies to unclassified and classified employees
1. Upon approval by the Office of Human Resource Management, a department head may
require an employee to take annual leave whenever, in the administrator's judgement, such
action would be in the best interest of the department.
However, no classified employee shall be required to reduce accrued annual leave to less
than 240 hours except:
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a. prior to being granted leave without pay, but subject to the right granted
classified employees by the military leave provisions of Civil Service rules;
b. where it is determined that the need to be absent from work is because of a condition
covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
I. Request and Certification Required When Using Leave
1. Periods of one week or more: granting of leave by the supervisor will be based upon the
department's work load, and scheduled vacations of other employees. Written application
for leave should be made at least one week in advance, except in the case of Family and
Medical Leave when medical necessity makes it impractical to make the request in
advance.
2. Periods of less than one work week: Approval shall be based upon the department's work
load and the employee's work, attendance record and applicable Family and Medical
Leave regulations.
3. Application for leave must be made by employee through LSU’s system of record and
routed to the appropriate supervisor for approval at least one day prior to the requested
date. When justifiable emergency situations occur (including Family and Medical Leave),
the supervisor may waive the one day prior notice. The supervisor may request reasons for
leave should the circumstances warrant.
4. Any employee not reporting to work when a request for leave has been denied will be
considered on unauthorized leave without pay and will be subject to disciplinary action.
5. Leave sanctions to restrict the use of annual leave may be implemented when
circumstances justify such an action with the approval of the Office of Human Resource
Management. FMLA leave may not be used as a basis to implement leave sanctions.
6. Annual leave requests exceeding two weeks must include the reason for the request in
order to determine FMLA status.
7. Physician certification is required when requesting leave for care of a family member
consistent with FMLA.
J. Cancellation or Continuance of Annual Leave Credits upon Separation
1. Except that for which the employee must be paid (up to 300 hours), all annual leave
accrued by an employee whose services are terminated for cause shall be canceled.
2. All annual leave accrued by an employee for which they are not paid upon being laid off
shall again be credited if the individual is reemployed within five years following the
separation (except in the case of dismissal or resignation to avoid dismissal).
3. All annual leave accrued by an employee for which they are not paid upon resignation
shall again be credited if the individual is reemployed within a period of five years from date
of separation; provided, that the privileges of this rule shall not extend to any employee
whose last separation from the Classified Service was by dismissal or resignation to avoid
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dismissal.
4. All annual leave accrued by an employee for which they were not paid at time of
separation to enter military service shall be credited upon reemployment following such
military service, regardless of the length of separation from the university [Reference
Section X on Military Leave for more details].
K. Payment of Leave upon Separation
1. Terminal payment for leave may not exceed an amount representing 300 hours of unused
annual leave at time of separation of employees for any reason.
2. Terminal payment for annual leave will disregard any fraction of an hour.
3. Classified and Unclassified employees dismissed for theft of agency funds or property
shall not receive terminal payment for annual leave.
4. An employee who is retiring from employment as a member of Louisiana State
Employees' Retirement System (LASERS) will receive payment for all terminal annual
leave credits to which they are entitled (not to exceed 300 hours). LASERS members also
have the option to receive a lump sum payment from LASERS for the actuarial value of their
unused annual leave in excess of 300 hours that would otherwise be converted to service
credit. Employees interested in this option should inform the Benefits Section of HRM well in
advance of their projected retirement date (L.A.R.S. 11:424).
An employee retiring as a member of Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) is
entitled to receive payment for terminal annual leave credits not to exceed 300 hours. TRSL
members who enter the DROP Program may elect to be paid upon entering the DROP
Program (L.A.R.S. 17:425.1) or at final separation from employment.
An employee who is retiring from employment as a member of an Optional Retirement
Plan (ORP) will receive payment for all terminal annual leave credits to which they are
entitled (not to exceed 300 hours). ORP members will not receive credit for unused,
unpaid annual leave upon separation or retirement.
5. Employees who are members of TRSL or LASERS, upon retirement from active duty,
shall receive service credit for computation of retirement stipend for unpaid accumulated
annual leave according to the provisions of each retirement system. Unpaid leave is not
added for determination of retirement eligibility. Employees who are members of an ORP do
not receive credit for unpaid annual leave upon retirement.
In accordance with the provisions of each retirement system, employees who are
members of TRSL or LASERS and who enter DROP will not receive service credit for
computation of their retirement stipend for unpaid accumulated annual leave upon
entering DROP.
6. All personnel actions to effect termination, retirements or transfers must show the amount
of unpaid annual leave.
V. SICK LEAVE
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A. Sick leave is leave with pay granted to an employee who has sufficient leave to their credit for
necessary absences from duty because of:
1. The employee’s own illness or injury, which prevents the employee from performing their
usual duties:
2. The employee’s own medical, dental or optical consultation or treatment for the duration
of time required for such appointments when it is not possible to arrange such
appointments for non-duty hours;
3. The employee’s assertion, supported by medical certification, of their own need to be
isolated from the workplace to avoid a health risk during a health pandemic declared by
the Governor because of their diagnosed high-risk immunological disorder as it relates to
a FMLA or ADA request;
4. An employee who has sufficient leave to their credit may request sick leave in lieu of
annual leave for:
a. A necessary absence from duty because of illness or injury of an immediate family
member as defined below;
b. A necessary absence from duty to attend a medical, dental, or optical consultation
or treatment when it is not possible to arrange such appointments for non-duty
hours.
c. A necessary absence from duty to care for a son or daughter as defined by FMLA
when there is a health pandemic declared by the Governor, and there is no other
suitable person available to care for the son or daughter because their school or
place of care has been closed or the childcare provider is unavailable due to a
reason directly related to the health pandemic.
An immediate family member is defined as a spouse, parent, or child of an employee. It is the
policy of LSU to grant sick leave so that employees will not suffer the loss of pay when unable
to work because of such circumstances. Abuse of this benefit is cause for disciplinary action.
For the purpose of leave reporting, state law (LA.R.S. 17:3311) requires the university to
establish a forty-hour work week for faculty. The purpose of establishing the forty hour week is
merely to provide a system of accounting for and the taking of leave. Each faculty member’s
work week, for the purpose of recording sick leave, is determined by their class schedule and
other on-campus responsibilities (e.g., student advising and committee work) or an approved
work schedule adopted in accordance with departmental and university policy (see FASOP
HR-03 for details on flexwork arrangements). These schedules may vary from semester to
semester depending on class schedules and other on-campus responsibilities. At a minimum,
faculty who miss an assigned class or scheduled meeting must be charged leave appropriate
to the circumstances regardless of whether arrangements are made for someone else to meet
the class. If paid leave is neither available nor appropriate, leave without pay shall be charged.
If a faculty member does not submit a leave request in such circumstances, the leave must be
administratively deducted from their accrued balance. Please refer to Leave Guidelines for
Faculty for additional information.
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Each faculty member, except those employees who receive annual leave, shall be entitled to
and shall be allowed to use up to two days personal leave during each academic year, to be
used for such purposes as may be determined by the individual employee without loss of pay.
Personal leave shall be charged to and deducted from the employee’s accrued sick leave.
Personal leave shall not be accumulated from year to year, nor shall personal leave be
compensated for upon separation, death or retirement.
L. Sick Leave Accrual Conditions
1. Academic and unclassified employees begin to accrue sick leave with the paid
appointment or continuation at greater than 50% effort that extends employment beyond
180 days. (Note: Transient, Contingent, W.A.E. employees, and students do not accrue
sick leave.)
2. Classified employees begin accruing leave from their first day of appointment on a regular
tour of duty (Note: Classified employees do not accrue leave while serving on a restricted
Classified W.A.E, or Contingent appointments).
3. For leave accrual purposes, years of service is based on full-time equivalent state service
in pay status. For academic and unclassified employees appointed November 8, 2004
or later, full-time equivalent service in a parish school system in paid status will also count
toward service for leave accrual purposes. Employees appointed for less than full-time
shall accrue leave in proportion to their percentage of full-time equivalent service.
4. Accrual - full month's service:
a. Unclassified and academic personnel: if an appointment is effective on the first working
day of the month, leave accrual shall be based on a full month's service.
b. Classified employees will accrue leave from the effective date of appointment.
5. Accrual - partial month's service:
a. Unclassified or academic employees who are appointed, or begin or return from leave
without pay on a date such that the employee is in a paid status:
i. at least one-half the working days in the calendar month, but less than the whole
month, will accrue a half-month's leave credit,
ii. fewer than one-half the working days in the calendar month, will accrue no leave
credit for that month.
b. Classified employees will accrue leave credit based on the exact date of appointment,
separation or return from leave without pay.
6. Changes with full-time state service:
a. As an employee's years of service increase, the leave accrual rate will increase
according to the leave accrual schedule in this Section.
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b. Unclassified or academic employees whose anniversary date of appointment falls on:
i. the 1st through the 15th of a month will accrue leave at the higher rate for the entire
month,
ii. the 16th through the end of a month will accrue leave at the present rate for that
month and will begin to accrue at the higher rate the following month.
c. For classified employees, leave accrual rate increase is effective on their Time Off
Service Date.
7. No employee shall be credited with sick leave under the following circumstances:
a. For any overtime hour;
b. For any hour of leave without pay except if an employee is on unpaid military leave;
c. For any hour in on-call status outside regular duty hours;
d. For any hour of travel or other activity outside regular duty hours;
e. For any hour of a holiday or other non-work day which occurs while an employee is on
leave without pay.
f. For any period of sabbatical leave or educational leave. However, time spent on
sabbatical or educational leave does count as service toward leave accrual rate
change.
g. For any hour on crisis leave.
8. Academic year appointments:
a. For purposes of computing leave accrual rate change under the "Sick Leave Accrual
Schedule," one semester equals one-half year.
b. For each semester worked, an employee on an academic pay basis is credited leave
for a period of 4 1/2 months. For example, an employee with less than three years of
service earns eight hours per month for 4 1/2 months for each semester worked.
c. An employee accrues sick leave when appointed for the summer school session(s) or
for summer research in proportion to the full-time equivalent of the summer
appointment.
d. A new employee begins to accrue leave if appointed concurrently for the summer
school session or summer research and the succeeding academic year. A new
employee appointed for the summer session only or one semester only does not
accrue sick leave.
9. Recording of leave:
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a. Leave requests must be submitted in LSU’s system of record by the employee or
designated timekeeper for the department. Leave requests entered by the manager or
timekeeper must be supported by other documentation of the request by the employee
and approval by a supervisor. These records must be maintained in accordance with
university records retention requirements.
b. The minimum charge to sick leave is one-half hour. Beyond the first one-half hour, sick
leave may be taken in quarter-hour increments. In the case of Family and Medical
Leave, the minimum charge to sick leave may be as low as one-tenth (.1) of an hour, or
six minutes.
c. For purposes of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the leave to be taken must be
designated as "FMLA.”
10. Advance of leave:
No advance of sick leave can be granted. Employees who have exhausted sick leave but
who have annual leave may be allowed, with supervisory approval, to make use of their
annual leave to continue their leave status or they may request leave without pay.
M. Sick Leave Accrual Schedule - all employees
YEARS OF SERVICE
CLASSIFIED
PROF & ACADEMIC
Less than 3 years
.0461 per hour
8 hours per month
3 years but less than 5
.0576 per hour
10 hours per month
5 years but less than 10
.0692 per hour
12 hours per month
10 years but less than 15
.0807 per hour
14 hours per month
15 years or more
.0923 per hour
16 hours per month
N. Restoration of Leave Credits upon Reemployment - all employees
1. Reemployment after military service: all sick leave credited to an employee at time of
separation from the University (any institution) to enter military service will be credited
upon reemployment at the University immediately following such military service.
2. Reemployment after resignation or layoff: all sick leave credited to an employee at time of
separation by resignation or lay-off will be credited to the employee if reemployed within
the University within a period of five years from date of separation, provided that the
resignation was not to avoid dismissal.
3. Reemployment after termination for cause: all sick leave accrued by any employee whose
separation was by dismissal or resignation to avoid dismissal will be canceled.
4. Reemployment after retirement: unused unpaid sick leave is not re-credited to
individuals re-employed after retirement from LSU or any other state agency.
O. Status of Sick Leave upon Change in Percent Effort - academic and unclassified employees
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Employees who were first employed or were reemployed after a break in service by LSU
January 1, 1999 or later and whose percent of effort drops to 50% or below cease to accrue
and are not eligible to use sick leave for the duration of the period they are appointed for
equal to or less than 50% effort. When/if the employee returns to greater than 50% effort, they
will begin to accrue and is eligible to use leave again.
P. Transferring Sick Leave:
1. Within the University (any institution) or from another state agency or parish school
system to LSU:
When a classified employee transfers to a classified job within the University or from
another state agency to a classified job in the University, within a period of 30 calendar
days, accrued sick leave credits of the employee shall be certified and credited to the
employee's leave balances.
In the case of academic or unclassified employees transferring within the University to sick
leave-accruing status, accrued sick leave credits of the employee shall be certified and
credited to the employee’s leave balance. When an academic or unclassified employee
transfers to a non-sick leave-accruing status within the University, accrued sick leave
credits of the employee shall be certified and credited to the employee’s leave balance but
may not be used unless the employee changes to sick leave-accruing status.
In the case of academic or unclassified employees transferring from another state agency
or a parish school system to LSU, sick leave cannot be accepted unless the appointment at
LSU is in a sick leave-accruing status. When the appointment is in a sick leave-accruing
status, the credit given cannot exceed the leave that the employee could have accrued
had service been performed under the LSU accrual regulations and there can be no break
in service.
2. From LSU to state agencies outside the University:
Sick leave earned by academic and unclassified employees at LSU will not be accepted if
the transfer is to a classified position. Whether such leave will be accepted when the
transfer is to an unclassified position outside the University is dependent upon the rules and
policies set forth by the management board of the new agency.
Q. Use of Sick Leave
1. Sick leave may be used any time after it is earned with supervisory approval except that
faculty employed on an academic pay basis may not use sick leave during the summer
except for days for which they are appointed and only after they have worked at least one
day of their summer appointment. The term of the leave may not extend beyond the period
for which support is committed to the position or contract.
2. Minimum charge to leave records shall not be less than one-half hour. Beyond the first one-
half hour, sick leave may be taken in quarter-hour increments. In the case of Family and
Medical Leave, the minimum charge to sick leave and subsequent increments may be as
brief as one-tenth (.1) of an hour, or six minutes.
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3. For faculty only:
a. Absence due to medical or dental appointments that do not conflict with scheduled
meetings or classes do not need to be reported.
b. Absence due to medical or dental appointments, illness or injury that conflicts with
scheduled meetings or classes but does not prevent the faculty member from performing
other duties must be reported only for scheduled meetings or classes missed.
c. If the illness or injury prevents the faculty member from performing any of their
responsibilities (including teaching, research and service), sick leave should be
recorded in increments of 8 hours per day not worked and prorated for partial days not
worked.
4. There is no maximum accrual. Unused sick leave may be used to extend years of service
for purposes of retirement credit for employees who are members of LASERS or TRSL
(does not apply to employees who are members of an ORP). Unused sick leave cannot be
used to attain eligibility for retirement.
5. An employee on annual leave may not retroactively have hours originally approved as
annual leave charged to sick leave unless the charge to annual leave was through
administrative error, except in the following case: if, during an approved period of annual
leave, an event occurs that qualifies for sick leave and the employee immediately reports
this occurrence to the appropriate individual(s), an adjustment may be made to the leave
request after the notice was given.
6. Sick leave may not be charged for non-work days.
R. Reporting Sick Leave
1. To qualify for paid sick leave, employees must follow the sick leave procedures set by their
department, except that departmental procedures cannot conflict with Civil Service Rules
or university policies.
2. In order to qualify for paid sick leave, an employee must follow the call-in procedures
established by their department.
3. Should the employee fail to call in or notify the supervisor, all hours absent will be charged
as unauthorized leave without pay, unless it is shown that it was medically impossible or
impractical to follow the established procedure.
4. Unjustified absence may be cause for leave sanctions and/or disciplinary action.
5. All leave information should be submitted immediately upon return to work. Failure to
submit information on a timely basis may result in the time away from work being considered
leave without pay.
S. Request and/or Certification Required When Using Sick Leave
An employee who is absent from work because of illness or disability or other circumstances
for which sick leave is appropriate shall immediately report the absence to a designated
department official, and upon return to duty, submit leave in LSU’s system of record or file
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written certification for the amount of sick leave taken. Except in the case of Family and
Medical Leave, the following shall apply:
1. Classified employees absent from work for two consecutive work days or less due to personal
illness or injury or other circumstances for which sick leave is appropriate, will not normally
be required to provide certification;
a. however, if the employee is absent for more than two consecutive work days, but not more
than five consecutive work days, the supervisor may require certification (e.g. a doctor’s
note) from a registered physician or other acceptable proof of illness;
2. if the employee is absent for more than five consecutive work days, the employee will be
required to submit written certification (e.g. Family Medical Leave Act and a return to work
certification) from a registered physician or other acceptable proof of disability. The employee
must be advised, in advance, that written certification is required or in sufficient time to allow
the employee to produce the certification. The need for written proof of short term illness,
including those of two days or less, will be determined by the employee's attendance record
and other matters of which the supervisor may have knowledge.
The abuse of sick leave privileges may result in sick leave sanctions and/or disciplinary
action regardless of the length of absence. Such sanctions require employees to present a
medical certification for any period of absence. Sick leave sanctions may not be imposed
for leave covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act. All sick leave sanctions require
HRM approval.
3. Unclassified and academic employees are required to provide a doctor's certificate for
periods of absence exceeding five consecutive working days. As justified, certificates may
be required for shorter time periods.
4. Family and Medical Leave (all employees)
a. Employees are required to provide thirty (30) days notice for Family and Medical Leave
unless it is medically impossible or impractical to provide such notice.
b. Employees are required to provide physician certification form FMLA-1 for all such leave
to be taken. Such certification must be provided within fifteen (15) calendar days of
notice to use the leave.
c. Physician certification is required when requesting sick leave for care of a family
member consistent with the Family and Medical Leave Act.
T. Exhaustion of Sick Leave
Classified employees may be removed, with prior approval of the Office of Human Resource
Management and written notification to the employee, when, on the effective date of removal:
1. the employee is unable to perform the essential function of their job due to illness or medical
disability, and
2. the employee has no usable sick leave to their credit, the employee has exhausted their
FMLA leave entitlement and the employee's job must be performed without further
interruption, and
3. it is documented in HRM that an accommodation to return the employee to duty is not
practical, and
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4. the employee does not meet retirement system eligibility requirements to apply for
disability or regular retirement.
U. Payment of Sick Leave upon Retirement from Active Duty or Death in Service
1. Academic or unclassified employees will receive payment for all terminal sick leave
credits to which they are entitled (not to exceed 200 hours or 25 days) based on annual
earnings.
2. Classified employees are not eligible for payment of terminal sick leave credits by the
university at retirement. Please refer to Louisiana Revised Statute 11:421 for information
regarding unused leave balances as it relates to retirement credits.
VI. CIVIL LEAVE
A. Leave With Pay Shall be Granted to an Employee
In the following circumstances, leave with pay, without charge to annual or sick leave, shall be
granted:
1. When performing jury duty;
2. when summoned to appear as a witness before a court, grand jury or other public body
or commission provided that for purposes of this rule a plaintiff or defendant shall not
be considered a witness, nor shall this apply to an employee summoned as a witness as
a result of employment other than that employee's state employment;
3. when performing emergency civil duties in connection with national defense or other civil
emergencies;
4. when an employee who is a member of the National Guard is ordered to active duty in
connection with occurrences of an extraordinary or emergency nature which threaten
peace and property of the people of the State of Louisiana or the United States;
5. when the President determines an employee is prevented by an act of God from
performing duties;
6. when an employee is ordered to report for a pre-induction physical examination
incident to possible entry into the military forces of the United States,
7. when an employee is a current member of a Civil Air Patrol and incident to such
membership is ordered to perform duty with troops or field exercises or training (may
not exceed 15 working days in any one calendar year).
B. Voting on Election Day
University employees whose scheduled work day is between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. on an election day, and who are unable to vote prior to or after their work day, shall be
allowed, upon request of the employee and approval of the department head, time off with pay
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for voting in accordance with the following schedule:
Distance from campus
Leave Time
0-30 mile radius of the campus
2 hours leave
31-60 mile radius of the campus
4 hours leave
61 or more miles radius of the campus
1 day leave
The department head in accordance with the above schedule will have the discretion of
determining the amount and when leave will be granted during the election day. Nothing in this
policy would prevent a department head from inquiring as to the reasons why the employee
cannot vote prior to or after the work day.
VII. PARENTAL LEAVE
Effective for qualifying events occurring on or after January 1, 2024, an eligible employee may
receive paid parental leave up to 240 hours without deduction from the employee’s annual,
sick or compensatory leave balances for the following qualifying events: the birth of a child or
placement of a child under the age of 18 with the employee for adoption or for foster care.
A. Eligibility
1. Parental leave is only available to employees in leave-earning positions on the date of the
qualifying event on or after January 1, 2024.
2. Parental leave is only available to employees who, on the date of the qualifying event, have
been employed by the State for at least 12 months and who have actually worked at least
1250 hours in the 12 months preceding the parental leave request.
3. Parental leave is only available to the legal parents, adoptive parents or foster parents of
the child for whom parental leave is taken when said parents have an active and on-going
role in parenting the child and are taking leave for one of the qualifying purposes outlined
below. For purposes of this policy, a legal parent is a person having a genetic relationship
to the child or filiated to the child through legal presumption or assisted reproductive
technology.
B. Qualifying Purposes
1. Parental leave is an opportunity for a legal, adoptive or foster parent to bond with the child
for whom leave is taken or for adoptive or foster parents to attend post-placement court
proceedings or mandatory meetings related to adoption or foster placement.
2. For the purpose of this policy, a need to bond with the child exists when there is a new
relationship between the parent and child and the unclassified employee or appointee will
spend time with the child to create an ongoing mutual attachment.
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3. This policy does not apply where a relationship resembling parent-child already exists and
the primary change is the legal nature of the relationship. (e.g., foster parent to adoptive
parent and intra-family adoptions such as adoptions by step-parents).
C. Parental Leave Conditions
1. Parental leave is available for use only during the 12 weeks (84 calendar days) immediately
following the commencement of the qualifying event.
2. Parental leave is available for use commencing on the first date of a qualifying event and
for only as much of the parental leave period as the employee is engaged in a qualifying
purpose.
3. Parental leave may be used continuously or intermittently, in accordance with the need
therefore.
4. Unless LSU determines that an employee is utilizing parental leave in violation of this
policy, LSU shall not reduce the parental leave period authorized herein nor interfere with
an eligible employee’s use of parental leave as set forth herein.
5. Full-time employees shall be compensated at the rate of 100% of the employee’s base pay
for a period not to exceed 240 hours during the available 12-week period;
6. Part-time unclassified employees and appointees shall be compensated a maximum of the
rate of 100% of their base pay for a period not to exceed six weeks based upon the
average number of hours worked per week in the six months immediately preceding the
commencement of parental leave (e.g., if an individual works an average of 25 hours per
week during the six month look-back period, the employee shall be eligible to receive up to
the employee’s base pay for 25 hours per week for six weeks).
7. Parental leave may not be donated to another employee or leave pool.
8. Unused parental leave may not be reserved for use during a subsequent qualifying event
nor shall it be paid out to the employee if unused or not fully exhausted.
9. Parental leave is not intended to provide any form of paid or unpaid leave after exhaustion
of 240 hours (or the appropriate allotment for part-time employees) provided by this
policy. Additional leave, if any, must be taken under the provisions of another rule, law or
policy.
10. At least 12 months shall elapse from the beginning of one parental leave period until an
employee is eligible for another parental leave period. For a new parental leave period,
there shall be a new qualifying event on or after the 12-month waiting period and the
eligibility requirements of Section VII.A. shall be satisfied as of the date of the new
qualifying event.
11. Eligible employees utilizing parental leave for occurrences also qualifying under the Family
and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) must use FMLA leave concurrently with parental leave.
12. When both parents to the child for whom parental leave is taken are employed in the state
service, each is entitled to utilize a full 240-hour (or the appropriate allotment for part-time
employees) parental leave period.
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13. In using parental leave, employees shall follow LSU’s customary leave practices. That is,
as practicable, advance notice of leave needs shall be provided and leave approved prior
to use.
14. An employee’s use of parental leave in accordance with this policy shall not, in itself, have
a negative impact upon their employment relationship. Employees utilizing parental leave in
a manner violating this policy may be disciplined, including the possibility of separation or
dismissal.
15. Prior to granting parental leave, eligible employees must complete the Parental Leave
request form and must provide acceptable proof in support of their request, such as a birth
certificate or insurance certificate confirming their relationship to the child for whom
parental leave is requested, or proof of attendance at court proceedings or other mandated
meetings related to adoption or foster placement. LSU will not require that an employee
produce medical records or scientific evidence to prove paternity.
VIII. COMPENSATORY TIME (See PS 61 for further information on overtime)
A. Compensatory Time for Academic and Unclassified Salaried Employees
There is no provision for compensatory time or overtime payment when extra duty is required
of Academic and Unclassified salaried employees.
B. Earning of Compensatory Time
Compensatory time may be earned by classified and unclassified employees who perform
work beyond their normal work schedule with the approval of or at the direction of their
supervisor or other administrator. The employee may be given compensatory leave in lieu of
payment for the time worked.
1. Exempt classified and unclassified employees earn compensatory time at a
straight time rate (i.e., one hour worked equates to one hour of compensatory
time).
2. Non-exempt classified and unclassified hourly employees earn compensatory
time at a time and one-half rate provided that the employee actually works
more than forty (40) hours in the work week.
3. Compensatory time must be credited in the payroll period in which it is earned.
4. An employee must be paid for compensatory time earned over 240 hours; 480
hours for law enforcement positions per Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
provisions
C. Use of Compensatory Time
1. Compensatory time use is limited to those instances in which granting the time
is not in conflict with university regulations or the efficiency of the department.
2. Compensatory leave may be used for any personal purpose, at any time after it is
earned, contingent upon departmental or other designated approval.
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3. Minimum charge to compensatory time records shall not be less than one-half
hour. Beyond the first one-half hour, compensatory leave may be used in
quarter-hour increments.
4. A department head may require an employee to take compensatory time leave
whenever, in the administrator's judgement, such action would be in the best
interest of the department.
D. Payment of Compensatory Time
Employees separated from the University will receive payment for all unused compensatory time.
(See Civil Service Chapter 21.12.) The university may pay the balance of an employee’s
compensatory time at any time. (See Civil Service Chapter 21.6.)
IX. HOLIDAYS
University holidays, which may differ from those of other state agencies, are provided for in Permanent
Memorandum 05.
A. Eligible Employees
Individuals employed on a full-time fiscal pay basis shall be eligible for compensation on holidays and
part-time employees are eligible for compensation for days in their normal part-time work schedule.
LSU holidays are set in accordance with the provisions of L. R. S. 1:55 F., which authorizes 14 paid
holidays per year. It is intended that the same number of holidays be granted to all employees. The
exceptions to holiday pay are:
a. When the employee is on a classified W.A.E. or contingent (transient) appointment;
b. When the employee is on leave without pay immediately preceding and following the
holiday period.
B. Separation on Holidays
Employees on a fiscal pay basis who are leaving the university work force are eligible for
holiday pay if:
1. They are otherwise eligible for holiday pay; and
2. They are in a pay status the last working day before the holiday(s) except if the holiday
crosses into the next pay period for salaried employees, such as in the case of the
Christmas/New Year’s holiday when the separation would be effective December 31.
C. Overtime Compensation on Holidays
See PM 05 for LSU Holiday Schedules and PS 61, LSU Overtime Policy, for overtime
compensation on holidays.
D. Holidays Not Included on the Schedule.
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Faculty and staff unable, because of religious beliefs, to work on a religious holiday not
included on the schedule are to provide that information to their supervisor or department
head/chair well in advance. Annual leave, leave without pay or adjusted work schedules will
be approved unless doing so creates an unusual burden upon the employing unit.
X. LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY
A. Cause for Leave
Leave of absence without pay may be granted to employees for good cause. Such leaves must
be requested by the employee and will be approved based upon the ability of the granting
department to continue to provide on-going and necessary services. The term of the leave may
not extend beyond the period for which support is committed to the position or contract.
Employees approved for leave of absence without pay are expected to return to the University
on the next work day after the approved leave period. Failure to return to work could result in
job termination. Good cause for granting leave of absence without pay
may be interpreted to
include but not be limited by the following: extended illness; need to provide care for family
members; education which will directly increase job effectiveness; adoption of children; or in
special situations, temporary employment outside the University when it is in the interest of
public service and/or will be beneficial to the University upon the employee's return.
B. Leave Without Pay to Pursue Employment
Leave without pay is a privilege, not a right and it is of a lesser priority than the future of the
university, providing service to students, and promoting the well-being of the unit. Therefore,
requests for leave without pay to take permanent jobs elsewhere will not be approved.
C. Criteria to be Used to Evaluate Leave Without Pay Requests
1. The effect upon the department if leave without pay is granted;
2. The recommendation of the immediate supervisor;
3. The length of university employment and prior leave history;
4. The probable effect of the leave as it will benefit or disadvantage the university.
D. Service Credit and Leave Accrual
1. Service before and after leave without pay will be combined to determine leave accrual
rates and total service. Leave without pay does not count as credited service for leave
accrual except when the employee is on unpaid military leave.
2. Sick and annual leave are not accrued while an employee is on leave without pay
except when the employee is on unpaid military leave.
E. Reporting and Requesting of Leave Without Pay
1. Leave without pay must be reported and requested through appropriate administrative
channels within the Department/Unit, School or College, then through the Office of
Human Resource Management. Presidential (or designee) approval is required, as
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applicable. The leave request must be submitted in LSU’s system of record.
2. When leave without pay is taken for 30 days or more, the GI-1 form concerning
disposition of insurance must be completed by the employee and is to be submitted to
the Office of Human Resource Management.
F. Official Requests and Maintenance of Records
1. All requests for leave without pay and responses to such requests must be submitted
in LSU’s System of Record and
2. all written records pertaining to the leave request must be maintained in departmental
files.
G. Failure to Return to Work at the Expiration of Leave
1. If a classified employee on probationary appointment fails to return to duty in pay
status on or before the first working day following the expiration date of any period of
leave without pay, the employee will be considered as having deserted their position
and the appointment shall terminate as of the close of business on such expiration
date. In such removals, the employee shall (after approval from the Office Human
Resource Management) be furnished a letter of termination.
2. If an academic, an unclassified or classified employee fails to report for or refuses to be
restored to duty in pay status on the first working day following the expiration of the
approved leave of absence without pay, or at an earlier date, upon reasonable and
proper notice from department head, the employee may be considered as having
deserted their position and shall be removed. Such removal of permanent employees
requires prior approval from the Office of Human Resource Management (see PS 08
for disciplinary procedures).
H. Review/Approval Levels
Employee Group
Length of Leave
Final Approval Authority
Faculty, Other Academic and
Unclassified
One academic year or
more; or one fiscal year or
more
President
Tenured Faculty
One semester AY or six
months FY or more but
less than one year
Provost or Designee
Tenured Faculty Less than one semester AY
or six months FY
Chair or Unit Head
Tenure-Track Faculty
31 days or more but
less than one year
Provost or Designee
Tenure-Track Faculty
30 days or less
Dean
Non Tenure-Track Faculty,
Other Academic, and
Unclassified Staff
One semester AY or six
months FY or more but
less than one year
Provost or Designee
Non Tenure-Track Faculty,
Less than one semester
Chair or Unit Head
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Employee Group
Length of Leave
Final Approval Authority
Other Academic, and
Unclassified Staff
AY or six months FY
Classified
More than 180 days
Vice President
Classified
31 days or more but
less than 181 days
Dean
Classified
30 days or less
Chair or Unit Head
A department head may initiate or, at the request of the employee, may curtail a period of leave
of absence without pay, provided such curtailment is in the best interest of the LSU,
reasonable and proper notice thereof is furnished to the employee, and prior approval is
received from HRM (except in the case of Family and Medical Leave).
I. Leave Without Pay in Lieu of Annual Leave
Employees may be required to take any part or all of accrued annual leave prior to being
granted leave without pay.
J. Leave of Absence for Holidays
Employees eligible for holiday pay must be in a paid working status the last normal work day
before a holiday, or the first normal work day after the holiday in order to receive pay for the
holiday. Employees on leave without pay before and after the holiday shall not receive pay for
the holiday unless in a paid status the day before or the day after a holiday.
K. Unapproved Leave Without Pay
Employees who absent themselves from the work place without prior supervisory approval will
be considered to be on unauthorized leave without pay. Disciplinary action may be imposed
against an employee for an unapproved absence and/or for unauthorized leave without pay.
XI. MILITARY LEAVE
A. Eligibility Requirements
Employees who are members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United
States or of the National Guard called to active duty as a result of a non-local or non-state
emergency, shall be granted a leave of absence. The leave includes active duty, active duty
for training, initial active duty for training, full-time National Guard duty, annual training, and
inactive duty for training (weekend drills).
Note: See Civil leave for members of the National Guard who are ordered to active duty in
connection with occurrences of an extraordinary or emergency nature or ordered to report for
a pre-induction physical examination incident to possible entry into the military forces of the
United States.
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B. Duration of Leave
Eligible employees shall be granted leave for period(s) defined in the orders.
C. Pay Status
Maximum military leave with pay for military purposes is 15 working days per calendar year.
Such leave shall be given without loss of pay, annual or sick leave, or performance rating,
and when relieved from duty, the employee shall be restored to their position.
Any portion of a military leave in excess of fifteen (15) working days during a calendar year shall
be unpaid/without pay, unless chargeable against accrued annual leave or compensatory time.
Upon receipt of military pay documentation, LSU will pay employees whose military base pay
is less than their LSU base pay the difference between their military base pay and their LSU
base pay in their regular position while on military leave (L.A.R.S. 29:405).
D. Use of Annual Leave/Compensatory Leave
An employee will be given military leave for military service as required by the Uniformed
Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. The employee may use accrued
annual leave, or accrued compensatory time, if available, for the military leave period.
E. Annual/Sick Leave Accrual
Employees who were in leave-accruing status continue to earn annual and/or sick leave while
on military leave (L.A.R.S. 29:406) and the military leave period is counted toward the
computation of leave accrual rates.
XII. SPECIAL LEAVE
A. Conditions for Special Leave
a. Leave with pay may be granted to an employee by a department head or other
appropriate administrative authority:
a. If a formal request is made through administrative channels to the President,
on a case-by-case basis due to employee hardship.
b. If the President determines that because of local conditions, it would be
impossible or impractical for the employee to report to work.
c. For limited periods, if assignments to other than regular duties at regular
locations (such as training or official travel) will prove beneficial to both the
employee and the university. In the case of academic deans, the Office of
Academic Affairs must review and approve such an action.
d. To participate in a State Civil Service examination or to take other
examinations pertinent to the employee's position. A department may set a
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reasonable cap on such participation for exams.
e. Leave with partial pay (Academic Subvention) may be granted to faculty to
accept distinguished fellowships. Requests must be made in writing and
approved through administrative channels to the LSU President or alternative
authority as delegated by the President (See PM-12 for Educational Privileges,
Educational Leave, and Sabbatical Leave)
XIII. WORKER'S COMPENSATION PAYMENT (See PS 90 for Administration of Worker's
Compensation)
A. Use of Sick and Annual Leave to Supplement Worker's Compensation
1. When an employee is absent from work due to disabilities for which they are entitled to
Worker's Compensation, the employee must use sick leave to supplement Worker's
Compensation payments so long as the combination of the value of the leave and
Worker's Compensation payments does not exceed the employee's regular salary. The
employee will be re-credited with an amount of leave equivalent to the value of the
Worker’s Compensation indemnity check.
2. An employee may be granted annual leave, when appropriate, so long as the
combination of annual leave and Worker's Compensation payments do not exceed the
employee's regular salary. The use of annual leave must be approved by HRM.
B. Acceptance of Other Employment While Receiving Worker's Compensation
In the event an individual receiving Worker's Compensation payments and/or sick or annual
leave payments should accept other employment, the Worker's Compensation payments and
the sick or annual leave payments may or may not be continued, depending upon the
circumstances and in accordance with the law.
XIV. SABBATICAL LEAVE (See PM 12 Educational Privileges, Educational Leave, and
Sabbatical Leave for details).
XV. LEAVE TO OBTAIN AN ADVANCED DEGREE
A. Criteria for Eligibility
Eligible full-time academic employees at the rank of Instructor (or equivalent) or above, and
full- time unclassified employees, may petition for a leave of absence with part pay for not more
than one year of study which will culminate in the receipt of an advanced degree within five
years. (See PM 12 Educational Privileges, Educational Leave, and Sabbatical Leave for
details).
XVI. EDUCATIONAL PRIVILEGES FOR OTHER ACADEMIC, UNCLASSIFIED AND CLASSIFIED
EMPLOYEES
A. Eligibility Criteria for Tuition Exemption
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Full-time classified, unclassified, and other academic, and faculty employees, may take
up to three clock hours per week per semester during work time without charge to annual
leave or with an approved flex schedule on file with department head as required by PM 12.
(See PM 12 Educational Privileges, Educational Leave, and Sabbatical Leave for details).
Note: The provisions of this policy do not apply to specialized self-supported educational
programs such as the Executive MBA Program or any fully online programs currently offered.
XVII. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE (FMLA) -all categories of employees
A. Eligibility Requirements
Eligible employees are entitled to up to twelve (12) work weeks of leave, in any year, for one or
more of the following qualifying events:
1. For the birth of a child and/or to care for the child,
2. For placement of a child through adoption or foster care,
3. For the care of the employee's spouse (wife or husband), son, daughter or
parent who has a serious health condition,
4. For the employee's own serious health condition which prevents the employee
from performing their essential duties.
B. Length of Service Eligibility
Employees who have worked for a Louisiana state agency for twelve (12) months and who have
worked 1,250 hours in the preceding twelve (12) month period from the time the leave is to begin
are considered eligible employees for the purposes of Family and Medical Leave.
C. Definition of "Any year"
For the purposes of this law and university policy, a year is defined as the twelve month
period beginning with the date the employee first uses FMLA designated leave. This shall be
referred to as a "first use year".
D. Notice Requirements
1. Advance Notice Requirement: Employees are required to provide thirty (30)
days advance notice, unless the qualifying event is unforeseeable or a medical
emergency.
2. Waiver of Advance Notice Requirement: When advance notice is impossible or
impractical, employees are required to notify their supervisors or other appropriate
departmental authority at the earliest possible time (at least one or two business
days from when the need for leave is known). Verbal approval must be granted
contingent upon submission of the FMLA Form 1 and verification of the qualifying
event.
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E. Physician Certification
Employees invoking Family and Medical Leave are required to have their physician or the
physician of record complete the FMLA Form 1 form (medical certification). This form must be
submitted within fifteen (15) calendar days of notice to use leave. In the case of Worker's
Compensation, standard physician certification in lieu of the FMLA Form 1 is acceptable.
F. Automatic Designation as FMLA
Sick leave absences in excess of five consecutive days will be automatically designated as FMLA
leave from the first day of the leave (unless medical certification shows the absence was
not a qualifying event under FMLA) and will require a medical certificate as permitted by
FMLA.
G. Intermittent Leave or a Reduced Leave Schedule
Intermittent leave or a reduced leave schedule must be approved in the following
circumstances:
1. For birth or placement of a child through adoption or for foster care, with mutual
agreement between the department and the employee, or, when medically
necessary and certified by the physician on the FMLA form 1 form or other
acceptable medical documentation.
2. In all other events, when medically necessary and certified by the physician on
the FMLA form 1 or other acceptable medical documentation.
H. Requirement to Take Paid Leave
Employees are required to take Annual or Sick Leave, depending on the nature of the
absence. The appropriate type of leave must be exhausted before approval will be granted to
use leave without pay for Family and Medical Leave.
I. Continuation of Health Care Benefits
1. Employees who have their health coverage with the state and who go on leave
without pay for Family and Medical Leave, and who wish to continue their health
care coverage will have the employer portion of the premium paid by LSU.
2. In such circumstances, employees are required to submit a GI-1 form (see
Section IX, E, 2, Leave of Absence Without Pay). The GI-1 requires the employee to
provide billing instructions for the employee portion of health premiums.
J. Requirement to Document All FMLA Leave
1. Whether or not the employee requests FMLA leave specifically, if the reason for
the leave qualifies as FMLA, it must be approved and documented as FMLA leave.
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2. FMLA leave must be selected when the leave of absence is submitted in LSU’s
HR system of record.
3. For recordkeeping purposes, FMLA leave requires that a leave action be
completed and submitted by the employee unless the employee is not available in
the work place or it would otherwise be impractical or impossible to submit the
action in LSU’s system of record (in these cases, the FMLA Form 1 action should
be submitted by the employee's timekeeper of manager.
K. Restoration after FMLA
Employees returning from Family and Medical Leave must be restored to their former positions
or equivalent positions with equivalent benefits.
L. Prohibition Against Retaliation
It is unlawful for any employer to interfere with, restrain or deny the exercise of any right
provided for under FMLA. Employees may not be retaliated against for invoking the Family and
Medical Leave.
M. Questionable Certifications for Medical Leave
If an employee submits a completed certification signed by a health care provider, the
employer may not request additional information from the employee's health care provider, but
may, through its health care provider request clarification and authentication of the
certification. If the employer doubts the validity of the certification, it may proceed as follows:
1. Second Opinion - With the approval of the Office of Human Resource
Management, the employee may be required to be examined by a health care
provider of the employer's designation and at the employer's expense. If the
second opinion does not agree with the employee's certification, the employer
can require a third opinion.
2. Third Opinion - With the approval of the Office of Human Resource Management,
the employee may be required to be examined by a health care provider mutually
approved by the employer and the employee at the employer's expense. The
third opinion is final and binding.
N. Submitting False Information
Any employee who submits false information regarding this Act shall be subject to disciplinary
action.
O. Impact of FMLA on Leave Sanctions
No leave (annual or sick) approved under FMLA may be used as a basis for, or in the
calculation of leave usage, for imposing leave sanctions.
XVIII. CRISIS LEAVE PROGRAM
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A. Purpose
The Crisis Leave Program is a means of providing paid leave to an eligible employee who has
experienced a catastrophic illness or injury to themselves or an eligible family member. The
intent of the program is to assist employees who, through no fault of their own, have
insufficient paid leave to cover the crisis leave period.
B. Crisis Leave Terms
Within the context of crisis leave, terms have the meanings indicated below:
1. Eligible employee is an employee of Louisiana State University (flagship
institution in Baton Rouge), who is eligible to earn annual or sick leave in
accordance with section IV of this policy. Classified employees must have
attained permanent status to donate or use crisis leave.
2. Eligible family member:
a. an individual living in the same household who is related to the employee by
kinship, adoption, or marriage or a foster child so certified by the Louisiana
Office of Children’s Services, or
b. an individual not living in the same household who is related to the employee
by kinship, adoption or marriage, and is totally dependent upon the employee
for personal care or services on a continuing basis.
c. Significant Other is an individual that is not married to the employee, but is
in a relationship with the employee that intended to remain indefinitely
where there is a joint responsibility for each other’s common welfare, there
are significant shared financial obligations, and there is a shared primary
residence.
3. Licensed Medical Service Provider (LMSP) is a practitioner, as defined in the
Louisiana State Licensing Law (relative to that LMSP’s field of service), who is
practicing within the scope of their license. This is to include licensed Physicians (a
Doctor of Medicine) or M.D., Doctor of Osteopathy or D.O., or Licensed
Chiropractors, Counselors, or Therapists as recognized and licensed by appropriate
state boards or authorities.
4. Catastrophic Injury or Illness is a severe condition or combination of conditions
that:
a. affects the physical or mental health of the employee, the employee’s
eligible family member, or significant other and;
b. requires the services of a licensed medical service provider for a prolonged
period of time; and
c. prevents the employee from performing their duties for a period of more
than ten consecutive days and forces the employee to exhaust all
appropriate leave described in other parts of this policy and to lose
compensation from the state.
5. Leave Pool Manager is the designee assigned by the Associate Vice President
for Human Resource Management.
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6. Crisis Leave Committee is a committee comprised of three members (staff
and/or faculty) and the Leave Pool Manager or designee. The Committee acts to
support the administration of the Crisis Leave program, review the pool and
program management practices by the Leave Pool Manager. When not otherwise
specified in written policy, the Committee may recommend operational guidelines
and procedures for the Crisis Leave Program.
C. Eligibility Requirements
An employee is not required to contribute to the Crisis Leave Pool to be eligible to receive crisis
leave within one calendar year. An eligible employee may apply to receive crisis leave if the
following requirements are met:
1.
the employee, employee’s eligible family member, or significant other suffers
from a catastrophic illness or injury or the employee experiences the birth or
adoption of a child and does not have sufficient annual and/or sick leave to
cover a minimum of six weeks of leave immediately following the birth or
adoption; and
2. the employee has exhausted all appropriate leave in accordance with this policy;
and
3. the employee has exhibited satisfactory attendance (with no history of leave
abuse), and is not absent from work due to disciplinary reasons; and
4. the catastrophic injury or illness is not occupationally related (therefore making
that employee eligible for workers’ compensation) or was not attained in the
commission of an assault or felony; and
5. the appropriate documentation from a LMSP is provided to the Leave Pool
Manager.
D. Amount of Crisis Leave that May Be Approved
The amount of crisis leave granted for each catastrophic illness or injury is determined by the
Leave Pool Manager with the exception of birth or adoption of a child, which grants six weeks
of annual and/or sick leave immediately following the birth or adoption if the employee does
not have sufficient paid leave to cover the six weeks. The amount of leave granted to an
employee will generally reflect the recommendations of the Licensed Medical Service
Provider (LMSP), subject to the following limits:
1. a maximum of 240 hours may be granted to an eligible employee during one
calendar year;
2. crisis leave may not be granted to any individual to extend paid leave status beyond
a total time in leave status of 12 weeks;
3. the total amount of leave granted will not exceed the balance of hours in the leave
pool at the time of the employee’s request;
4. the value of the annual and/or sick leave granted as crisis leave may not exceed
75% of the employee’s pay received in a regular workweek and the employee will
not accrue leave while using crisis leave.
E. Donation Procedures
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Contributions to the Crisis Leave Pool are strictly voluntary; no employee shall be coerced or
pressured to donate leave. An employee donating to the pool may not designate a particular
employee to receive donated time. The donor must complete a Donation to Crisis Leave form
and submit it to the Leave Pool Manager via email to the Office of Human Resource
Management. Donations are accumulated in the pool and awarded on a first-come, first-
served basis to eligible employees. Donations are restricted as follows:
1. an employee may donate a minimum of 4 hours of annual or sick leave, donations
beyond 4 hours must be made in whole hour increments;
2. donor must be in an annual or sick leave earning position;
3. donations are limited to 240 hours of annual or sick leave per employee per
calendar year;
4. a leave balance of 120 hours must be maintained after the donation;
5. donations are limited to 120 hours of annual leave upon separation or retirement.
F. Request Procedures
An employee may request leave from the Crisis Leave Pool by completing a Crisis Leave
Request form. The request must be submitted to the Leave Pool Manager with a copy of the
employee’s Certification of Physician or Practitioner (FMLA-1) form. The Leave Pool Manager
reviews the request to make sure that the employee is eligible to receive crisis leave. The
employee requesting crisis leave must provide all requested information necessary to make a
final determination of eligibility.
G. Confidentiality of Requests
All requests for crisis leave must be treated as confidential. All requests and
documentation for crisis leave are to be submitted in envelopes marked “confidential.”
H. Adjudication of Requests
Each request will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. When possible, a request is to
be submitted at least 10 days before the crisis leave is needed. The Leave Pool Manager is
allowed five working days from the date a request is received (with the required
documentation) to approve all or part of the request, or deny the request, and communicate
such approval or denial to the employee.
If the request is approved, the Leave Pool Manager will credit the approved time to the
employee’s leave record.
I. Use of Crisis Leave
Approved crisis leave is used for a maximum of 75% effort and is documented in accordance
with the same procedures as regular paid leave taken by the employee.
Employees that do not earn annual leave are only eligible to use sick leave donations of crisis
leave.
J. Changes in Status Affecting Crisis Leave
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1. Crisis leave may be used only for the circumstances for which it was requested.
If any change occurs in the nature or severity of an illness or injury, or of any
other factor on which the approval was based, the employee must provide
documentation describing the change to the Leave Pool Manager. The employee
may request additional crisis leave subject to the limits outlined above. Extensions
of crisis leave are not automatic. Each request for extension will be addressed on
a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Use of leave from the Crisis Leave Pool for reasons other than those stipulated
and approved by the Leave Pool Manager and/or failure to abide by procedures
and requirements outlined in this policy may constitute payroll fraud and will be
addressed accordingly.
3. Employees who are able to return to work before using all crisis leave granted
must notify their department head or timekeeper of their effective return date.
The department head or timekeeper will then notify via email the Leave Pool
Manager in the Office of Human Resource Management so that the unused
crisis leave can be returned to the Crisis Leave Pool.
K. Compensation and Benefits
1. Crisis leave will be paid at the receiving employee’s rate of pay.
2. An employee in crisis leave status will be considered in partial paid leave status and
will continue to receive benefits as appropriate.
3. Employees on crisis leave will not accrue paid leave.
L. Financial Impact
1. The cost of the crisis leave period will be borne by the recipient’s employing unit.
2. HRM will maintain records on crisis leave donated and used on a dollar value basis.
M. Appeals
The decision to approve or deny crisis leave requests by the Leave Pool Manager is final and
not subject to appeal.
XIX. FUNERAL LEAVE
Employees may be granted up to two days of leave with pay per occasion when attending the
funeral or burial rites of a parent, step-parent, child, step-child, brother, step-brother, sister, step-
sister, spouse, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild; provided such leave shall
not exceed two days on any one occasion; provided such leave shall not exceed two days on any
one occasion. Employees may request annual leave or leave without pay to attend funeral or
burial rites of friends or of relatives not specified.
XX. SOURCES
LSU Board of Supervisors Bylaws and Regulations
PM-5 Holiday Schedule
PM-12 Educational Privileges, Educational Leave, and Sabbatical Leave
PM-20 Leave Policies Academic & Unclassified & Classified Employees
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Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
Chapter 11 of the Civil Service Rules
Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994
L.A.R.S. 29:405
L.A.R.S. 29:406
L.A.R.S. 11:424
L.A.R.S. 17:425.1
L.A. R.S. 42:441