Classified staff accrue leave at the end of each semi-monthly pay period in proportion to the number of hours they work. Employees earn leave before using leave. When possible, employees should request approval to use leave, in advance. Employees adhere to the institution’s timekeeping process by:

• Submitting approved leave requests promptly into RealTime within the same pay period
• Reviewing their leave statements on eServices/VCU Self Service every pay period for accuracy and available balances
• Resolving leave discrepancies promptly with their timekeepers
• Classified employees hired or rehired to the state on and after 7/1/1999 should refer to the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program plan for sick leave

Annual Leave: Employees use annual leave for vacation, personal business or after they have exhausted other types of leave. This leave is accrued after each semi-monthly pay period when an employee works the entire pay period or has appropriate leave to cover an absence. Please note: Classified staff who are in a leave without pay status during a semi-monthly pay period do not accrue annual leave for that pay period.

Part-time classified employees accrue annual leave at a proportionate rate. The university pays part time staff for their unused annual leave balances up to the maximum allowed upon separation as shown in the chart for full time employees. On January 9^th of each leave year, classified employees forfeit all unused annual leave hours that exceed the carry-over limits.

Traditional Sick Leave Program (TSLP):

Personal sick leave - This leave is used for personal illness or injury and health-related appointments. Full-time classified staff accrue 5 hours of sick leave semi-monthly. There is no limit to the number of sick leave hours an employee may accumulate. Please note: Employees who are in a leave without pay status during a semi-monthly pay period do not accrue sick leave for that pay period. Sick leave is used to cover absences certified as medically necessary by a health care provider. Generally, after all sick leave is used additional time off for personal illness may be covered by personal and family leave, annual, or holiday leave balances, or take leave without pay. Unused traditional sick leave is payable at 25 percent of the balance not to exceed $5,000.

Family sick leave - An employee may use up to 48 hours (6 days) from their existing sick leave balance for any illness, injury or death of an immediate family member (See Family and Medical Leave for longer term and serious health conditions). The annual limit is 48 hours (6 days) in a leave year, Jan 10 through Jan 9 of the following year. Additional time taken for family illness that is eligible under FMLA may be covered by using sick leave (up to 33 percent of remaining balance), annual, or holiday leave balances, or take leave without pay. Annual, or holiday leave balances, or leave without pay must cover the additional time off for family illness that does not qualify for FMLA.

Maternity/paternity - For absences due to pregnancy, sick leave may be used by the childbearing parent to cover the period of time the employee is medically disabled (normally 6 weeks). Additional time may be taken by using sick leave (up to 33 percent of remaining balance), or annual, or holiday leave balances, or take leave without pay. (Refer to VCU’s FMLA policy.) Childbearing leave for the second parent is governed by the rules shown under the family sick leave section.

Adoption/foster care - Employees may use up to 33 percent of their existing sick leave balance for adoption or foster care. Annual, or holiday leave balances, or leave without pay may cover additional time off.

Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP): Classified staff hired Jan. 1, 1999 and after are automatically enrolled in VSDP.

This leave provides employees with:

• Sick leave and personal and family leave
• Short-term disability income replacement (subject to approval):
  • Less than 5 years of service income replacement is at 60 percent, if hired July 1, 2009 or later
  • More than 5 years of service income replacement is at 100 percent, 80 percent and 60 percent based on years of service for up to 25 weeks beginning on the 8^th calendar day of disability
• Employees who enrolled in the VSDP during the initial enrollment period may have converted their existing sick leave balances to disability credits. They may use these credits to replace periods of less than 100 percent income while on short-term disability
• Long-term disability income replacement (subject to approval) at 60 percent of salary beginning at the end of short term disability and lasting to the end of the disability or until eligibility is met for unreduced VRS retirement
• VSDP claim that begins within 5 years of eligibility for unreduced VRS retirement, may continue for up to 5 years

To use this benefit, the employee must complete the following steps:

• Notify manager about the need for short-term disability
• Request the short-term disability DocuSign form from their HR Professional/HR Associate
• Request FMLA DocuSign forms from their HR Professional/HR Associate
• Contact the third party administrator to submit a claim. The administrator is determined by the length of state service. Below is how to determine your third party administrator. If you:
  • Have more than 1 continuous year, or if covered by VSDP with less than 1 year of VSDP participation but it is a work related injury, contact VSDP’s short-term disability third party administrator: The Reed Group 1-877-928-7021
  • Are not covered by VSDP due to less than 1 year of state service, or are in VCU’s Optional Retirement Plan (ORP), contact the university’s short-term disability third party administrator: The Standard 1-800-378-2395.
  • Submit leave through VCU RealTime to cover the short-term disability waiting period. The first 5 working days are charged to the employee’s leave. If the claim is not approved within the 5 day time period, the employee may continue on leave until the claim is approved. If the claim is approved retroactively, the employee’s leave balance is credited for any days charged over the minimum 5 days required.

Sick Leave: Employees may use sick leave for their own short term illness or toward the waiting period for short term disability benefits. Employees may use up to 33 percent of their sick leave for a family illness covered by FMLA. Employees accrue sick leave based on length of service. Sick leave accruals are credited at the beginning of the leave calendar year, and balances do not carry forward to the next year, and are not paid upon separation. Classified employees receive a limited amount of sick leave each year which cannot be carried over. The amount of sick leave given is based on the employee’s years of service. 

Following are accrual rates for current full-time and part-time classified staff.

Personal and Family Leave - Employees may use personal and family leave for absences due to family or personal illness, death of a family member, or for other personal needs. Employees accrue leave based on length of service. Leave accruals are credited at the beginning of the leave calendar year. Leave balances do not carry forward to the next year and are not paid upon separation. 

Following are the accrual rates are for all classified employees:

Parental Leave: Classified staff who have been employed by the Commonwealth for a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive months are eligible for parental leave.

Following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child younger than 18 years of age, an eligible employee will:

• Receive eight (8) weeks or (320 hours) of parental leave
• If both parents are eligible employees, each individual shall receive parental leave which may be taken concurrently, consecutively, or at different times
• Take parental leave within six (6) months following the birth, adoption or foster placement of the child,
• Take parental leave once in a 12 month period and only once per child
• Be provided income at 100% of the eligible employee’s regular salary
• Not have their annual or sick leave taken for parental leave
• Not have VCU holidays counted against their parental leave
• Have parental leave run concurrently with leave provided under FMLA, if eligible
• Parental leave run concurrently or sequentially with VSDP, if the employee is eligible for VSDP

To use this benefit, the employee must complete the following steps. 

• Notify manager about the need for parental leave
• Request the parental leave DocuSign form from their HR Professional/HR Associate
• This benefit applies to parents of biological, surrogate, adopted, or foster children
  • For example, an employee who gives birth and is medically cleared and no longer under medical care and short-term disability, should complete a parental leave DocuSign form to request parental leave to cover the remainder of the possible 12 week period. They may submit this form at the same time short-term disability is requested to express their intent to use parental leave
• Request FMLA DocuSign forms from their HR Professional/HR Associate
• Manager approves the parental leave DocuSign form. The employee is notified of approval and the expected date for the employee’s return to work

Reporting Increments: The Commonwealth of Virginia requires Classified Staff to report leave in 15-minute increments. Link to Timekeeping Guidelines: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/timekeeping/.