SPECIAL LEAVE & INCLEMENT WEATHER

Jury Duty

When permanent school employees are absent from work to serve on a jury, no deduction is made from their regular salaries. Employees are entitled to their regular compensation plus any fees received for jury duty. 

Court Attendance

When employees are absent from work to attend court in connection with their official duty or because they were subpoenaed as a witness to a crime, no salary deduction is made. Except for travel reimbursement, any fees received in an official capacity must be returned to the Chatham County Schools. If, however, an employee must be absent from work as a defendant, plaintiff, or witness in a case for personal matters, no salary is received unless the employee uses appropriate vacation leave or personal leave. Full-time or part-time public school employees who are absent for appearance in court as plaintiffs, defendants, or witnesses for personal matters, even if subpoenaed, shall not be entitled to receive any salary payment for those days, unless they are using appropriate, approved earned leave. (NOTE: School personnel who are responding to subpoenas for civic responsibilities, such as a witness to a crime, are eligible for paid court attendance leave.)

Unpaid Parental Leave

Permanent full-time and part-time school employees may request a leave of absence using appropriate paid leave and/or leave without pay for up to one (1) calendar year immediately following the birth or adoption for the care of a child. The unpaid leave of absence may be extended for the remainder of the school year when this leave would otherwise end in the latter half of the school year. 

Career Status employees approved for a leave of absence retain career status upon return from the authorized leave. Probationary teachers must begin a new probationary period if a leave of absence, paid or unpaid, prevents the probationary teacher from completing four (4) consecutive years of 120 workdays in each year in the same school system. Unless, the probationary teacher in a full-time, permanent position did not work for at least 120 workdays in a 215 day school year because the teacher was on sick leave, disability leave, or both, that school year shall not be deemed to constitute:

(a) a consecutive year of service for the teacher, or

(b) a break in the continuity in consecutive years of service for the teacher.


Paid Parental Leave (state approved benefit enacted July 1, 2023)

A permanent, probationary, or time-limited full-time employee who becomes a parent to a child under the age of 18 years by birth, adoption or placement in foster care may take the following paid parental leave: 1. Up to eight weeks of paid leave after giving birth to a child; or 2. Up to four weeks of paid leave after any other qualifying event. 

A permanent, probationary, or time-limited part-time employee may take a prorated amount of paid leave after giving birth. Part-time employees receive the same amount of leave as full-time employees. Employees who work less than full-time hours will receive compensation for paid parental leave based on the percentage of the total wages for that job that reflects the actual time worked. For the immediate twelve months preceding months, the employee must have been employed by a North Carolina public school in a permanent, probationary, or time-limited appointment without a break in service. The employee must have been in pay status for at least 1,040 hours in the previous 12-month period to qualify for paid parental leave.  Temporary employees, and independent contractors are not eligible for paid parental leave.

Family Medical Leave Act

The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) as amended allows eligible employees who have been employed for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 month period to take 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for their own serious medical condition or that of an immediate family member (parent, spouse, or child).  The 12-month period in which the 12 weeks of leave entitlement occurs will be from July 1 to June 30.  Additionally, leave may be taken without pay for up to 12 weeks for the birth or adoption of a child. During the 12 weeks, the employer-paid portion of health benefits will be maintained for the employee only.  Dependent coverage can be maintained if the employee continues to pay monthly premium costs. 

Accrued leave will be substituted for any FMLA-eligible leave upon the request of the employee or the decision of the school district. Employees of the school district also may substitute extended sick leave for instructional personnel, or disability leave for FMLA-eligible leave. If paid leave is substituted under circumstances which qualify as FMLA leave, the leave can be counted towards the 12-week entitlement of FMLA leave if designated as FMLA-eligible at the time leave is taken.  If paid leave is substituted for unpaid FMLA leave for continuous leave of more than 10 days, all employees may be asked to provide notice for foreseeable and unforeseeable leave, medical certification, fitness for duty certification, and notice of intent to return to work at reasonable time intervals during the leave. 

Military Leave

Leave with pay is granted to members of reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces for certain periods of active duty training and for state military duty. Leave with pay is extended to full-time or part-time permanent school employees, normally not to exceed 15 working days during the federal fiscal year (October 1st – September 30th), for training and military maneuvers. Military leave without pay can be granted for one enlistment period of active service, not to exceed five years plus 90 days.   Paid military leave is treated like any other paid leave. The employee shall continue to accumulate leave and receive health insurance for self.  Employees on leaves of absences for state or federal military duty under honorable services status, for required training, or for special emergency management service shall be paid the difference in military base pay and state salary, including non-performance based bonuses, when the military pay is less than the state salary. Differential pay shall be paid from the same source of funds as the employees’ public school salary. 

Under certain circumstances, an employee may receive teaching experience credit and retirement credit for service in the military, in accordance with State Board regulations. 

Leave of Absence Without Pay

An employee may be granted leaves of absence without pay for the following reasons and for a period of time up to one (1) calendar year, renewable at the discretion of the superintendent with approval by the Board. 

Employees may secure a leave of absence form from the Human Resources Division web page. 

Return from Long-Term Leave of Absence

When an employee returns to work from an approved leave of absence without pay, the school district will attempt to place that employee in his/her original position if possible. However, when this is not possible, the employee will be placed in an equivalent position within the school system. 

Inclement Weather / Remote Day Employee Absence Reporting & Make-Up Time

Inclement Weather/Remote Day - Employee Absence Reporting & Make-Up Time