The purpose of this policy is to establish employee protections against loss of income due to illness or disability. This policy coordinates with the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Illinois Workers Compensation Act, Illinois Sick Leave Act, and Paid Secure Leave. Refer to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy and Compliance & Risk Management for further details.
This policy affects the following groups of the University:
Full-Time Staff
Part-Time Staff
Full-Time Faculty
Part-Time Faculty
Student Employees
This policy affects all of the above groups.
Sick time may be used for the following purposes:
An employee is ill or injured or is receiving professional care, including preventative care, diagnosis, or treatment, for medical, mental, or behavioral issues, including substance use disorders.
An employee's family member is ill, injured, or ordered to quarantine, or an employee is caring for a family member receiving professional care, including preventative care, diagnosis, or treatment, for medical or behavioral issues, including substance use disorders.
An employee or an employee's family member is a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or human trafficking.
The university is closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency, or an employee needs to care for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency.
An employee obeys an order issued by the Mayor of Chicago, the Governor of Illinois, the Chicago Department of Public Health, or a treating healthcare provider that requires an employee to:
(i) stay at home to minimize the transmission of a communicable disease;
(ii) remain at home while experiencing symptoms or sick with a communicable disease;
(iii) obey a quarantine order issued to the employee; or
(iv) obey an isolation order issued to the employee
Preventive medical care may encompass doctor’s visits for wellness check-ups, obstetrical appointments for pregnant women, routine medical test procedures, and other preventive care. Employees are not required to use vacation time under this policy as it contributes to overall employee health and wellness.
Student employees may use up to sixty (60) hours of paid sick time under this policy per year.
Accrual begins on the first day after the start of employment. Part-time non-exempt employees accrue sick time at a rate of one (1) hour for every forty (40) hours work and may begin using the sick time as it accrues.
Any accrued but unused paid leave under this policy will be carried forward from year to year; however, in no event may more than sixty (60) hours of accrued sick time be used in any given year.
When the need for sick time is known in advance (for example, scheduled treatments, appointments, etc.), employees must provide at least seven (7) days' notice of the need for leave. If the need for sick time is not foreseeable, employees must provide notice as soon as is practicable via the best method available, including telephone call, text message or email.
If an employee anticipates being absent or is absent due to illness for more than five (5) continuous working days the employee must contact DePaul's leave of absence administrator by following the steps outlined on the HRBenefits website, under Leave of absence > Short-term Disability tab, to initiate the leave of absence process.