There will be occasions when support staff members find it necessary to be absent from work for an extended period for their own health reasons. In such times, regular full-time employees, who have completed at least one year of service with the College, may be eligible to participate in the short-term disability leave program.
There is a 10-working day waiting period before the paid short-term disability leave begins. Support staff employees are required to use accrued sick and vacation leave during this 10-day waiting period to maintain compensation and benefits. Paid short-term disability leave will begin on the 11th working day of the leave, and may continue for up to 24 weeks in a three-year period measured backward from the date an employee uses such leave (i.e. leave is limited to the balance of 24 weeks not used in the past three years). Eligible employees need not take short term disability leave all at one time. Rather, the STD leave may be exhausted for multiple occurrences so long as the total amount of leave does not exceed 24 weeks in a three-year period (the ten day waiting period described above is waived for subsequent occurrences of the same condition). This paid leave is at 100% of the standard weekly hours budgeted for the employee. Employees will only be paid for a maximum of 48 weeks of short-term disability leave (two 24-week leaves) during their employment at Gettysburg College. Short-term disability leave will not be counted towards the 16 weeks of family and medical leave described in this section.
An affected support staff employee must provide the supervisor with a physician's note certifying that the employee is unable to work and the projected date of return to work. The College reserves the right to follow up with the employee's physician or a physician of the College's choice as necessary, and to require the employee's cooperation in such process, to determine eligibility. Paid leaves continue (for up to 24 weeks) until the physician releases the employee to return to work. An employee's supervisor must receive this release for work before the employee is allowed to return to work.
Employees on a paid leave under this policy are strictly prohibited from engaging in any other employment during the period of any leave. Should the College learn that any employee engaged in any other employment during a period of paid leave under this policy, the employee will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
In some cases, a physician will allow an employee to return to work with restrictions. If an employee is released to work on a part-time basis, or misses work on an intermittent basis, short term disability may not be used to supplement income. An employee may use accrued leave time (vacation or sick leave) to supplement part-time hours or to cover intermittent absences. The supervisor is required to forward the physician's certification to the Human Resources and Risk Management Office for placement in the employee's medical file. Contact the Human Resources and Risk Management Office Staff for further details.