Vacation
and Leave Policies
RFMH maintains liberal leave policies for vacation, sick time (including bereavement leave) and personal time. Employees accrue leave benefits on the basis of biweekly pay periods. Part time employees who work at least 50% of a full time schedule accumulate prorated leave time. Prorated leave time is based only on the total number of hours worked - not on the number of days per week that these hours are scheduled. The specifics of leave accrual for full time ongoing employees may be accessed through the links below.
For more information, contact Lorena Jimenez (x5721), ljiminez@rf.cpmc.columbia.edu
Employees must notify their supervisors of the need for leave as soon as the employee has knowledge that leave time will be required. If the leave is to be taken because of the birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or for foreseeable medical treatment at least 30 days notice is required, whenever possible. The Foundation will require certification for the need for leave. When leave is due to a serious health condition, the certification must be provided by the doctor providing medical attention to the patient. The certification must include:
The Foundation may require verification of the need for leave by requesting the employee seek a second medical opinion. If the Foundation requires a second medical opinion the Foundation will select a physician of its choice and pay for the cost of obtaining the second opinion. If the first and second medical opinions differ the Foundation may require a third medical opinion. If this becomes necessary the Foundation and the employee will mutually select a physician and the Foundation will pay the cost of obtaining the opinion. Failure to obtain the second and/or third medical opinion when requested will result in denial of leave.
Leave will be granted on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis when necessary because of the nature of the medical condition and the scheduling of medical treatment. For example, as might be required for chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer patients.
The Foundation will consider granting FMLA leave on an intermittent or reduced work schedule to care for a new born or newly placed adopted or foster child on a case by case basis. Factors that will be taken into consideration are length of employment, the performance record of the employee and business necessity as related to the job of the employee requesting such leave.
Leave to care for a new child must be completed within 12 months of the birth or placement of the child. When both the parents of a new born or newly placed child work at the Foundation only a total of 12 weeks leave will be granted to the parents.
While an employee is on leave, the Foundation will continue to pay its share of your health care premium. You must make arrangements with Personnel to continue to pay your part of the premium which is due the first of each month. Failure to pay your share of the premium could result in the loss of your health insurance benefits which may result in loss of your COBRA rights.
Employees may use available vacation and/or personal leave while on a leave to care for a new child. If the leave is to care for a sick child, parent, spouse or for the employee's own illness, available sick time may also be used up to a maximum of 15 days. If leave is used because of the employee's serious health condition for which they are receiving workers' compensation or other benefits, accrued paid time off may be used in such a manner to bring the employee's total income equal to his/her normal earnings.
When leave is taken because of the employee's illness he/she must present a "release to work" from the attending physician before the employee will be allowed to return.
Whenever possible, employees who return at the end of the approved leave time will be restored to the position they held when the leave began. If the same position is not available the employee will be restored to an equivalent position. However, if the position has been eliminated due to loss of funding, there may not be an equivalent position available. The only exception to this policy of restoration may be made with salaried employees who fall within the 10% most highly compensated employees of the Foundation.
Whenever there is a question of definition
of a term used in this policy, the definitions used in the Act will apply.
At the time of separation from employment,
there will be no payment made for unused personal leave.
A doctor's note may be required after the 3rd day of charged sick time.
At the time of separation from employment,
there will be no payment made for unused sick leave.
In exceptional cases, the Foundation Administrative Office may grant a leave of absence without pay (LWOP) for personal, non FMLA reasons. LWOP must be approved in advance by Foundation administration, otherwise they will be considered unauthorized absences which may subject the employee to disciplinary action. The following rules apply to LWOP:
1. There is no guarantee of re-employment.
2. LWOP is not granted for more than one year.
3. LWOP can not be used to accept temporary employment elsewhere.
4. LWOP is granted at the discretion of the project director and the Foundation administration.
5. You can continue your health and dental insurance coverage by pre-paying the full share of your health and dental insurance premium (Employer and Employee share).
6. All other Foundation benefits, benefit eligibility periods, and time accruals are frozen.
7. Your anniversary dates for computing certain benefits and future leave accruals may be adjusted upon your return.
8. If you are not re-employed within
ten (10) calendar days after the approved LWOP ends, you are considered terminated
retroactively to the date the leave began.
Full time employees begin to earn vacation credits after the completion of thirteen (13) biweekly pay periods. Once past this waiting period, you receive credit going back to your employment date. If your employment terminates before you complete the eligibility period, you do not receive any vacation credit. You may not take paid vacation leave until this waiting period is past.
Once you have completed the eligibility period you earn one-half (1/2) day vacation every two (2) weeks, with one bonus day added on the anniversary day of your employment for each year worked, up to seven (7). After seven (7) years, therefore, you will receive the maximum regular vacation accrual of twenty (20) days vacation per year.
After seven (7) years, accruals are credited differently, but you continue to earn twenty (20) days per year:
For employees working forty (40) hours per week, vacation is credited at twelve and one-quarter (12 1/4) hours each four (4) week period with an extra three-quarters (3/4) of an hour credited on the anniversary date of continuous employment. For employees who work thirty-seven and one-half (37 1/2) hours a week, and have worked for at least seven (7) years, vacation is credited at eleven and one half (11 1/2) hours for each four (4) week period with an extra half (1/2) hour credit on the employee's anniversary date. (Employees with over twenty (20) years of service earn bonus vacation credit in recognition of their longevity.)
Part time employees are entitled to vacation leave accruals on a pro-rata basis. Specifically, after part time employees have completed nineteen (19) biweekly payroll periods, the accumulate vacation leave is prorated by representing their regular work schedule as a percentage of a full time work schedule. Thus, an employee whose normal work schedule is fifty percent (50%) of a full time schedule earns leave credits at one half (1/2) the rate of a full time employee.
Before taking vacation leave, employees must obtain the written approval of their supervisor.
At the time of separation from employment, there will be no payment made for unused vacation time if you have worked less than six months. If you have worked more than six months you will be paid for your unused vacation up to a maximum of 30 days, provided you are not terminated for criminal reasons or if resigning, you have given two (2) weeks notice.
An employee may accrue more than
30 days per year (prorated for part-time) provided that the employees balance
of vacation credits does not exceed 40 days on January 1st of any year.
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