A leave of absence is permission granted by the Board, or allowed under its adopted Policies, for an employee to be absent from duty for specified periods of time with the right of returning to employment on the expiration of the leave. All absences of employees from duty shall be covered by leave duly authorized and granted. A leave of absence may be with or without pay unless otherwise provided by law, rules of the State Board of Education, specified by Board policy, and/or negotiated contracts.
Approval for Leave
Leave shall be officially granted in advance and shall be used for the purposes set forth in the leave application. Absence due to emergencies may not be a violation of leave procedures if prompt report is made by the employee to the proper supervisor
No leave, except military leave, shall be granted for a period of greater than one (1) year.
At the expiration of any type of approved leave of absence, if additional leave is desired, a new leave application must be filed and additional leave may be granted. Automatic renewals of leave shall not be allowed. Requests for leaves and extensions of leaves may be approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee based on the needs of the school system and in compliance with applicable laws.
Employees will not accrue annual leave or sick leave while on leave of absence without pay.
Administrative Procedures
The Superintendent shall develop Administrative Procedures to implement this Policy, including but not limited to, further defining the types of leave available to employees and providing instructions to all employees regarding the process to obtain approved leave, where such procedures are not outlined in the negotiated agreements. The Superintendent shall also establish procedures for reporting an individual’s unused sick leave balance for transfer to or from PGCPS.
If the terms of a collective bargaining agreement differ from this Policy, the language of the employee’s agreement will take precedence.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: §§4-108 (3) and (4), 4-311 (a) (2) (iii), Educ. Article, Md. Code Ann.
LAWS/REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTED: Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. §2602 et seq., 29 C.F.R. Part 285; Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act, 38 U.S.C. §4301 et seq., §6-111, Educ. Article, Md. Code Ann.; COMAR 13A.07.02.03; COMAR 13A.07.03.02
Policy Adopted 2/24/11
Updated February 24, 2011
