Sick/Bereavement Leave: Non-Faculty Athletic Coaches

Sick leave can be requested for absences related to:

• An employee's illness or injury, including birth of a child. For more information, see Parental Leave.
• An employee's medical appointments
• Care for a family member
• Bereavement for the death of a family member. (see below for more detail)

Regular full-time coaches earn fifteen (15) days for each 47-week service period.

Regular part-time coaches earn sick leave on a pro-rated basis, based on full-time equivalency. For questions, please email Human Resources at human-resources@iup.edu.

Coaches who accumulate a minimum of fifty (50) days of sick leave are required to contribute one (1) day of sick leave per year to the Faculty Sick Leave Bank maintained by the local APSCUF office.

Sick Leave is used for a sporadic day off due to an employee's illness/injury. Employees must have at least 30 calendar days of service before paid sick leave can be used. Employees with less than one year of service may only request and be approved to use paid sick leave that has been earned as of the date of the absence. Employees with more than one year of service may request and be approved to use sick leave that is expected to be earned in the current leave calendar year.

1. Assistant coaches are to notify the head coach, and head coaches are to notify the athletic director via departmental procedures (i.e., phone call, email, or text).
2. Submit your time off work via Employee Self Service (ESS) using the reason code Sick Leave.
3. For three (3) or more consecutive days off, a doctor's excuse must be provided to your supervisor and the Office of Human Resources.
   
   

• Sick Leave shall be charged for each day a coach is scheduled to work.
• No coach shall be charged more than five (5) days of sick leave for a week and no more than seven and one half (7.5) hours of sick leave per day.
• No Sick Leave shall be used if the reason for the absence is an accidental injury which occurred while the coach was engaged in paid work unrelated to university duties.
• Coaches who have exhausted all accumulated sick leave may submit a request to the local APSCUF office to use days from the APSCUF Sick Leave Bank.

Bereavement Leave is used for time away from work due to the death of a family member.

• Eligible coaches may use up to five (5) days of sick leave for the death of a spouse, domestic partner, parent, step-parent, child or step-child.
• Eligible coaches may use up to three (3) days of sick leave for the death of a brother, sister, grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild, step-grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parent-in-law, grandparent-in-law, aunt, uncle or any relative residing in the coach's household.
• For absences that exceed the limits above, an employee may request to use Personal or Unpaid Leave subject to supervisor's approval.

1. Assistant Coaches are to notify the Head Coach and Head Coaches are to notify the Athletic Director via departmental procedures (i.e., phone call, email, or text).
2. Submit the first three (3) days off work via Employee Self Service (ESS) using the reason code, Sick Bereavement Faculty.
3. If taken, submit the next two (2) days off work via Employee Self Service (ESS) using the reason code, Sick Bereavement.

Sick Leave FMLA may be used for applicable intermittent absences and/or an extended period of time away from work for five or more consecutive days due to an employee's illness/injury.

• Employees must have at least 30 calendar days of service before paid sick leave can be used.
• Employees with less than 1 year of service may only request to use sick leave that has been earned to date.
• Employees with less than 1 year of service may request to use sick leave that is expected to be earned in the current leave calendar year.
• Upon commencement of each FMLA absence, employees must use all applicable accrued Sick Leave, but may save up to twenty (20) sick days.
• For more information, please refer to the APSCUF Non-Faculty Athletic Coaches Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 9/Section 1 Sick Leave or call the Office of Human Resources.

1. Review the FMLA Notice to Coaches and Employee Rights and Responsibilities under the FMLA.
2. Complete the Request for FMLA Leave form for Coaches.
3. Have your healthcare provider complete the Certification Form for Employee's Serious Health Condition. (Note: Healthcare providers may charge a fee to complete forms necessary for FMLA certification.)
4. Return both completed forms to the Office of Human Resources c/o Benefits Manager for review. A designation notice will be sent to you with approval determination and further instructions on leave continuation.
5. Submit a Release to Return to Work Form from your healthcare provider to your supervisor and the Office of Human Resources upon release to return to work by your physician.
6. Entry in ESS is not required by the employee.

A serious health condition is defined by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves any one of the following:

• An overnight stay in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility to receive inpatient care, including incapacity or treatment in connection with such a stay;
• A period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days, including any subsequent treatment or period of incapacity relating to the condition, that also involves one of the following: Treatment two or more times by a healthcare provider; or treatment by a healthcare provider on at least one occasion which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the healthcare provider;
• Any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, or for prenatal care;
• A chronic condition that requires periodic visits for treatment by a healthcare provider; continues over an extended period of time (including recurring episodes of an underlying condition); and may cause episodic rather than a continuing period of incapacity (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.);
• Incapacity of permanent or long-term nature due to a condition for which treatment may not be effective. The patient must be under the continuing supervision of the healthcare provider even if not receiving active treatment (e.g., Alzheimer's, a severe stroke, or the terminal stages of a disease); or
• Any period of absence to receive multiple treatments by the healthcare provider for at least one of the following: Restorative surgery after an accident or other injury; or for a condition that would likely result in a period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days in absence of medical intervention (e.g., chemotherapy for cancer, physical therapy for severe arthritis, or dialysis for kidney disease).

Sick Family Leave is used for a sporadic day off due to a family member's illness/injury. Family member is defined as: spouse, child, step-child, foster child, child of domestic partner, parent, or sibling.

1. Assistant Coaches are to notify the Head Coach and Head Coaches are to notify the Athletic Director via departmental procedures (i.e., phone call, email, or text).
2. Submit your time off work via Employee Self Service (ESS) using the reason code Sick Family.
3. For three (3) or more consecutive days off, a doctor's excuse must be provided to your supervisor and the Office of Human Resources.

Sick Family Leave FMLA may be used for applicable intermittent absences and/or for an extended period of time away from work of three or more consecutive days due to a family member's illness/injury.  Family member is defined as: spouse, child, step-child, foster child, child of domestic partner, parent, or sibling.

• Coaches earn five (5) Sick Family days after 30 calendar days of service.
• Coaches may not use more than five (5) days of Sick Leave in each Contract of Employment year.
• Once Sick Family Leave is exhausted, Personal Leave can be used. Once Personal Leave is exhausted, the remaining time off work will be unpaid leave.
• Upon commencement of each FMLA absence, employees must use all applicable accrued Sick Leave, but may save up to twenty (20) sick days.
• For more information, please refer to the APSCUF Non-Faculty Athletic Coaches Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 9, Leaves of Absences/Section 5: Family Care Leave or call the Office of Human Resources.

1. Review the FMLA Notice to Coaches and Employee Rights and Responsibilities under the FMLA.
2. Complete one of the forms below, based on your reason for the leave:
   1. Request for FMLA Leave form
   2. Request for Military Caregiver Leave form, signed by your Head Coach or Athletic Director
   3. Request for Military Exigency Leave form, signed by your Head Coach or Athletic Director
3. Have your family member's  healthcare provider complete one of the below forms, based on your request for leave: (Note: Healthcare providers may charge a fee to complete forms necessary for FMLA certification.)
   1. Certification Form for Family Member's Serious Health Condition
   2. Certification Form for Serious Illness/Injury of Service Member (Military Caregiver Leave)
   3. Certification Form for Serious Illness/Injury of Veteran (Military Caregiver Leave)
   4. Certification Form for Military Exigency Leave
4. Return all completed forms to the Office of Human Resources c/o Benefits Manager for review. A designation notice will be sent to you with approval determination and further instructions on leave continuation.
5. Submit time off from work via Employee Self Service (ESS) using the reason codes: Sick Family; Sick Family (FMLA); Annual Leave; Annual Leave (FMLA); Personal Leave; Approved Absence or Unpaid FMLA. For more information, please refer to the APSCUF Non-Faculty Athletic Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 9 Leaves of Absences/Section 5: Family Care Leave or call the Office of Human Resources.

A serious health condition is defined by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves any one of the following:

• An overnight stay in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility to receive inpatient care, including incapacity or treatment in connection with such a stay;
• A period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days, including any subsequent treatment or period of incapacity relating to the condition, that also involves one of the following: Treatment two or more times by a healthcare provider; or treatment by a healthcare provider on at least one occasion which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the healthcare provider;
• Any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, or for prenatal care;
• A chronic condition that requires periodic visits for treatment by a healthcare provider; continues over an extended period of time (including recurring episodes of an underlying condition); and may cause episodic rather than a continuing period of incapacity (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.);
• Incapacity of permanent or long-term nature due to a condition for which treatment may not be effective. The patient must be under the continuing supervision of the healthcare provider even if not receiving active treatment (e.g., Alzheimer's, a severe stroke, or the terminal stages of a disease); or
• Any period of absence to receive multiple treatments by the healthcare provider for at least one of the following: Restorative surgery after an accident or other injury; or for a condition that would likely result in a period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days in absence of medical intervention (e.g., chemotherapy for cancer, physical therapy for severe arthritis, or dialysis for kidney disease).

An eligible coach who has exhausted all accumulated, paid leave and personal days may submit a request to local APSCUF to use days from the APSCUF Sick Leave Bank up to the maximum allowed by law in one (1) calendar year.

For more specific information, please refer to the APSCUF Non-Faculty Athletic Coaches Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 9, Leaves of Absence / Section 1-C, Sick Leave Bank. You can also contact the local APSCUF office (724-357-3021) to request leave from the APSCUF Sick Leave Bank.

Yes if approved by your supervisor and HR the remaining time off work will be unpaid leave. The remainder of approved 12 weeks of FMLA will apply.  

Please refer to the FMLA Notice to Coaches, section titled, "Absences After 12 Weeks of FMLA Absence".

• Eligible regular full-time or regular part-time coaches may request an extension up to nine (9) months of leave without pay (LWOP) absence.
• A coach must request the extended LWOP in writing, and for sick or family care reasons, proof of the need for continuing absence must be provided on the Serious Health Condition Certification form. Note: Only one occasion within a rolling year will be approved.
• LWOP extensions cannot be used on an intermittent or reduced time basis.

Please refer to the FMLA Notice to Coaches, section titled, "Benefits Continuation Information".

• Sick and personal leave continue to accrue based on regular hours paid.
• Holidays will be earned provided the coach is in a paid status the half day before and half day after the holiday.
• Medical, dental, vision and group life insurance benefits through the State System will continue during the 12 weeks of an FMLA absence and the first 14 weeks of extended leave without pay, as long as the coach continues to pay any applicable employee share of premiums. Missed premiums will be billed by the central office of the State System. Coaches must contact their University Human Resource office to add any new dependents to the medical and/or dental and vision benefits within 60 days of birth or assuming custody of a child.
• In accordance with the Affordable Care Act, a coach may be eligible to enroll in the State System's ACA health plan upon the expiration of the 14 week benefit eligible period of extended leave without pay and during the 13 week LWOP for regular full-time or regular part-time coaches with less than one year of employment. The ACA health plan is the Highmark PPO plan, which includes prescription drug coverage. The cost of the ACA PPO plan is not subsidized by the State System; if you elect coverage in this plan you will be paying the full plan cost.

Unused sick leave may be carried over from one leave year to the next up to a maximum of 300 days.

Unused sick leave is not paid upon separation or if a Contract of Employment is not renewed.

• Resignation: Employees who resign from employment or are otherwise separated are not eligible to receive a payout for unused sick leave.
• Retirement: A percentage of unused sick leave is only payable upon an employee's retirement from the university and only if certain age and service criteria are met.
  • Retirement at age 60 or above with at least five years of Commonwealth/State System service as a coach, or
  • Disability retirement in accordance with one of the State System's approved retirement plans, or
  • Retirement under age 60 with at least 25 years of Commonwealth/State System service under one of the State System's approved retirement plans. The entire 25 years of service need not all be as a coach and may include periods of Commonwealth/State System service in other than coaching positions, and
  • Must retire and begin drawing a lifetime annuity from one of the State System's retirement plans. Employees who elect to "retire" but choose to defer their monthly retirement annuity upon separation are not eligible to receive payment of unused sick leave even if all other criteria are met.

Payment Schedule: