Leave for Personal Business

Section 303 Section 303.125  Leave for Personal Business a)         All employees, excepting those in emergency, per diem or temporary status shall be permitted 3 personal days off each calendar year with pay.  Beginning with calendar year 1995, in the event an employee does not use sick leave in any calendar year, the employee shall be awarded 1 additional personal day on January 1 of the next calendar year.  Beginning with July 1, 1997, a part-time employee who works at least half-time shall be awarded pro-rated additional personal leave on January 1 when the employee has not used sick leave during the previous calendar year.  A calendar year for purposes of this provision is the period beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of each year.  Such personal days may be used for such occurrences as observance of religious holidays, Christmas shopping, absence due to severe weather conditions, or for other similar personal reasons, but shall not be used to extend a holiday or annual leave except as permitted in advance by the operating agency through prior written approval.  Employees entitled to receive such leave who enter service during the year shall be given credit for such leave at the rate of ½ day for each 2 months service for the calendar year in which hired.  Such personal leave may not be used in increments of less than ½ hour at a time.  Except for those emergency situations which preclude the making of prior arrangements, such days off shall be scheduled sufficiently in advance to be consistent with operating needs of the employer.  Supervisors may, however, grant employee requests to use personal leave in increments of ¼ hour, after a minimum use of ½ hour. b)         Personal leave shall not accumulate from calendar year to calendar year; nor shall any employee be entitled to payment for unused personal leave upon separation from the service except as provided in Section 8c(2) of the Personnel Code.  The accrued leave amount paid under this Section of the Personnel Code shall be certified in writing to the employee by the employing agency.  This certification may be held by the employee or forwarded to the Retirement System. c)         Employees subject to a non-bargaining unit furlough program may substitute accrued personal leave for furlough time in order to remain in paid status.  Utilization of accrued personal leave for furlough must be in ½ day or full day increments and must be in accordance with furlough program requirements.