4151.1, 4251.1(R) SICK LEAVE/PERSONAL LEAVE Procedure, Regulation

NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 4151.1/4251.1

Northfield, New Jersey

Regulation

SICK LEAVE/PERSONAL LEAVE

Definition

Sick leave is defined as the absence from an employee’s post of duty, for any of the following reasons:

• 1. The employee is personally ill or injured;
  2. For diagnosis, care, or treatment of, or recovery from, an employee’s mental or physical illness, injury or other adverse health condition, or for preventive medical care for the employee;
  3. For the employee to aid or care for a family member of the employee during diagnosis, care, or treatment of, or recovery from, the family member’s mental or physical illness, injury or other adverse health condition, or during preventive medical care for the family member;
  4. Absence necessary due to circumstances resulting from the employee, or a family member of the employee, being a victim of domestic or sexual violence, if the leave is to allow the employee to obtain for the employee or the family member:
     1. Medical attention needed to recover from physical or psychological injury or disability caused by a domestic or sexual violence;
     2. Services from a designated domestic violence agency or other victim services organization;
     3. Psychological or other counseling;
     4. Relocation; or
     5. Legal services, including obtaining a restraining order or preparing for, or participating in, any civil or criminal legal proceeding related to the domestic or sexual violence;
  5. The death of a family member for up to seven days;
  6. To attend a child’s school-related conference, meeting, function or other event requested or required by a school administrator, teacher, or other professional staff member responsible for the child’s education, or to attend a meeting regarding care provided to the child in connection with the child’s health conditions or disability;
  7. The school or place of care of a child of the employee is closed by order of a public official or because of a state of emergency declared by the Governor, due to an epidemic or other public health emergency;
  8. The employee has been exposed to a contagious disease or is quarantined for the disease in the employee’s immediate household.

Procedure

1. All persons holding any office, position, or employment with the Northfield Board of Education, who are steadily employed by the board shall be allowed sick leave with full pay for ten (10) school days in any school year.
2. If any such person requires in any school year less than the specified number of days of sick leave with pay allowed, all days of such sick leave shall be accumulated to be used for additional sick leave as needed in subsequent years.
3. Whenever any employee, entitled to sick leave, is absent as a result of personal injury caused by an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment, his employer shall pay to such employee the full salary or wages for the period of such absence up to one calendar year, without having such absence charged to the annual sick leave or the accumulated sick leave. Any amount of salary or wages paid or payable to the employee pursuant to this section shall be reduced by the amount of any Workman’s Compensation award made for temporary disability.
4. In case of sick leave claimed, the board of education may require a physician’s certificate to be filed with the secretary of the board of education in order to obtain sick leave
5. If an employee’s need to use sick leave as defined pursuant to N.J.S.18A:30-1 is foreseeable, a board of education may require advance notice, not to exceed seven calendar days prior to the date

the leave is to begin, of the intention to use the leave and its expected duration, and the employee shall make a reasonable effort to schedule the use of sick leave in a manner that does not unduly

disrupt the operations of the board of education.

1. If the reason for the leave is not foreseeable, a board of education may require an employee to give notice of the intention as soon as practicable, if the board of education has notified the employee of this requirement.
2. A board of education may prohibit employees from using foreseeable sick leave on certain dates, and require reasonable documentation if sick leave that is not foreseeable is used during those dates.
3. In case of sick leave claimed for three or more consecutive days, a board of education may require reasonable documentation that the leave is being taken for a purpose permitted pursuant to

subsection a. of N.J.S.18A:30-1.

1. If the leave is permitted under paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection a. of N.J.S.18A:30-1, documentation signed by a health care professional who is treating the employee or the family member of the employee indicating the need for the leave and, if possible, number of days of leave, shall be considered reasonable documentation.
2. If the leave is permitted under paragraph (4) of subsection a. of N.J.S.18A:30-1 because of domestic or sexual violence, any of the following shall be considered reasonable documentation of the domestic or sexual violence:
   • 1. Medical documentation;
     2. A law enforcement agency record or report;
     3. A court order;
     4. Documentation that the perpetrator of the domestic or sexual violence has been convicted of domestic or sexual violence offense;
     5. Certification from a certified Domestic Violence Specialist or a representative of a designated domestic violence agency or other victim services organization; or other documentation or certification provided by a social worker, counselor, member of the clergy, shelter worker, health care professional, attorney, or other professional who has assisted the employee or family member in dealing with the domestic or sexual violence.
3. If the leave is permitted under paragraph (7) of subsection a. of N.J.S.18A:30-1, a copy of the order of the public official or the determination by the health authority shall be considered reasonable documentation.
4. As used in this section:

“Certified Domestic Violence Specialist” means a person who has fulfilled the requirements of certification as a Domestic Violence Specialist established by the New Jersey Association of Domestic Violence Professionals.

“Designated domestic violence agency” means a county-wide organization whose primary purpose is to provide services to victims of domestic violence, and which provides services that conform to the core domestic violence services profile as defined by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families and is under contract with the division for the express purpose of providing these services.

“Health care professional” means any person licensed under federal, State, or local law, or the laws of a foreign nation, to provide health care services, or any other person who has been authorized to provide health care by a licensed health care professional including, but not limited to, doctors, nurses and emergency room personnel. (cf:N.J.S.18A:30-4)

Revised: October 2023