Leave of Absence

Personal Leaves of Absence without Pay
Due to unforeseen events or special circumstances, an employee may need time off for personal reasons. Such approved leaves shall allow the employee the right to elect to continue their group insurance benefits by making arrangements through the Office of Human Resources Benefits Department and paying the total amount of all premiums due. All other benefits for which the employee is eligible would not accrue during the unpaid leave. Employees requesting a personal leave of absence of more than 30 days must first exhaust accrued vacation before going into an unpaid status. Failure to return to work at the conclusion of the leave period constitutes grounds for termination of employment. Every effort will be made to place an employee in the same position or another of equal status upon return from an approved leave of absence. Temporary personnel may be employed to fill the vacancy during the approved leave period.

Educational Leave with and without Pay
Please refer to the USG Time Away from Work Educational Leave Policy for additional information.

Military Leave
Please refer to the USG Time Away from Work Military Leave Policy. A Military Leave Reporting Form should be completed and submitted along with the supporting orders to the Benefits Department in the Office of Human Resources prior to start of the military leave. Employees should also contact the Office of Human Resources Benefits Department prior to the start of an extended military leave to make arrangements with regards to their benefits.

Maternity Leave
Appropriate sick leave provisions shall apply. See 2.13 Sick Leave Policy and 2.12 Family and Medical Leave Policy for more details.

Family Leave
See 2.12 Family and Medical Leave Policy for more details.

Miscellaneous Leave
Bereavement Employees may take up to five accrued sick days due to the death of an employee’s immediate family member (employee’s spouse, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, children, brothers, sisters, and members of the employee’s household). Employees must notify his/her supervisor immediately if he/she needs to take time off due to the death of an immediate family member. If an employee does not have adequate sick days to cover the absence, then he/she must use vacation time.

Court Duty
Any employee summoned for court duty as a juror or witness must notify his/her immediate supervisor as soon as official orders are received and provide a copy of the orders. Employees called for jury duty or witness duty will be paid at the normal rate of pay for any regularly scheduled time lost from the job. If the court duty is completed prior to the end of the employee’s normal work schedule, the employee must report to work for the remainder of his/her shift.

Voting Employees
are encouraged to exercise their constitutional right to vote in all federal, state, and location elections. Georgia Tech follows the procedures outlined in the USG HRAP on Other Leave (Voting and Court Duty).

Selective Service and Military Physical Examinations
Any employee required by Federal law to take a physical examination for Selective Service must notify his/her immediate supervisor as soon as orders are received and provide a copy of such orders. The employee shall be paid for any time lost to take such an examination.

Leave for Blood Donations
An employee is allowed a leave of absence, without loss of pay, of not more than 8 hours in each calendar year for the purpose of donating blood with his/her supervisor’s approval. This absence shall be computed as 2 hours per donation, up to 4 times per year. Any employee who donates blood platelets or granulocytes through the plasmapheresis process shall be allowed a leave of absence, without loss of pay, of not more than 16 hours in each calendar year. This leave shall be computed as four hours per donation, up to four times per year. Tracking and monitoring of Blood Donation leave shall be done by the department.

Leave for Organ and Marrow Donation
Each employee who serves as an organ donor for the purpose of transplantation shall receive a leave of absence, with pay, of 30 days. Each employee who serves as a bone marrow donor for the purpose of transplantation shall receive a leave of absence, with pay, of 7 days. Leave taken under this provision shall not be charged against or deducted from an employee’s accrued vacation or sick leave. Such leave shall be included as service in computing any retirement or pension benefits. This provision shall apply only to an employee who actually donated an organ or marrow and who presents his/her supervisor with a statement from a licensed medical practitioner or hospital administrator that the employee is making an organ or marrow donation. Leave for the purpose of organ or marrow donation may qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act (see 2.12 Family and Medical Leave Policy for more details). Tracking and monitoring of Organ and Marrow Donation leave shall be done by the department.