Time Away From Work

401. Paid Vacation

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised:  July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

Regular support staff and full-time officers accrue vacation allowance on a fiscal year basis -- from July 1 through June 30th and, with supervisory approval, may use the vacation as it is earned.  However, the total allowance earned must be used by June 30 of the year following accrual.  It may not accumulate nor may the employee receive pay in lieu of unused vacation except upon termination and then only for earned unused vacation days.

Vacation pay will be based upon the employee's current base salary.

Employees transferring to a new department may carry a maximum of one year of vacation accrual.

Support Staff

Regular support staff members accrue vacation allowance commencing with the completion of the probationary period.  Vacation allowance for regular part-time support staff shall be computed on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the number of hours regularly worked per week.

1.  For regular full-time support staff (excluding the Medical Center and Harlem Hospital Center):

2.  For full-time support staff of the Medical Center, including Harlem Hospital Center:

Officers

Full-time officers accrue vacation allowance commencing with the employee's hire date.

Vacation allowance shall be earned at the following rate:

Employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement will follow the vacation schedule contained in their contract.

See Policy 209 for information regarding Pay Advances. 

402. Holidays and Floating Holidays (Personal Days)

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised: March 10, 2008
Responsible Office: Employment and HR Client Services (212) 851-7008

The University observes the following holidays in its offices and laboratories (exclusive of Harlem Hospital employees):

Legal Holidays

New Year's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Election Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day.

University Holidays

The Friday following Thanksgiving; Two days selected by the University during the Christmas/New Year Season; Washington's Birthday (Medical Center Only).

Columbia University employees at Harlem Hospital Center follow the holiday schedule observed by the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation.

Personal Days

Full- time employees at Morningside and Harlem Hospital earn up to three personal days per year based on date of hire.  Full time employees at Columbia University Medical Center earn up to two personal days per year based on date of hire. 

At Morningside and Harlem Hospital, personal days are earned at the rate of one paid leave day for each four-month period worked from the date of hire.  At the Medical Center, where Washington's Birthday is observed as a holiday, personal days are earned at the rate of one paid leave day for each six-month period worked from the date of hire.

Personal days may be used by an employee to observe religious holidays or for any other purpose. For Officers, personal days must be used within twelve months of being earned. For support staff, personal days do not accumulate; they must be used within twelve months of being earned.

Employees in a bargaining unit are governed by the provisions of their respective bargaining agreement. Employees’ rights and obligations under applicable collective bargaining agreements are not affected by this policy.

Important Note:  Personal days were previously known as “Floating Holidays.”
For complete information on personal days, please refer to the Tracking Time Worked and Time Off guidelines in the Time and Attendance section of the Manager Toolkit.

403. Religious Holidays

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

An employee who wishes to be absent from work for reasons of religious observance may, with approval, charge the absence to earned vacation or a floating holiday.  Otherwise, the approved absence is considered an unpaid leave of absence. 

404. Rest Periods

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

Employees who are required to remain at their work stations without interruption should be scheduled for two (2) fifteen (15) minute "breaks" in each work day.  Subject to operating needs, other employees will be allowed to leave their desks for brief periods to get coffee and the like.

Where scheduled rest periods are necessary, the time may not be used to cover lateness or to shorten the work day.

405. Sick Leave

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised: July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

Support Staff 1.  Regular support staff employees hired prior to October 21, 1994, will be paid   sick leave in accordance with the following schedule:

The above is modified as follows:

1. Effective October 1, 2001, employees shall be entitled to accumulate up to sixty (60) working days of sick leave during any one year, including the days earned or to be earned in the current sick leave year.  

2. Under certain circumstances, employees may be required to show proof of sickness from their own physician or a physician designated by Columbia University.  

3. Employees are required to notify their supervisor of any absence no later than one hour after the start of the employee's normal work day.  

4. Employees may not charge absences to unearned sick leave.  

5. Employees who exhaust their sick leave may be eligible to receive disability benefits under the New York State Disability Law.  After seven consecutive calendar days of absence, an employee should complete a New York State Disability Claim Form (DB-450) and contact the Return to Work Program with any questions.   Completed forms should be forwarded to: Disability Desk, Box 2, Central Mailroom, New York, NY  10027.

6. Employees must pass their service anniversary date and have returned to work in order to re-establish eligibility for a new sick leave period.  

7. The schedule in #5 and #6 shall be pro-rated for regular part-time employees by the number of days and hours they work per week.  

8. Employees do not earn sick leave during leaves of absence.  

9. Employees are not eligible for sick leave when ill during a vacation period.  

10. Accumulated sick leave is not paid upon termination.  

11. Those employees covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement shall follow the schedule as stipulated in their union contract. 

2.  Regular support staff employees hired on or after October 21, 1994, will be paid sick leave as follows:

1. Employees, after thirty (30) days of employment, shall be entitled to paid sick leave earned at the rate of one (1) days for each month of employment, retroactive to date of hire, up to a maximum of twelve (12) days per year.  

2. Employees, after one (1) or more years of employment with the University shall be entitled to a total of twelve (12) additional days of sick leave as of the beginning of his/her second and each subsequent year of employment, provided that at no time will an Employee be entitled to accumulate more than sixty (60) working days of sick leave during any one year, including the days earned or to be earned in the current sick leave year.

3.  All employees shall be entitled to use up to four (4) days of his/her sick leave each year for family illness (spouse, child or family member residing in the employee’s household).

4.  Support staff members may use accrued sick leave for their own medical or dental appointments, or for appointments for family members, as defined as follows:

1. employees must schedule the appointment with their supervisor at least one week in advance (except in case of emergency treatment);

2. sick leave must be taken in one hour increments;

3.  the supervisor may require documentation of the appointment;

4. approval for use of sick leave will not be unreasonably denied (under this section, use of sick leave may be denied if operational needs require the employee's presence or if the position must be covered on an overtime basis by another employee);

5. employees who have been given a written warning or who have been suspended for excessive absenteeism or tardiness within the previous year may be denied the use of sick leave for medical or dental appointments; and,

6. time taken for family members will be debited against the four days set forth in Section 1 or 2 above.

Officer Salary Continuation

Full-time officers (non-instructional) shall be entitled to salary continuation for up to six (6) months during any 12 month period when extended absence is caused by illness or accident.  Officers must be back at work for at least 12 months before being eligible for additional salary continuation.

While on salary continuation by Columbia University, employees who receive State Disability or Worker's Compensation payments must immediately remit these payments to the University.

FMLA

See The Family and Medical Leave Act for information.

406. Leaves of Absence

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised: July 1, 2008
Responsible Office: Employment & HR Client Services (212) 851-7008

The University has established leaves of absence policies for its employees to use as needed and when appropriate.  Some policies are paid and include full benefits, others are unpaid; however, employees may choose to continue their benefits by paying their premiums directly to the University.  A summary of each type of leave is detailed below.

Medical Leave of Absence (Full-Time Officers of Administration)

Full-time Officers of Administration shall be entitled to a paid medical leave for up to six months during any rolling 12-month period when extended absence is caused by illness or accident. 

• The officer must provide proof of illness or accident, (i.e. a physician’s note, New York State disability form DB-450) within one week of disability onset.
• The officer must be under a doctor’s care consistent with the medical condition in order to be approved for a medical leave of absence.  
• Additionally, if not already submitted, the officer must complete the New York State Disability Form DB-450 (for non-occupational illness) and, if applicable, the Department of Labor FMLA form (WH-380).
• For non-occupational illness consistent with New York State disability guidelines, the disability form must be completed within 30 days of claiming disability.
• The University, at any time during the leave of absence, may at its own expense require an examination by a University-designated physician and may place salary on hold pending such evaluation. 
• Officers taking leave for a serious health condition will be required to obtain medical clearance from their health care provider prior to returning to work.  The University may require additional clearance by a University-designated physician.
• While on medical leave the officer is expected to remain at his or her primary residence. Any plans to relocate or extended travel may result in ineligibility for a medical leave of absence.
• If an officer is on vacation, paid medical leave cannot be declared unless the officer provides proof that he or she has been hospitalized on other than an outpatient basis and with the approval of the University.

Important Notes:  

• While on paid medical leave by Columbia University, officers who receive New York State Disability payments or Workers Compensation payments must immediately remit these payments to the University.  Benefits under FMLA, if applicable, run concurrently while receiving paid medical leave.
• Pregnancy-related disability is treated like any other non-occupational disability circumstance.  The disability period commences on the date the employee's physician certifies on New York State Disability form DB-450/FMLA WH380/physicians’ note that the employee is unable to work for medical reasons due to pregnancy.  The disability period ends on the date the officer's physician certifies that she is medically able to return to work.  At the cessation of the disability period, the officer may request an unpaid parental care leave.
• Only when returning to work from a paid medical leave of absence, prior to exhausting six months of paid medical leave, full-time officers will be returned to a comparable position.  Officers who exhaust the six-month period allowed under the medical leave and who are unable to return to work should apply for Long-Term Disability. Officers must be back at work at least twelve months before being eligible for additional paid medical leave.
• Employees injured on the job must complete an accident report as soon as possible after the accident and submit the form to their supervisor.  The accident report form can be found on the Human Resources website in the Working at Columbia Guide. 
• There is no accrual of vacation, personal or holiday time while on such leave. 

Medical Leave of Absence (Non-Union Support Staff)

The policy below describes paid medical leave for Non-Union Support Staff.  Those employees covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement shall follow the schedule as stipulated in their union contract.

For complete information on the University attendance policy, please refer to the section called Time and Attendance on the Human Resources Manager Toolkit website.

Non-union support staff employees will be paid medical leave in accordance with the following schedule:

The above is modified as follows: 

• Effective October 1, 2001, employees shall be entitled to accumulate up to 60 working days of paid medical leave during any one year, including the days earned or to be earned in the current sick leave year. 
• Paid medical leave will be pro-rated for part-time Non-Union Support Staff by the number of days and hours they work per week. 
• Should the anniversary date occur while an employee is on a medical leave of absence, the employee will not be eligible for new paid medial leave allotment until he or she returns to work. 
• Accumulated paid medical leave is not paid upon termination.
• The employee must provide proof of illness or accident (a physician’s note, New York State disability form DB-450) within one week of disability onset. 
• The employee must be under a doctor’s care consistent with the medical condition in order to be approved for a medical leave of absence.  
• Additionally, if not already submitted, the employee must complete the New York State Disability Form DB-450 (for non-occupational illness) and if applicable the Department of Labor FMLA form (WH-380). 
• For non-occupational illness consistent with New York State disability guidelines, the disability form must be completed within 30 days of claiming disability.
• The University, at any time during the leave of absence, may at its own expense require an examination by a University-designated physician, and may place salary on hold pending such evaluation. 
• Employees taking leave for a serious health condition will be required to obtain medical clearance from their health care provider prior to returning to work.  The University may require additional clearance by a University designated physician.
• While on medical leave the employee is expected to remain at the primary residence, any plans to relocate or extended travel may result in ineligibility for a medical leave of absence.
• If an employee is on vacation, paid medical leave cannot be declared unless the employee provides proof that he or she has been hospitalized on other than an outpatient basis and with the approval of the University.

Non-Union Support Staff employees hired on or after October 21, 1994, will be paid medical leave as follows: 

• After 30 days of employment, employees shall be entitled to paid medical leave earned at the rate of one day for each month of employment, retroactive to date of hire, up to a maximum of 12 days per year.   
• After one or more years of employment, employees shall be entitled to a total of 12 additional days of paid medical leave as of the beginning of his or her second and each subsequent year of employment, provided that at no time will an employee be entitled to accumulate more than 60 working days of sick leave during any one year, including the days earned or to be earned in the current sick leave year. 
• Paid medical leave will be pro-rated for regular part-time employees by the number of days and hours they work per week.  
• Should the anniversary date occur while an employee is on a medical leave of absence, the employee will not be eligible for new paid medial leave allotment until he or she returns to work. 
• Accumulated paid medical leave is not paid upon termination.   
• The employee must be able to provide proof of illness or accident, (a physician’s note, New York State disability form DB-450) within one week of disability onset. 
• The employee must be under a doctor’s care consistent with the medical condition in order to be approved for a medical leave of absence.  
• Additionally, if not already submitted, the employee must complete the New York State Disability Form DB-450 (for non-occupational illness) and, if applicable, the Department of Labor FMLA form (WH-380) 
• For non-occupational illnesses consistent with New York State disability guidelines, the disability form must be completed within 30 days of claiming disability.
• The University, at any time during the leave of absence, may at its own expense require an examination by a University-designated physician, and may place salary on hold pending such evaluation. 
• Employees taking leave for a serious health condition will be required to obtain medical clearance from their health care provider prior to returning to work.  The University may require additional clearance by a University-designated physician.
• While on medical leave the employee is expected to remain at the primary residence. Any plans to relocate or extended travel may result in ineligibility for a medical leave of absence.
• If an employee is on vacation, paid medical leave cannot be declared unless the employee provides proof that he or she has been hospitalized on other than an outpatient basis and with the approval of the University.

All Non-Union Support Staff members may use accrued paid medical leave for their own medical or dental appointments or for appointments for family members, as defined below:

• Employees must schedule the appointment with and communicate the time to their supervisor at least one week in advance (except in case of emergency treatment). 
• Paid medical leave must be taken in one hour increments. 
• The supervisor may require documentation of the appointment. 
• Approval for use of paid medical leave will not be unreasonably denied (under this section, use of sick leave may be denied if operational needs require the employee's presence or if the position must be covered on an overtime basis by another employee). 
• Employees who have been given a written warning or who have been suspended for excessive absenteeism or tardiness within the previous year may be denied the use of paid medical leave for medical or dental appointments. 
• All Non-Union Support Staff employees shall be entitled to use up to four days of paid medical leave each year for family illness (spouse, child or family member residing in the employee’s household).

Note: Pregnancy-related disability is treated like any other non-occupational disability circumstance.  The disability period commences on the date the employee's physician certifies on New York State Disability form DB-450/FMLA WH380, that the employee is unable to work for medical reasons due to pregnancy.  The disability period ends on the date the employee's physician certifies that she is medically able to return to work.  At the cessation of the disability period, the employee may request an unpaid parental care leave.

Parental Care Leave

This leave is applicable to all full-time Officers of Administration, benefits-eligible part-time Officers of Administration and Non-Union Support Staff.

An unpaid parental care leave of up to six months is available to full-time Officers of Administration who have been employed by the University for three months or longer. This parental leave applies to both biological parents and the parents of a legally adopted child or foster child. Employees may use this benefit once within a 12-month rolling year. In cases where both parents work in the same department at Columbia University, any leave beyond the FMLA period will require approval by the departmental administrator to schedule the time appropriately.

An employee who intends to request a parental leave must give written notice to their department as far in advance as possible and must indicate an anticipated return to work date. If eligible for benefits under FMLA, this parental leave will run concurrently.

Employees who decide that they will not be returning to active employment must notify their department in writing at least four weeks prior to the scheduled return date. Notice of continuation of health care rights for coverage will be sent to employees who decide not to return.

As with other unpaid leaves, an employee is not entitled to holiday pay or to the accrual of vacation or sick day benefits while on an unpaid parental leave.  Health and other insurance benefits coverage may continue during the unpaid leave by the employee directly paying premiums by contacting HR Benefits.

Upon return to active status, an employee who has been on a parental leave is to be reinstated in the same position or a comparable position.

Special Note: For those eligible for payment under a pregnancy-related disability, the parental leave begins after the medical disability period ends. 

Personal Leave of Absence

This leave is applicable to all full-time Officers of Administration, benefits-eligible part-time Officers of Administration and Non-Union Support Staff.

A full-time employee who has completed twelve months of service may be granted a leave of absence for personal reasons, without pay, not to exceed six months. These leaves are granted only in cases not covered by any other University policy for leaves of absence and require the approval of both the employee’s department head and the office of the Vice President for Human Resources.

Some typical reasons for granting such leaves include: illness in the family; education; or compelling personal needs. The University reserves the right to require written substantiation of the conditions prompting the need for such a leave of absence.  Although not guaranteed, the department will make every effort to return an employee who has been granted a leave of absence for personal reasons to the same position upon completion of the leave, or a comparable position within the same department.

As with other unpaid leaves, an employee is not entitled to holiday pay or to the accrual of vacation or sick day benefits while on an unpaid personal leave.  Health and other insurance benefits coverage may continue during the unpaid leave by the employee directly paying premiums by contacting HR Benefits.

FMLA 

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) applies to all eligible Faculty and Staff.

In summary, FMLA requires that an "eligible" employee must be granted in total up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month rolling period for any of the following reasons:

1. The birth or adoption of a child or the foster care placement of a child.  FMLA leave must be concluded within 12 months of the birth, adoption or placement of the child;
2. To care for the employee's spouse, child or parent who has a serious health condition;
3. A serious health condition of the employee that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of employee's job.
4. Any “qualifying exigency” arising out of the fact that the spouse, son, daughter, or parent of an eligible employee is on active duty, or has been notified of an impending call to active duty status, in support of a contingency operation.
5. An eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of a covered service member who is recovering from a serious illness or injury sustained in the line of duty on active duty is entitled to up to twenty-six weeks of leave in a single twelve-month period to care for the service member.

FMLA does not supersede any University policy or collective bargaining agreement that provides greater family or medical leave rights than the rights established under FMLA.  Conversely, FMLA provides that the rights established for employees under FMLA cannot be diminished by any policy or agreement.

The leave granted under FMLA generally is a lesser benefit than that available under various University policies and collective bargaining agreements.  Because the University meets or exceeds FMLA requirements in many respects, this policy designates many existing types of leave as FMLA leave, so that the University leave and the FMLA leave run concurrently.

Pregnancy-related disability is treated like any other non-occupational disability circumstance.  The disability period commences on the date the employee's physician certifies on New York State Disability form DB-450/FMLA WH380/physicians’ note that the employee is unable to work for medical reasons due to pregnancy. The disability period ends on the date the officer's physician certifies that she is medically able to return to work. At the cessation of the disability period, the officer may request an unpaid parental care leave.

For complete details on FMLA including eligibility, coverage and necessary documentation, please refer to the Policies and Union Contracts home page.

Uniformed Service Leave of Absence

Columbia University supports its employees who serve in the United States military. We realize that employees who serve in the military may need time off from work for military service. Employees who participate in military service that meets the conditions outlined in the policy text are guaranteed reemployment in a position of equal pay, status and service credit at the end of military service.

Eligibility:

• All regular full-time and part-time Columbia employees who serve in the Armed Forces
• All regular full-time and part-time Columbia employees who serve in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps 
• All regular full-time and part-time Columbia employees serving in any position designated by the President of the United States during a time of war or emergency

Employees requesting uniformed service leave must present a copy of the military orders to the appropriate department head at least two weeks prior to leave. This documentation should contain the reason for the leave and the expected duration.

The following table describes the types of Uniform Service leave the University recognizes and the policy details of each one:

Important Note about Compensation:

Employees must provide documentation regarding the amount of military pay as soon as possible in order to receive the University pay differential.*  Failure to provide such documentation in a timely manner may result in a delay of the University pay differential.

* An employee is eligible for pay differential if the military salary is less than the University salary.  In these cases, the University will pay the salary difference not to exceed the University salary at the time of deployment.

Employees participating in military service must report back to work according to the following timetable:

Employees who have been reinstated after a period of active service are protected from termination of employment, except for cause or changed business circumstances (including, but not limited to, job elimination, lack of funding, reorganization etc.), according to the following table:

• Employees will return from leave in a position of equal pay, academic status or salary grade and service credit at the end of military service.
• If an employee becomes disabled during active service and cannot resume his or her prior job, the employee will be offered reemployment in a position of equal pay, status and service credit grade for which the employee is qualified with reasonable accommodations.
• The University maintains a cumulative limit of five years for employees participating in uniformed service subject to limited exceptions. (For example, periods of active service during a war, a declared national emergency or in support of a critical mission do not count towards the five-year limit.)
• All time spent during uniformed service will count toward the employee’s calculation of compensation, benefits, retirement eligibility and length of employment for the University.
• Departments should consult their HR Client Manager/HR Manager for guidance on processing transactions related to this leave or employment decisions subsequent to such leaves.
• Any questions about Uniformed Services Leave and its application should be directed to Columbia University Human Resources before any discussions with the employee.

Leaves of Absence (Support Staff in Collective Bargaining Units)

Support staff covered by a collective bargaining agreement shall follow the leaves of absence options as stipulated in their union contract.

Collective bargaining agreements may be found in the CUHR website under Policies and Union Contracts.

407. Benefit and Seniority Status While on Unpaid Leave of Absence

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Last Reviewed:  July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Benefits 870-2286

Employees may continue insurance benefit coverages during an approved unpaid Leave of Absence (over thirty days of leave) by prepaying for the coverages they wish to continue.  If medical, disability or life insurance premiums are not prepaid while on leave of absence, coverage will terminate and the employee must re-apply and submit an appropriate statement of health for approval by the insurance company before the benefit can be reinstated.  Please refer to the specific benefit brochure or plan document for greater detail.

An employee will be credited with University seniority for an unpaid leave of absence.  This credit will not exceed the number of months he or she was employed prior to the leave or six (6) months, whichever is less.

408. Workers' Compensation

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised: July 1, 2005
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2652

All officers and support staff are covered by the provisions of the New York State Workers' Compensation Law.  Benefits are provided under this law for job-related illnesses or accidents.  The law provides that weekly benefits begin after the seventh calendar day of absence.  If the employee is being paid by both Columbia University and New York State, the employee must return the State check to the University.  The law also provides for payment of certain medical expenses and certain other expenses caused by the illness or accident.

As required by New York State Law, all job related illnesses or accidents must be reported promptly to the Workers' Compensation Board.  Accidents should be immediately reported by notifying HR Employee and Labor Relations.  Copies of the "Report of Accident" form may be obtained from this office.  The submission of the report does not indicate agreement that an accident/illness has occurred.  The supervisor must send a report of all illnesses or accidents immediately to HR Employee and Labor Relations.  The University reserves the right to require verification of injury by a physician of its choice.  Neither vacation nor sick leave is accrued during such absence. 

409. New York State Disability

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Responsible Office: Return to Work Program (212) 870-3464

All employees are covered by the provisions of the New York State Disability Law.  If the employee has been absent for seven consecutive calendar days due to a non-occupational illness or accident, the employee may be entitled to receive weekly benefits.

Payment of benefits begins after the employee has exhausted his or her Columbia sick leave entitlement.

Supervisors are required to contact the Employee Return to Work Program when an employee has been absent for seven consecutive calendar days due to a non-occupational illness or accident (see Working at Columbia --> Workplace Accommodations & Return to Work Program).  Illnesses or accidents that are job—or occupation—related should be processed as Workers' Compensation absences (See Policy 408). 

410. Bereavement Pay

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Last Reviewed:  July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

Regular full-time and part-time employees are granted up to a maximum of three days paid leave in the event of a death in their immediate family (spouse, parent, grandparent, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister or member of the household of the employee). 

411. Jury Duty

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised:  July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

A regular full-time employee who is required to be absent for jury duty will receive regular pay for such absence provided that:

1. The employee's supervisor is shown the jury notice in advance of the jury service.  
2. The employee obtains from the clerk of the court a certification of the time spent on jury duty and gives such certification to the supervisor. 

If released from jury duty during the course of the day, the employee is expected to report to work.

If an employee receives salary from the University while on jury duty, any payment received by the employee for the jury duty must be immediately remitted to the University. 

412. Voting Time

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised: July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

Employees who are registered voters may take time off from work with pay in order to vote if polling places are not open either four consecutive hours before or after the employee's scheduled workday.

The employee must advise his/her supervisor at least forty-eight hours in advance of the time off needed for voting. 

413. Early Departmental Closings Due to Lack of Climate Control

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised:  July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

During unusual internal climate conditions, every effort will be made to continue essential services to the University and the Community.  However, when and where extreme temperature conditions exist, an early closing of an office, laboratory, or other location may be authorized.

Vice Presidents, Deans or Directors may authorize such an early closing subject to prior review with Employee and Labor Relations.  Before authorizing a closing, all reasonable alternatives must be considered.

An early closing should be authorized only for the specific locations affected by the extreme temperature.  The Assistant Vice Presidents of Facilities Management, Environmental Health and Radiation Safety and the Department of Public Security must be notified prior to closing of the facility. 

414. Inclement Weather and External Emergencies (When the University Doesn’t Close)

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: January 1, 1993
Revised:  July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

It is expected that regardless of the severity of a snow emergency, blizzard or other inclement weather situations—as well as other outside circumstances such as power failure, transportation breakdown or strikes—the academic and other buildings of the University will continue to be open and serviced.  In such cases, all employees are expected to make a reasonable effort to arrive at work.  While employees will not be penalized for arriving late, they will not receive pay if they are absent; however, they may charge such absence against earned vacation or floating holidays (personal days).  Any exception to this policy will be made by the Vice President for Human Resources.

415. Emergency University Closings Policy for Support Staff

Category: TIME AWAY FROM WORK
Issued: July 1, 2004
Responsible Office: Employee and Labor Relations (212) 870-2801

The following procedure will apply whenever (1) the University is officially closed due to an emergency such as power failures, weather conditions, or similar occurrences; or (2) the University remains open but conditions make travel to work extremely difficult or hazardous and the President or designee, in consultation with the Emergency Management Operating Team, declares the day an Emergency Operation Day:

• Non-essential support staff scheduled to work will be paid for the day and will not be required to report for work.  Non-essential support staff who report for work may be required to remain at work to provide essential services and, if so, will be paid for the day.
• Essential support staff are those designated in advance (including in a posting) as necessary to provide service during an emergency, or who are so designated due to the particular emergency or as provided in paragraph 1, above.  Essential support staff members who work during the emergency will receive a premium payment equal to their regular rate of pay for all hours worked during their normal shift as additional compensation.  Full-time support staff will receive overtime pay at the rate of time and one-half for all hours outside of their normal shifts.  An essential support staff member who is unable to report for work despite all reasonable efforts and so informs his/her supervisor or designated person will be paid for the day.
• If the University closes after the start of normal business hours or an individual support staff member’s regular shift, support staff will receive their regular salary from the beginning of their shift until the closing, and will thereafter be covered by the provisions above for the balance of the day.
• Employees previously scheduled to be off for vacation, personal leave, holiday, sick leave or any other absence will be charged the appropriate type of leave, and will not be re-credited with the time.