Classified Staff

Classified Employees accrue a maximum of 6.66 hours of sick each month, prorated based on the hours worked versus total work hours in the pay period month. Classified Leave rules are governed by state law. You can review information on sick leave here.

Sick Leave Payouts

You may only receive a payout of your unused sick leave upon retiring from the university. CU limits that payout amount to ¼ of your unused leave, up to the maximum accrual rate.

When to Use Sick Leave

Sick leave is for health reasons only, including diagnostic and preventive examinations, treatment, and recovery. You may use accrued sick leave for your health needs as well as the health of:

• your child(ren) younger than 18
• an adult child who is disabled
• your parent, spouse, injured military service member (as established under rules 5-20), legal dependent, or a person in the household for whom you are the primary caregiver

You may be required to present documentation of familial relationships.

Enforced Sick Leave

If an appointing authority determines that you're sick or injured while at work, or in a state that otherwise impacts your and your co-workers' ability to perform, he/she may send you home and charge you sick leave. If you have exhausted your sick leave, CU will charge you vacation leave, or unpaid leave if the latter also is unavailable.

Extended Sick Leave

If you take sick leave for more than three consecutive days, for any health reason, you must provide a State of Colorado Medical Leave Form (or other official document containing the same information), which must be completed by a health care provider. The completed form must be returned within 15 days of being requested. If you fail to provide this documentation, you may be denied future leave, or receive disciplinary action.

Appointing authorities may also require a Medical Leave Form for absences of fewer than three days when they have a reasonable basis for suspecting abuse.

If an employee dies while actively employed, CU will compensate the widow(er) or estate for ¼ of the employee's unused sick leave, up to their maximum accrual.

University Staff and 12-Month Faculty

Full-time University Staff and 12-Month Faculty employees accrue a maximum of 10.0 hours of sick each month, prorated based on the hours worked versus total work hours in the pay period month. More information on leave usage can be found in Policy APS 5062.

Sick Leave Payouts

There is no limit on sick leave accrual. However, there is a limit on compensation for earned unused sick leave when employees resign, retire, or are laid off, and meet age and service requirements for retirement. These employees are compensated for one-fourth (¼) of their unused sick leave accrual up to a maximum of one-fourth (¼) of 120 days’ accrual, which is the equivalent of compensation for thirty days, upon termination except as noted in Section 2.c.(3), below.

1. If an employee dies while actively employed, the widow(er) or estate will be compensated for one-fourth (¼) of the employee's unused sick leave up to a maximum accrual of 120 days (the equivalent of payment for thirty days) except as noted in 2, below.
    
2. Employees who had earned unused sick leave over 120 days on May 1, 2001, will be eligible to receive payment for one-fourth (¼) of that sick leave balance or any unused portion of the balance when they terminate if they meet the age and service requirements for retirement (or upon death).
    
3. University staff who transfers or returns to a nine-month faculty appointment is eligible to receive payment for earned unused sick leave by Regent Policy 11-E if retirement is eligible.

9-Month Faculty

• Full-time 9-Month Faculty are provided 44 hours of sick leave at the beginning of each fall and spring semester, usable immediately.
   
• Faculty not working full-time are given a proration of sick hours, based on FTE, at the beginning of each fall and spring semester.

Temporary Classified and University Staff

Temporary classified and university staff accrue sick leave at a rate of 0.034 sick hours for each hour worked.

Accrual hours are calculated as part of the payroll process and become available once payroll has processed the pay period.

• MyLeave is currently being enhanced so that employees may record both hours worked and leave taken on their timesheets in MyLeave. Hours must be approved by the supervisor.
   
• Accruals will display in the system after each pay period (monthly or hourly).
   
• Leave will be earned across all eligible positions and may be used to take leave from any eligible position.
   
• Employees may not use more leave time than the hours they are scheduled to work.
   
• Eligible employees will be able to carry a maximum of 48 hours of sick leave from one fiscal year to the next.

Temporary Contract Employees

(Including Lecturers & Some Student Faculty)

Accrual will be based on the number of credit hours or the standard hours for the position with a maximum accrual of 3 days (24 hours) per semester based on 40 standard hours (100% FTE).

Example: Lecturer teaching 3 credit hours breaks down to an effort of 9 hours per week (22.5% FTE) which would equate to 5.4 hours of sick leave accrued in a semester.

• Sick leave accrual for contract employees will be granted after the census date each semester (summer, fall & spring) and may be used immediately.
   
• Sick leave usage for contract employees is not tracked in MyLeave at this time. For the Spring 2021 semester, contract employees may use sick leave by submitting a Sick Leave Usage Request here.
   
• Sick leave shall be used only when the University must replace the faculty member in the classroom, or when the dean or other administrative superior determines it is appropriate.
   
• Employees may not use more leave time than the hours they are scheduled to work.
   
• Eligible employees will be able to carry a maximum of 48 hours of sick leave from one fiscal year to the next.

Student Employees

For detailed information about student employee sick leave, visit the Student Employment Website.

Student employees earn one hour of sick leave per 30 hours worked. This breaks down to approximately .034 hours per hour worked for hourly employees.

• MyLeave is currently being enhanced so that hourly employees may record both hours worked and leave taken on their timesheet in MyLeave. Hours must be approved by the supervisor.
   
• Accruals will display in the system at the conclusion of each pay period (monthly or hourly).
   
• Leave will be earned across all eligible positions and may be used to take leave from any eligible position.
   
• Employees may not use more leave time than the hours they are scheduled to work.
   
• Eligible employees will be able to carry a maximum of 48 hours of sick leave from one fiscal year to the next.

All Other Employees

Employees not covered by any of the other above group rules accrue leave at a rate of 0.034 sick hours for each hour worked.

• Accrual hours are calculated as part of the payroll process and become available once payroll has processed the pay period.

Secondary Appointments

Secondary appointments are primarily used to compensate employees for additional duties over and above their full-time appointment.

• If an employee has a full-time appointment and a secondary appointment, no additional sick leave shall accrue under the secondary appointment.
   
• If an employee has a less than full-time appointment and a secondary appointment, sick leave may accrue under the secondary appointment but the total sick leave accruals under both appointments are limited to the maximum annual accrual for the primary appointment.
   
• No employee is eligible to accrue more than fifteen (15) working days of paid sick leave annually, earned as 10 hours per month.