Helpful Tools for Illness or Injury - Self
An illness is a cold, flu, aliment, disease, or other sickness that would prevent a staff member from working.
An injury is bodily harm to the staff member which would prevent them from working (e.g., a broken bone, sprained joint, outpatient surgery, or recuperation from results thereof).
Salary Continuation Guidelines for Employee Illness or Injury
- Staff members must meet their employment obligation of regular and reasonable attendance.
- Salary continuation/sick time is primarily intended to protect the income of staff members while disabled.
- Staff members are responsible to follow the established work rules or protocol in their department for any absences during work time (i.e. what number and who to call, notification of other office staff, etc.).
- Staff members shall notify his or her supervisor of an absence in advance as soon as possible and shall state the expected duration thereof when possible.
- Supervisors should not request a specific diagnosis but staff members must provide information regarding the need for their absence. For example: dentist appointment, doctor appointment, eye appointment, therapy, medical procedure, etc.
- If requested by the University, acceptable proof shall be furnished regarding the need for the absence. The University will then determine if the reason qualified for use of salary continuation/sick time.
- In order to comply with the Family and Medical Leave Act, time off from work of 10 consecutive work days or longer due to a staff members surgery or medical condition will require that doctors documentation be submitted to HR prior to time off from work. If unforeseeable, doctors documentation must be provided as soon as practicable under the facts and circumstances of the particular case.
- Visit the Time Off/Leaves page for FMLA forms.
- GVSU Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy.
- An injury that has occurred during work that would prevent a staff member from working is typically not under salary continuation/sick time and instead falls under the Workers' Compensation Policy.
- Salary continuation may not be used beyond what is considered reasonable for the specific situation.
- Staff members engaging in other employment or profit making activities while collecting salary continuation/sick time may lose rights to salary continuation/sick time as well as to continuation as a staff member of the University.
- Examples of inappropriate salary continuation/sick time usage for illness or injury would include: an injury/illness that would not prevent a staff member from working, car problems or repair, veterinarian appointments, home or property repair (electric, furnace, cable), fitness camps, and spa resorts.