Hospitalization for family members is generally when a staff members family is admitted, discharged, day of surgery, or when it is medically necessary for the staff member to be with their family member in the hospital during work hours.

Salary Continuation Guidelines for Hospitalization of a Family Member:

1. Staff members must meet their employment obligation of regular and reasonable attendance.
    
2. Salary continuation is primarily intended to protect the income of staff members while disabled.
    
3. Staff members should consider if the family member can be cared for by other family members, friends, neighbors, etc.
    
4. Staff members are responsible to follow the established office work rules or protocol for any absences during work time (i.e. what number and who to call, notification of other office staff, etc.).
    
5. 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.
    
6. 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.
    
7. 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.
    
8. Salary continuation/sick time is appropriate for the day the staff members family member is admitted to the hospital, date of surgery, and the day they are discharged from the hospital. However, salary continuation may be appropriate for a hospital stay if it is medically necessary for a staff member to be present.
    
9. Salary continuation may not be used beyond what is considered reasonable for the specific situation.
    
10. 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.
     
11. Requests to use vacation days that are adjacent to medical leave must be approved by the supervisor.
     
12. When salary continuation is not appropriate, the staff member may discuss other alternative work schedules with their supervisor (i.e. changing work hours, flexible work arrangement, etc.).
     
13. Examples of inappropriate salary continuation/sick time usage for hospitalization of a family member would include: cosmetic surgeries which are not medically necessary, nursing home visitations, babysitting duties, meal preparation, and out of town travel.