Sick Leave Bank
An Emergency Sick Leave Bank has been established
to provide full-time permanent employees in the A&R bargaining unit with
partial salary benefits during periods of long-term disability and/or illness.
This Bank is specifically provided for in Article 20 of the A&R Collective
Bargaining Contract, effective July 1, 1981.
The documents below were produced in Microsoft
WORD 97 
.
If you do not have this software or a more recent version, please contact the
A&R Union office at (860) 953-1316 or email MWatAandR@aol.com
to obtain a copy of these documents.
For more information contact the A&R Sick
Leave Bank Committee Designee:
Karen Emery,
A&R Union Office at (860) 953-1316 or email MWatAandR@aol.com
A Sick Leave Bank Committee has been established
to administer the Bank, comprised of one designee of the Employer and one
designee of the Union.
This Committee is not an agency of the State of
Connecticut. The decisions of this Committee are made by mutual consent and are
neither arbitrable nor litigable, and its actions are appealable only to the
Committee. The Committee disburses no monies and has no authority to disburse
any monies.
An employee may be eligible to use sick leave
benefits from the Bank when:
1. The employee has been employed by the State
for more than two (2) years.
2. The employee has exhausted all sick or
personal leave, vacation leave in excess of sixty (60) days, and any other
compensatory time due.
3. The illness or injury is not covered by
Workers' Compensation and/or such compensation benefit has been exhausted.
4. An acceptable medical certificate supporting
the continued absence is on file.
5. The employee has not been disciplined for sick
leave abuse during the past two (2) years. Disciplinary action is to be
interpreted by the Sick Leave Bank Committee.
No applicant will be considered unless he/she can
demonstrate:
(a) That he/she is a member of the A&R
bargaining unit and has made all appropriate dues, fees or assessment payments.
(b) At the time of application, there is no
pending action against that employee for abuse of sick leave.
(c) Than he/she has acknowledged receipt of and
agreement to comply with the terms and conditions of the Sick Leave Bank.
The applicant agrees that he/she shall remain
liable for all proof necessary to quality for the benefits sought. The Committee
reserves the right to request such medical evidence as it deems necessary to
consider the application and/or to re-evaluate the continuing need for benefits
hereunder. Physician's reports submitted must be current, and medical
certificates must be renewed every thirty (30) calendar days to attest to the
continuing illness and/or disability and the prognosis for recovery. To justify
qualification for the benefits described herein, an applicant claiming a
psychiatric or psychological condition or disorder must submit a report from a
certified and practicing psychiatrist or psychologist.
The Committee reserves the right, at any point in
time, to require a second opinion concerning continuing illness or disability.
If a second opinion is requested, the applicant has two options for securing
same. The applicant may agree to be examined by a State physician, in which case
the applicant will not be liable for the cost of said examination, or the
recipient may choose to se a physician of his/her own choice, in which case, the
applicant shall be liable for any cost incurred in connection therewith.
Grants of benefit can be made during the life of
the contract for a period of from one-half (1/2) day to one hundred (100) full
days, or two hundred (200) 1/2 days, per contract year at a rate of one-half
(1/2) day for each day of illness or injury. Proportional benefits may accrue
for those who return to work on a part-time basis. The applicant understands
that benefits are granted and discontinued based upon:
(a) continuing qualification, (b) completeness of
information, and (c) availability of benefits.
Requests for benefits will be handled by the
Committee on a first come, first served basis. No benefit shall accrue for any
period sixty (60) days prior to the date of the submission of the completed
application. Application for A&R Sick Leave Bank usage must be resubmitted
every contract year.
A fifteen (15) working day waiting period (or 105
working hours) is required before any Sick Leave Bank benefits may begin. The
fifteen (15) working day waiting period shall be waived in cases of:
1. follow-up treatment and/or recurrence of a
previously compensable condition within the same contract year,
2. a condition which persists into the succeeding
contract year.
The applicant understands that the benefits
granted by the Committee are intended to cover only the illness/injury of the
applicant. The Bank is available only for a condition certified by the
applicant's physician as precluding return to work. The nursing of a newborn is
not considered cause for use of the Bank.
If an individual receives the benefits of this
Bank during the pendency of a contested Workers' Compensation claim, the
individual shall assign such portion of the award as may ultimately be granted
to reimburse the Bank, should the claim succeed. Thereafter, if the
illness/injury exceeds the duration for which Workers' Compensation is to be
paid, the individual may qualify for additional benefits.
The Committee reserves the right to discontinue
the benefit at any time when it is demonstrated that the intentional conduct of
the applicant has prolonged, worsened or in fact caused the illness or injury
for which compensation is sought. All benefits shall be terminated upon:
(a) certification of return to health, (b)
exhaustion of annual eligibility, (c) retirement, resignation, termination,
layoff or demise of recipient, (d) commitment to any public institution in any
case in which fees are not paid, (e) culmination of two consecutive years of
receiving Sick Leave Bank benefits.
The applicant understands that the bank for the
sick leave benefit is derived from contributions of A&R members and the
employer, made in accordance with a predetermined formula and finite in amount.
Therefore, all applicants understand that it is possible that the Bank may be
exhausted at any time. In that case, the applicant understands that all grants
of benefits shall terminate. Subsequent replenishment of bank hours will not be
subject to retroactive claims.
The applicant agrees that reimbursement shall
immediately be made to the Bank in the case of accidental miscalculation or
overpayment.
WHEN AN EMPLOYEE RETURNS TO WORK, OR WHEN SICK
LEAVE BANK BENEFITS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, THE EMPLOYER WILL NOTIFY THE STATE
DESIGNEE AT THE OFFICE OF LABOR RELATIONS, IN WRITING, OR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
HOURS USED BY SAID EMPLOYEE.
NOTE: These guidelines are augmented by Article
20 of the A&R Collective Bargaining Contract, effective July 1, 1981.
