Leave Policies
Summary of Leave Options
The following table provides a high-level summary of available leave options to eligible employees. In the case of the difference between the summary provided and the policy, the policy specifications govern.
Paid Leave Accruals
| Leave | Summary |
|---|---|
| Vacation (HOOP 28) | Leave to be approved by an employee's supervisor before it can be used and available for personal use to take vacation. Must be benefits eligible and have completed six months of continuous paid state service. See policy for details. |
| Sick Time (HOOP 30) | Used for absences necessitated by personal illness, injury, pregnancy, or when needed to assist an immediate family member who is ill. Also, allows up to eight hours per fiscal year to be used for employees to attend educational activities of their child ages Pre-K to 12th grade. Must be benefits eligible and notify supervisor promptly of the reason for any absence attributed to illness, on the initial day of the absence and each day thereafter. See policy for details. |
Paid Leave
| Leave | Summary |
|---|---|
| Sick Leave Pool (HOOP 37) | Provides additional sick leave for employees who exhaust their compensatory, sick, and vacation leave due to catastrophic illness or injury suffered by the employee or a member of the employee's immediate family. Must apply no later than 15 days after being placed on leave without pay. See policy for details. |
| Military (HOOP 41) | Provides for military leave of absence with pay for authorized training, duty, and military service, including regular military leave, state emergency leave, and national emergency leave. Pay periods vary depending on the military leave. See policy for details. |
| Faculty Development Leave (HOOP 49) | Provides certain faculty members paid time off for study, research, writing, field observations, or other suitable purposes. See policy for details. |
| Workers Compensation (HOOP 100) | Provides benefits for employees who suffer compensable injury or occupational disease while performing duties within the course and scope of their employment. See policy for details. |
| Funeral Leave (HOOP 103) | Provides up to three days of paid leave for employees who hold a regular appointment to attend the funeral of a family member. See policy for details. |
| Civic Duty Leave (HOOP 104) | Provides for jury duty, court appearances, and administrative proceedings to which the employee is not a party. It also covers time off for voting if the employee is unable to vote before or after regular working hours. See policy for details. |
| Preventative Health Care Leave (HOOP 113) | Provides up to eight hours of leave, available to employees who have completed six months employment, with approval of their supervisor, for preventive health care appointments for themselves or their immediate family. See policy for details. |
| Family Leave Pool (HOOP 229) | Provides additional paid leave for employees who exhaust their compensatory, sick, and vacation leave for the birth of a child, placement of a foster child or adopt of a child under 18 years of age, the placement of any person 18 years of age or older regarding guardianship, a serious illness to an immediate family member of the employee, or an extenuating circumstance created by an ongoing pandemic, including providing essential care to an immediate family member. Must apply no later than 15 days after being placed on leave without pay. See policy for details. |
| Residents Enhanced FMLA (Resident Handbook II.G.6) | Provide up to six weeks of paid leave for a qualifying FMLA reason and one week of paid vacation, available to eligible residents. See policy for details. |
Unpaid Leave
| Leave | Summary |
|---|---|
| Disability & Pregnancy Leave/Accommodation (HOOP 101) | Provides for reasonable unpaid leave (and other accommodations) for applicants and employees with disabilities and those affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. See policy for details. |
| Leave Without Pay (HOOP 105) | Provides eligible employees up to 12 months of unpaid leave after the employee has exhausted all available leave options. Must be requested in writing. See policy for details. |
| Family Medical Leave Act (HOOP 106) | Provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave a year for certain qualifying reasons. It also provides certain military family leave entitlements, including qualifying military exigency leave and 26 weeks of leave to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness. Eligible employees must have worked for the State of Texas for at least 12 months and worked a minimum of 1,250 hours during the prior to the start of the leave. See policy for details. |
| Parental Leave (HOOP 107) | Provides eligible employees unpaid leave for absences due to the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child under three years of age when the employee does not meet the employment qualifications of FMLA. Used concurrently with other paid or unpaid leaves. See policy for details. |
Other forms of Leave
| Leave | Summary |
|---|---|
| Adverse Conditions (HOOP 185) | Provides paid leave at the direction of the President, under the circumstances described in HOOP 85. See policy for details. |
| Volunteer Firefighters and EMS Volunteers (HOOP 185) | Volunteer firefighters or emergency medical services volunteers may be eligible for paid leave not to exceed five working days each fiscal year for attending training schools conducted by state agencies and responding to emergency fire or medical situations. See policy for details. |
| Foster Parents (foster care agency meetings) (HOOP 185) | Foster parents to a child under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services may be entitled to paid leave for the purpose of attending certain meetings held by the Department of Family and Protective Services regarding the child under the foster care of the employee, or to attend an admission, review or dismissal meeting held by a school district regarding the child under the foster care of the employee. See policy for details. |
| American Red Cross Disaster Service Volunteers (HOOP 185) | American Red Cross Certified disaster service volunteers or trainees, may be granted paid leave not to exceed 10 working days each fiscal year to participate in specialized disaster relief services for the American Red Cross, on the request of the American Red Cross and with the documented approval of the governor's office. See policy for details. |
| Assistance Dog Training (HOOP 185) | Employees with a disability may be granted paid leave for the purpose of attending a training program to acquaint the employee with an assistance dog to be used by the employee. This leave is not to exceed 10 working days in each fiscal year. See policy for details. |
| Bone Marrow, Organ, and Blood Donors (HOOP 185) | An employee is eligible for up to 5 working days of paid leave each fiscal year to serve as a bone marrow donor; up to 30 working days of paid leave in each fiscal year to serve as an organ donor; and up to 4 blood donation times each fiscal year with pay, with documentation. See policy for details. |
| Meritorious Performance (HOOP 185) | Department chairs or administrative equivalents may grant paid leave to employees as a reward for meritorious performance as documented by employee performance appraisals, up to a maximum of 32 hours in any fiscal year. See policy for details. |
| Amateur Radio Operators (HOOP 185) | An employee who holds an amateur radio station license issued by the FCC may be granted paid leave for up to 10 working days each fiscal year to participate in specialized disaster relief services. The leave must be authorized by the employee's supervisor and have documented approval of the governor's office. See policy for details. |
| Court Appointed Special Advocates Volunteer (HOOP 185) | With the prior authorization of his or her supervisor, an employee may be granted up to five hours paid leave each month to participate in mandatory training or to perform volunteer services as a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer. See policy for details. |
| Administrative Leave (HOOP 185) | The President or designee may grant paid leave if an employee requests it and the President determines that the employee has shown good cause for taking such leave. See policy for details. |
| Leave During an Investigation (HOOP 185) | The President, or designee, may grant paid leave to an employee who is the subject of an investigation or to a victim of or witness to an act or event that is the subject of an investigation being conducted by the University. See policy for details. |
| Reserve Law Enforcement Officers (HOOP 185) | Employees who are reserve law enforcement officers as defined by Texas law are entitled to paid leave to attend continuing education required for peace officers, up to five working days every fiscal biennium. See policy for details. |
| Medical and Mental Health Care Leave for Veterans (HOOP 185) | An employee who is a veteran may be granted paid leave up to 15 days each fiscal year to obtain medical or mental health care administered by the Veterans Health Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, including physical rehabilitation. See policy for details. |
Disability Benefits
| Leave | Summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STD Insurance | Weekly Benefit. 60% of weekly earnings up to a maximum benefit of $850.00 per week subject to reduction by deductible sources of income or disability earnings. Elimination Period. Accident/Injury: Seven (7) days or until sick leave has been exhausted. Sickness: Seven (7) days or until sick leave has been exhausted. Sick Leave. Must exhaust all accrued sick leave before benefits are payable. Vacation hours can be deferred while receiving STD benefits. Maximum Period Payable. 22 Weeks; 4 weeks for pre-existing conditions. |
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| LTD Insurance | Monthly Benefit. 60% of your monthly earnings up to a maximum benefit of $15,000 per month, subject to deductible sources of income or other disability earnings. Elimination Period. 90 days from onset of disability, during which you are continuously disabled.
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| The Standard LTD Insurance (Faculty only) | Monthly Benefit. 60% of your monthly earnings up to a maximum benefit of $35,0000 per month, subject to deductible sources of income or other disability earnings. Elimination Period. 90 or 180 days from onset of disability, during which you are continuously disabled.
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