Paid Sick Leave for Temporary and Student Workers

The following describes the University's procedure for the accrual and use of time off with pay to its temporary and student employees, including federal work study students in accordance with NJ State Paid Sick Leave Act.

Temporary employees (TES) and student workers begin to accrue paid sick leave beginning October 29, 2018 or upon hire, whichever is later, under the following terms and conditions:

  1. Temporary employees (TES) and student workers accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty (30) hours actually worked.
  2. The maximum accrual of Paid Sick Leave hours is forty (40) hours per calendar (benefit) year.
  3. Temporary employees (TES) and student workers may carry over any earned but unused Paid Sick Leave balance from one calendar year into the next without limit.
  4. Under no circumstances are temporary employees (TES) and student workers entitled to any payout for accumulated but unused Paid Sick Leave.

Temporary employees (TES) and student workers shall be entitled to the use of accrued Paid Sick Leave as soon as it is earned. Paid Sick Leave must be taken in quarter (1/4) hour increments. Paid Sick Leave may only be used in lieu of previously scheduled work hours.

Paid Sick Leave will be paid at the temporary employee's (TES) or student worker's normal hourly rate at the time the leave is taken.

Temporary employees (TES) and student workers may only use accrued Paid Sick Leave for the following reasons:

  1. Diagnosis, care or treatment of—or recovery from—a Temporary or Student Employee’s own mental or physical illness, including preventative medical care for the employee.
  2. Aid or care for a covered family member during diagnosis, care or treatment of—or recovery from—the family member's mental or physical illness, including preventative medical care.
  3. Circumstances related to a Temporary or Student Employee's or their family member's status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence (including the need to obtain related medical treatment, seek counseling, relocate or participate in related legal services).
  4. Closure of the University or of a school/childcare of an employee's child because of a public official's order relating to a public health emergency.
  5. Time to attend a school related conference, meeting or function meeting requested or required by school staff.

"Family member" is defined as any individuals related by blood to the temporary or student employee or whose close association with the temporary or student employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

Temporary employee (TES) or student workers that are converted to regular full-time/part-time employee positions will retain the sick time accrued as a temporary employees (TES) or student workers.

Temporary employees (TES) are limited to working 944 hours in a given calendar year. For TES employees, Sick Time used (i.e. sick time recorded as benefit time taken on the timesheet) will count against the 944-hour limit. (NOTE: 944 hours worked equates to approximately 31.5 sick hours earned).

Student workers are eligible for Paid Sick Leave and are subject to all the provisions above. Payment of Paid Sick Leave cannot be charged to work-study budgeted funds.  If a student worker is being funded under the Federal Work Study Program the cost of the Paid Sick Leave will be charged an institutional budget rather than the Federal Work Study Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

The NJ Sick Leave Act A1827 and Stockton’s Procedure 6154 apply to temporary employees (TES) and student workers at Stockton University.  Regular University Employees (Full and Part-time, Career Service) are not impacted; they earn or are awarded sick leave per the N.J.A.C. Title 4A rules and/or according to their collective bargaining agreements.

Yes, HR tracks the accrual of Paid Sick Leave in Banner; TES and Student Employees are able to see their balances in self-service.

TES and student workers should follow their departmental procedures when calling out for unplanned Paid Sick Leave when sick.  For planned time, TES and student workers should use the Time Accrual/Leave Request Form.

We apply the same rules for medical documentation for Paid Sick Leave as we do for Sick leave for permanent employees, keeping in mind that there are additional authorized reasons for use of Paid Sick Leave for TES & student workers.  Based on N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.4 (d), “An appointing authority may require proof of illness or injury when there is a reason to believe that an employee is abusing sick leave; an employee has been absent on sick leave for five or more consecutive work days; or an employee has been absent on sick leave for an aggregate of more than 15 days in a 12-month period.”

 

Yes, TES and student workers can see their accrual/balance information as soon as it is added in Banner.

 

As with regular employees, time earned may be used in the same pay period, i.e. comp time is often earned and used in the same pay period. The Civil Service Commission guidance has advised to apply the same rules to the use of Paid Sick leave as we would for use of sick time which can be used in the same pay period in which the employee receives it.

 

Temporary Employees (TES) are limited to working 944 hours in a given calendar year. For TES employees, Paid Sick Leave used (i.e. PSL time recorded as benefit time taken on the timesheet) counts against the 944-hour limit. (NOTE: 944 hours worked equates to approximately 31.5 sick hours earned).

 

Student workers are eligible for Paid Sick Leave and are subject to all the provisions above. Payment of Paid Sick Leave cannot be charged to work-study budgeted funds.  If a student worker is being funded under the Federal Work Study Program the cost of the Paid Sick Leave will be charged to an institutional budget rather than the Federal Work Study Program.

 

There is no time limit to how long these accrued but unused Paid Sick Leave hours can be kept on the books.

 

Yes, Paid Sick Leave accrual is connected to the TES/student worker not the position.  The TES/student worker will retain their leave balance when they change temporary assignments.

 

Under no circumstances are temporary employees (TES) and student workers entitled to any payout for accumulated but unused Paid Sick Leave.

 

Yes, leave reports have accrual balances for Paid Sick Leave for TES and student workers.  The updated reports are available on a bi-weekly basis after the payroll runs.  Additionally, TES reports are updated to reflect Paid Sick Leave used by the TES in the 944 Report.

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