21.2 Leaves of Absence without Compensation

(Amended 12/07; 10/14; 5/18; 6/19)

Leaves of absence without compensation that are not subject to FMLA may be granted to faculty and staff members in the best interests of the University. An unpaid leave of absence is granted for a specific purpose of some duration and for a specific time period. Leaves are granted only when it is possible to operate effectively in the absence of the faculty or staff member requesting the leave. Leave periods are granted in continuous increments of time. An employee's return to pay status requires the employee to return to work duties. Departments initiate and authorize leaves as a leave-of-absence transaction in Workflow.

Note: Special attention should be paid to the continuation of any insurance programs an employee may wish to continue in force during a leave of absence without pay. Assistance with the continuation of insurance programs may be obtained from the University Benefits Office and must be initiated prior to the beginning of a leave of absence.

Vacation and sick leave do not accrue when an individual is considered to be in an unpaid status for the entire day. For individuals on a leave of absence without pay, vacation and sick leave accruals will be prorated based upon the number of days the individual is in paid status divided by the total number of workdays in any given month.

  1. Merit system staff. A request for leave should be submitted, prior to the absence, to the supervisor or department-designated administrator and HR Unit Representative. Conditions for leave approval are found in Regents Merit System Rule 3.149(8A), Leave of Absence Without Pay. The Regents merit rules require that an unpaid leave of absence greater than 30 days will cause an adjustment to the date of the next "merit increase" for the employee, except in the case of an unpaid leave for military service. Required Merit Resident Director authorization is obtained in Workflow.
  2. Professional and scientific staff. A request for leave should be submitted prior to the absence to the supervisor or department-designated administrator and HR Unit Representative.
  3. Faculty. A faculty member must request a leave of absence in writing of the departmental executive officer. The departmental officer makes a written request to the dean for approval. If the leave is for other than personal reasons, the dean makes a written request to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. Once the leave is approved, a Leave of Absence Form is initiated by the department and routed with the supporting request and approval documentation in Workflow.