3356-7-08. Leave without pay for extended serious health condition or disability, excluded professional/administrative staff

(A) Policy statement. The university is committed to employment practices that promote the health and welfare of its employees. Through its leave programs, it provides for and encourages preventive health care; physical, emotional, and mental well-being professional growth and development; and civic responsibility.

(B) Parameters.

(1) Duration. An employee may request a leave without pay for his or her own extended serious health condition or disability. This leave may be granted for a period of up to six months for an extended serious health condition or disability following the exhaustion of all accrued paid sick and/or vacation leave and unpaid Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA").

(2) Extension. An employee may request up to an additional six-month period of leave without pay for his or her own extended serious health condition or disability. This extension of leave without pay may be approved for up to an additional six-month period. The employee must provide medical evidence from a physician (or duly qualified medical practitioner) indicating that the employee will be able to substantially and materially perform his or her job responsibilities by a specified date that is no later than one year from the beginning of the original leave without pay.

(3) Employees requesting a leave without pay for an extended serious health condition or disability may be required to undergo an examination at the university's expense to confirm the state of the employee's health.

(4) The university will maintain all group insurance benefits for a fulltime employee who has been employed by the university for at least one year prior to the employee commencing a leave without pay for an extended serious health condition or disability. The employee will be responsible for paying the employee's share of the health insurance cost during this leave. Failure of the employee to make payments in a timely manner may result in the loss of health insurance benefits.

(6) Employees covered by collective bargaining should refer to their respective labor agreement.

(C) Procedures.

(1) Excluded professional/administrative staff requesting extended leave without pay for an extended serious health condition or disability should notify the chief human resources officer as soon as possible.

(2) A physician's (or duly qualified medical practitioner's) certification for leave without pay for an extended serious health condition or disability shall be submitted in writing to the chief human resources officer. This written request should specify the reason for the leave and the anticipated duration of the leave.

(3) If the leave without pay for an extended serious health condition or disability request is granted, human resources will notify the appropriate supervisor, administrator and/or division director.

(4) An employee who does not return at the conclusion of the approved leave may be eligible to apply for disability retirement under one of the Ohio pension plans or for any long-term disability benefits provided by the university, or may otherwise be terminated by the university.

Replaces: 3356:1-17-05

Effective: 2/4/2013
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3356
Rule Amplifies: 3356
Prior Effective Dates: 8/26/86, 11/23/87, 6/16/03