Policy Title: Sick Leave
Impact: Benefits Eligible Employees
Responsibility: Human Resources
Effective Date: 09/1995
Revised Date: 04/23/2025
Reviewed Date: 04/23/2025
Relates to Procedure(s): n/a
Legal Citation(s): House Bill 452, Idaho Code 33-1217
Employee wellbeing is a priority of the college. Accordingly, employees are expected to remain at home when they are ill. Where eligible under this policy, employees may also remain home to care for family members.
Benefits eligible employees accrue sick leave that may be used for the following reasons:
- Illness or injury that prevents the employee from performing their duties.
- Mental health situations that prevent the employee from performing their duties.
- Birth or adoption of a child.
- Five days of sick leave for the birth of a grandchild.
- Illness or injury of a family member for which the employee is a primary caregiver.
- Health-related appointments for the employee or family member.
Employees may use sick leave concurrently with FMLA.
Employees may use accrued sick leave to supplement their short-term disability or Worker’s Compensation benefits, not to exceed 100% of regular pay.
Sick leave may not be used in lieu of vacation leave.
Sick leave Accrual
Employees accrue sick leave based on their employee classification. Employees who work less than 100% full-time will accrue based on their full-time equivalent percentage.
Sick leave benefit at retirement
Employees who meet the qualifications to retire from NIC may be eligible to use a portion of their accrued sick leave to pay for continued medical and dental insurance.
Transfer of Sick Leave when leaving employment
Sick leave is not compensable upon termination of employment. Per Idaho Statute, accrued sick leave may be transferred if an employee moves to another qualifying Idaho public institution.
Procedure: Sick Leave
Impact: Benefits Eligible Employees
Responsibility: Human Resources
Effective Date: 02/22/2024
Revised Date: 02/22/2024
Reviewed Date: 02/22/2024
Relates to Policy: 3.04.01
Legal Citation(s):
Employees who intend to use sick leave should notify their supervisor in advance, whenever feasible. Employees who miss three or more days due to an illness or injury may be required to provide a medical certification, according to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Employees taking sick leave must notify their direct supervisor immediately and document time-off in the college’s time entry system.
- Non-Exempt/Overtime-Eligible (Classified) – Non-Exempt, hourly employees who exhaust all accrued sick and vacation leave will not be paid for additional missed time.
- Exempt/Overtime Ineligible (Professional and Faculty) – Exempt, salaried employees should not report leave usage for less than four hours (1/2 day). Once the employee exhausts all accrued sick and vacation leave, an adjustment will be made to the employee’s bi-weekly pay.
Sick leave accrual rates are as follows:
- Non-Exempt/Overtime-Eligible (Classified): .0462 per hour worked.
- Exempt/Overtime Ineligible (Professional): 3.7 hours of sick leave for every biweekly pay period at 100% full-time equivalency (FTE).
- Exempt/Overtime Ineligible (Faculty): the equivalent of 8 hours of sick leave per month based on contract length. For example, a 9-month contract would accrue 3.8 hours of sick leave for every biweekly pay period.
Employees who will exhaust their accrued leave but are unable to report to work should contact Human Resources as soon as possible.