Eligibility
All employees and interns are eligible for paid sick leave. Full time employees are those working regularly scheduled 30+ hours per week. Sick leave is awarded at the beginning of each calendar year. Tracking of an employee’s time away from work is the responsibility of the employee, barring manager approval of time away, and should be accurately reported in the timekeeping system. The Manager, subject to Human Resources review, will be responsible for confirming final vacation and sick leave usage to Payroll upon the employee’s termination of employment. To the extent that these policies are inconsistent with any state or local laws, the Company shall modify the policy and comply with the applicable legal requirements.
Sick Leave Policy
An employee may use paid sick leave in the following circumstances, or any other reasons allowed by state or local law:
- to care for the employee’s own physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition that requires home care, professional medical diagnosis or care, or preventive medical care;
- to care for the employee’s family member, who is suffering from a physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition that requires home care, professional medical diagnosis, care or treatment, or preventative medical care; or recovery from, a physical or mental illness, injury, medical condition, or other adverse health condition;
- to attend a routine medical appointment or a routine medical appointment for the employee’s family member;
- to address the psychological, physical or legal effects of domestic violence; time needed for the care or services related to stalking, sexual abuse/violence, including to obtain medical attention, services from a designated domestic violence agency or victim services organization, psychological or other counseling, relocation, or legal services; and
- to travel to and from an appointment, a pharmacy, or other location related to the purpose for which the time was taken.
An employee may also use paid sick leave for the following reasons:
- Closure of the employee’s workplace or the school/childcare of an employee’s child by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; or
- Attendance at a school-related conference, meeting, function or other event requested or required by the employee’s child’s school or to attend a meeting regarding care provided to the child in connection with the child’s health conditions or disability.
Employees who experience a mild illness that does not impede their ability to perform their duties may, with manager approval, work remotely during their recovery. Misuse of this flexibility may result in the loss of this privilege. However, if an illness or other circumstance prevents an employee from fully dedicating themselves to their work, they are expected to use sick leave or vacation time, as appropriate.
“Family member” includes a spouse, domestic partner, or civil union partner; parents, parents-in-law; children (including foster); grandchildren; children’s spouses; siblings; siblings’ spouses; children living with the employee and for whom the employee permanently assumes and discharges parental responsibility; grandparents of the employee or a spouse, domestic partner, or civil union partner; spouse, domestic partner, or civil union partner of an employee’s parent or grandparent; sibling of an employee’s spouse, domestic partner, or civil union partner; a person who has shared a mutual residence and committed relationship with the employee for at least the preceding 12 months; or any other individual related by blood to the employee or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
All employees will receive 80 hours of sick leave at the beginning of the calendar year. Employees who begin their employment after the start of the calendar year will receive a pro-rated amount of sick leave. Part time employees, will receive a pro-rated sick leave at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. EDENS will supplement paid sick leave, for full time and part time employees, as required by law, during a public health emergency.
Sick leave under this policy is paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay at the time that the leave is used. To the extent allowed by state or local law, the Company may require the employee to provide medical certification of the need for sick leave. Sick leave does not count as hours worked for the purposes of determining eligibility for or calculation of overtime. Sick leave may not be used to extend vacation leave.
Employees may roll over up to 80 hours of unused sick leave to the next calendar year for a maximum sick leave allowance (rollover plus current year award) of 160 hours, unless state or local law requires otherwise. Employees may only use a maximum of 80 hours of sick leave per calendar year. However, after the annual limit has been reached, employees may use up to 80 additional hours as a paid benefit while on approved FMLA leave or to bridge the STD elimination period. Employees must use the additional hours in eight (8) hour increments.
Employees should report sick leave taken in payroll system, even if they have taken no sick leave at all and will therefore report zero hours taken.
Upon termination for any reason, unused sick leave is forfeited and will not be paid to the employee. If a departing employee has taken more sick leave than has been awarded as of the last day of employment, this advance of wages will be deducted from the employee’s final pay, consistent with federal and state law. Employees who separate from the Company and return within a certain time period may have their unused sick leave restored if required under state or local law.
The Company prohibits threatening or taking any adverse action or discrimination against an employee for exercising in good faith his or her rights under this policy.