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Employee Leave & Disability

To promote a healthy work/life balance Salt Lake County encourages you to take time away from work through your accrued vacation hours, or with the County’s observance of several State and Federal holidays. Sick time accruals allow you to take time off when you are ill or otherwise recovering from a health condition, to attend medical appointments or to care for an immediate family member as they recuperate.

Disability benefits are made available to support you in the event of an injury or illness that will cause you to miss work for an extended period. Short-term disability insurance may be purchased to provide income replacement for up to 11-weeks of recovery from a qualifying condition, while long-term disability provides income replacement to those qualify and have been unable to work for 90-days. Long-term disability is provided to benefits-eligible employees at no cost to them.

Salt Lake County Employee Leave & Disability

For a full explanation of vacation leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices - K

Using Vacation

Employees must request approval to use accrued vacation from their supervisor prior to scheduling.

Use or Lose

No more than 40 days (320 hours) of unused accrued vacation will be carried from one year to the succeeding year. Any unused hours over 320 will be forfeited.

Transfers

When an employee transfers from one agency to another, accrued vacation will be transferred to the new agency.

Termination

Vacation accrued at the time an employee terminates will be paid in accordance with HR Policies 2-800 Resignation and Exit Interviews; 4-300 Insurance and Retirement Programs; and 4-900 Retirement Policy.

*Part-time accruals pro-rated based on number of hours worked
County Service Accrual
Service date through end of 2nd year Regular hours worked x 0.046154 (Full-time 12 days)
3rd year through end of 5th year Regular hours worked x 0.057692 (Full-time 15 days)
6th year through end of 10th year Regular hours worked x 0.069231 (Full-time 18 days)
11th year through end of 15th year Regular hours worked x 0.080769 (Full-time 21 days)
16th year and on Regular hours worked x 0.092308 (Full-time 24 days)

HR Policy 2-800:Resignation and Exit Interviews

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

HR Policy 4-300: Insurance and Retirement Programs

HR Policy 4-900: Retirement

For a full explanation of Sick Leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices- J

Accrual Schedule

Probationary, Regular, Provisional, Permanent Part Time and Time Limited Appointed accrue vacation according to the below formula. For full time employees this equates to 12 days a year. There is no limit on the amount of sick leave that may be accrued and carried forward to succeeding years.

Accrual = regular hours worked x (times) .04615

Using Sick Leave

Sick leave may be used absences due to illness, injury, medical appointments and to care for an ill or injured immediate family member. Absences should be reported at the beginning of the work day or by specific agency procedures.

  • Administrators are responsible for approving or denying sick leave requests and may require medical clarification of illness.
  • Employees using five or more consecutive days of sick leave will be required to provide a note from a health care provider documenting the medical need for the absence.

Conversion of Sick to Vacation

Employees who use little or no accrued sick leave during the calendar year will automatically have a portion of the unused sick leave converted to vacation in January of each year according to the following formula:

Accrued Credit - (minus) Used Credit - (minus) 64 Hours = Converted Credit

Employees may waive conversion of sick leave by submitting a written request to the Human Resources Division no later than December 15 of each year.

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

For a full explanation of Holiday Leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices- D

Eligibility

Probationary, Regular, Provisional, and Time Limited Appointed employees are eligible for paid leave on holidays. Part -time provisional and permanent part time employees are eligible form pro-rated paid leave based on their normally scheduled hours (i.e. 20 hours per week = 4 hours paid leave; 30 hours per week = 6 hours paid leave)

Holiday Observance

A holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed on the following Monday. A holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday.

Working on a Holiday

Employees required to work on holidays are paid in accordance with HR Policy 5-100 Pay Practices.

Holiday Bank

As holidays occur, the eligible employee will receive either a cash payment based on the Full Time Equivalency (FTE) held or leave added to their holiday bank based on the FTE held.

  • When employees record holiday on their time card, the hours will be deducted from the holiday bank.
  • Employees may accrue up to 24 hours of holiday leave. Holiday leave will be audited annually in July. Holiday leave exceeding 24 hours will be forfeited on August 1 of each year.
  • Hours remaining in the holiday bank will be cashed out upon separation.

Current Year Holiday Schedule

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

HR Policy 5-100: Pay & Employment Practices

For a full explanation of Holiday Leave - Sworn practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices- E

Eligibility

Probationary and Regular employees are eligible for 96 paid leave on holidays per calendar year. The 96 hours of holiday leave is in lieu of the holidays listed in 4-200-II-D-6 and the personal preference holiday.

Accrual

Employees may accrue up to 24 hours of holiday leave. Holiday leave will be audited annually at the conclusion of each employee's last full work cycle in July. Holiday leave exceeding 24 hours will be forfeited on August 1 of each year.

Using Holiday Leave

The 96 hours of holiday leave will be divided equally between the 12 calendar months of the year. Employees are eligible to use eight hours of holiday leave at the beginning of each month. Supervisors should allow for the scheduling of eight holiday hours off per month.

Working on Holidays

Employees who work on holidays will be paid at straight time unless the requirements for overtime are met.

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

For a full explanation of Family and Medical Leave practices see HR Policy 4-600: Leave Practices

Family Medical Leave Act

For an overview of eligibility requirements, definitions for immediate family, length of leave, benefits, protections and other relevant information on the Family and Medical Leave Act, please review to the  FMLA Fact Sheet.

Eligible employees are entitled to:

  • Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for:
    • The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
    • The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;
    • To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; 
    • A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job; 
    • Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;”
  • Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period: 
    • To care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the service member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave)

FMLA Forms

Certification Forms

These forms must be completed by the health care provider and the employee.

Employee’s Leave Request Forms

This form must be completed by the employee.

FMLA Notices

These forms must be completed by the employee’s Administrator and provided to the employee.

HR Policy 4-600: Family and Medical Leave

FMLA Fact Sheet

FMLA Employee Serious Health Condition

FMLA Family Serious Health Condition

FMLA Military Family Leave

FMLA Serious Injury or Illness

Leave Request Form

Notice of Eligibility and Rights & Responsibilities

Designation Notice

For a full explanation of funeral leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices- C

Regular, Probationary, Provisional, Permanent part-time with benefits, and Time Limited Appointed are eligible for funeral leave. At the discretion of the administrator, funeral leave may be granted to make funeral arrangements, settle family affairs, attend the funeral or memorial service and for bereavement.

The amount of funeral leave granted is at the discretion of the administrator based upon the employee's individual circumstances and the needs of the agency. The maximum time off for funeral leave is as follows:

  • Up to 40 work hours for immediate family which includes spouse, adult designee, child, ward, dependent child of an adult designee, parent, legal guardian, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law and step-relatives of the same order.
  • Up to 24 work hours that may be extended to 40 work hours for other family members who include uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law and daughter-in-law.
  • Up to ten hours per calendar year for other relatives and friends Hours not used in the calendar year will not to be carried forward to the next year.

For a full explanation of bereavement leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices - Section II.D

In accordance with Utah Code Ann.§ 10-3-1103, any employee may take up to three workdays of paid bereavement leave in qualifying circumstances. For Benefits Eligible employees, this bereavement leave following a miscarriage or stillbirth runs concurrently with, and is not separate from, Funeral Leave.

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

For a full explanation of Military leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices- I

Regular, Probationary, Provisional, Permanent part-time with benefits, and Time Limited Appointed are eligible for a paid leave of absence for military duty.

  • The employee may be granted up to a maximum of 15 working; days (120 hours) per calendar year. If additional time off is required, the employee may use vacation or leave without pay.
  • A copy of the military orders supporting the leave request will be submitted to the employee's Administrator before beginning leave.
  • Employees activated for military duty under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re- Employment Rights Act (USERRA) may be absent from employment for the period required by the official orders and as prescribed in the Act.
  • An employee returning from active duty will be reinstated in accordance with Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA) and HR Policy 4-300 Insurance and Retirement Programs and HR Policy 4-900 Retirement Policy.

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

HR Policy 4-300: Insurance and Retirement Programs

HR Policy 4-900: Retirement

For a full explanation of Jury and Witness leave practices see HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices- G

Regular, Probationary, Provisional, Permanent part-time with benefits, Part-time, and Time Limited Appointed are eligible for a paid leave of absence for jury. Witness duty in response to a subpoena or directive by the Federal Government, State of Utah or its political subdivisions, may be an approved absence if related to employment.

  • An employee may keep income received from jury duty.

An employee subpoenaed for private litigation or by a party other than the Federal Government, State of Utah or its political subdivisions, to testify as an individual and not in a work-related official capacity, may request to use vacation or leave without pay.

HR Policy 4-200: Leave Practices

The Standard - Group Term Life and AD&D Insurance

Salt Lake County offers group term life insurance through The Standard.

Employer section of above STDi Claim Form needs to be filled out by employee's supervisor or division's Human Resources Rep.  

Contact County Benefits with Questions at 385-468-0580.

Telephonic Reporting

If you become and/or expect to be disabled due to an injury, sickness, or pregnancy or are absent from work due to Family Medical Leave (FML) or any other type of company approved absence or leave,

The Standard will help make submitting a claim easier by offering disability claim filing by telephone. 1-800-378-2395

Remember you also need to contact your supervisor to report your absence.

"The Standard" Personal Health Advocates Information

At no additional cost, you can contact Health Advocate and may be assigned a Person Health Advocate. Monday-Friday 6am-8pm Mountain (844) 450-5543

Why You May Need LTD Insurance

STDi Coverage Highlights

STDi Claim Form

The Standard Long Term Disability

Long-Term Disability is offered to County employees and 100% of premium is paid by Salt Lake County. For more information or to apply for the program, contact The Standard at 1-800-368-2859.

Why You May Need LTD Insurance

Long Term Disability Benefit Summary

Long Term Disability Claim Form