Human Resources
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- Shakopee Public Schools
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- Leave of Absence
Leave of Absence
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A leave of absence is defined by the school district policy as an absence 5 days or more. The types of leaves you are eligible for will vary based on your FTE, employee group and situation. Please review the information to determine your situation and then contact Brady Lutz by email at elutz@shakopee.k12.mn.us.
Leave of Absence Examples
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FMLA
This leave is federally mandated and stands for the Family Medical Leave Act. This leave can be used for the following reasons
- The birth and first year care for his/her child
- The adoption or foster placement of his/her child
- The serious health condition of a spouse, child or parent
- A serious health condition
- Other conditions required by FMLA
Eligibility
- You must have been employed by Shakopee Schools for the previous 12 months
- You must have worked 1,250 hours during the previous 12 months
Pay
This is a paid leave for up to six weeks. Payment for this leave will be taken from your sick time. If you have no sick time available, you will not be paid. *Exceptions: Maternity leaves involving a c-section will be paid eight weeks. A doctor’s note must be provided.
Employee Groups Eligible
All employee groups are eligible for this leave as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.
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Non-FMLA
In the event that you do not qualify for FMLA but you have a reason requiring you to be off work, this leave can be used for the following reasons
- The birth and first year care for his/her child
- The adoption or foster placement of his/her child
- The serious health condition of a spouse, child or parent
- A serious health condition
- A sabbatical leave for the purpose of professional growth
- Extended leave for Minnesota Teachers (MN Statue 122A.46
Pay
This is a paid leave for up to six weeks. Payment for this leave will be taken from your sick time. If you have no sick time available, you will not be paid.
Employee Groups Eligible
All employee groups are eligible for this leave as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.
Leave of Absence Forms & Information Sheets
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How do I handle an absence that is less than 5 work days?
There are several reasons employees will experience absences. If your absence is less than 5 days please follow the steps below.Sick, Personal, Bereavement, Emergency & VacationIf your absence is for sick, personal, bereavement or vacation please log into AESOP and enter the dates and times you will be gone. A notification will automatically be sent to your supervisor to review your time.Absences the Last 10 Days of SchoolDistrict policy requires all absences for the last 10 days of school be reviewed by the Superintendent. If you are planning on being absent during the last 10 days of school please review your day off with your supervisor. If your time off is approved by them please complete the attached Request Form. Your request will be reviewed within five working days of submitted the form. You will receive approval/denial notification via e-mail.If you have questions on absences, please contact Cindy Gregory at 952.496.5014 or by email at cgregory@shakopee.k12.mn.us
FMLA & Medical Leave of Absence FAQ
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What is FMLA?
FMLA stands for Family Medical Leave Act. It is a leave that may last up to 12 weeks for medical reasons. To qualify for the leave, certain conditions must be met.
- Employees who have worked for 12 months and 1,250 hours or more within a year.
- It allows an unpaid medical leave for your own serious health condition, for care of newborn or adopted baby within first 12 months, or to care for a sick or injured spouse or parent.
- You may use sick time for the time that you are considered to be disabled by your doctor. After that time, you would use personal or other paid time off to offset the unpaid portion of the leave.
- During this leave, the district continues to make a contribution towards your health insurance the same as if you were working for the 12 weeks.
- If your leave extends beyond 12 weeks, then you may be required to pay the whole cost of the health and dental insurances.
- If an employee does not meet the required minimum number of hours worked within a year, that employee may request to take a medical leave.
- The qualification for leave is calculated on a rolling calendar from the date of the onset of the leave.
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How is FMLA different than medical leave?
- You must meet the conditions to be eligible for FMLA.
- The district is required by statute to grant FMLA leave.
- FMLA may be taken to care for an injured or ill spouse, parent or child.
- Medical leave applies only to your own serious health condition. These guidelines are intended to provide general information. Some employee groups may vary slightly– see your specific employee group contract book or policies. Staff share/Procedure/FMLA/FMLA and medical leave FAQs.
- Medical leave may extend beyond 12 weeks if your doctor prescribes that you need to be off work longer.
- With a medical leave, the district does not make the contribution to your health insurance unless you are using sick leave or other paid time off.
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What paperwork do I need to turn in for medical leave?
- A Time Off Request Form should be turned in if the leave is for more than 10 days and related to a medical condition, OR, if at the end of the leave you will be returning to work with restrictions. Indicate the start and end date and the reason for the leave is illness. Your supervisor should sign off on the form before it is sent to Human Resources (HR).
- A note from your doctor indicating that the leave is for medical reasons and the estimated time off needed. This would include start and end date.
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What if I do not have a set date for the start and end of my leave? E.g. pregnancy.
- Your paperwork should provide an estimated start and end date for your leave.
- Once the baby is born, notify HR and your building/program when you deliver.
- You will need to also provide a note from your physician indicating the length of your leave for medical reasons.
- If you wish to adjust the end date of your leave, you will need to submit a written request to HR within 3 weeks of the delivery. Your request will be reviewed by HR and your principal, director, or supervisor. We will notify you if we can accommodate the requested change.
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What happens once the paperwork is turned into Human Resources?
- Your request for leave is reviewed by HR.
- You will receive a letter from HR within 5 days that indicates if your leave was approved.
- If your leave qualifies for FMLA and goes beyond 12 weeks, then that portion of your leave is sent to a meeting of the school board for approval.
- Once your leave has begun, payroll will send you a statement with number of sick, personal, or vacation hours that you will use during your leave and how your pay check may be affected.
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Do I need to enter my time off in AESOP if I am on medical leave?
If you are off 10 days or less, you enter your absence into AESOP.
If you are off beyond 10 days, HR will enter your time off in AESOP and payroll system.
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Do I need to submit a note to return from leave?
- You do not need a note from your physician unless you are returning with restrictions. We will need to review your restrictions to determine if you can return to work.
- The district will assume you are returning on your end date unless you have been approved to return on a different date.
Maternity Leave & Child Birth FAQ
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Mother: Does my maternity leave fall under FMLA?
- You must meet the conditions to be eligible for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act).
- Worked at the district 12 months
- Work a minimum of 1,250 hours within a year
- The district is required by statute to grant FMLA leave.
- FMLA protects your insurance and job up to 12 weeks.
- Medical leave applies only to your own serious health condition, so for a regular delivery it will be six weeks, C-section will be eight weeks.
- You must meet the conditions to be eligible for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act).
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Mother: What paperwork do I need to turn in for Medical Leave?
You must notify HR and your principal or director by the end of the fifth month of your pregnancy.
- A Time Off Request Form should be turned in if the leave is for more than 10 days and related to a medical condition, OR, if at the end of the leave you will be returning to work with restrictions. Indicate the start and end date and the reason for the leave is illness.
- A note from your doctor indicating that the leave is for medical reasons and the estimated time off needed. This would include start and end date.
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Mother: What if I do not have a set date for the start and end of my leave?
- Your paperwork should provide an estimated start and end date for your leave.
- Once the baby is born, notify HR and your building/program when you deliver.
- You will need to also provide a note from your physician indicating the length of your leave for medical reasons.
- If you wish to adjust the end date of your leave, you will need to submit a written request to HR within 3 weeks of the delivery. Your request will be reviewed by HR and your principal, director, or supervisor. We will notify you if we can accommodate the requested change.
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Mother: What happens once the paperwork is turned into Human Resources?
- Your request for leave is reviewed by HR.
- You will receive a letter from HR within 5 days that indicates if your leave was approved
- If your leave qualifies for FMLA and goes beyond 12 weeks, that portion of your leave requires approval from the board.
- You will have a meeting with HR to go over your leave and how it may affect your pay, benefits, and seniority.
- Once your leave has begun, payroll will send you a statement with number of sick, personal, or vacation hours that you will use during your leave and how your pay check may be affected.
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Father: How does leave work?
- You may use sick leave during the time that your child is hospitalized or sick.
- You may use up to 5 days of sick leave for illness of immediate family (your spouse.)
- Enter your absences into AESOP.
- If you need to add the baby to your insurance coverage, you have 30 days to make that change. Please contact HR to make the change.