Managers: Laws and Rules
Sick Leave
Sick leave is an approved absence from work with pay when an employee is ill or in need of medical care.
Employees may also use up to 80 sick leave hours per year to care for the needs of the employee's eligible family members who are ill or to assist them in obtaining other services related to their health or well-being.
Upon approval, an employee may take an additional 10% of their accrued sick leave per year to care for their child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition.
Sick leave is earned by each regular employee of the state at the standard rate of eight hours a month.
Sick leave accrues on a prorated basis for a fraction of a month.
All accrued unused sick leave may be carried over from one year to the next.
If an employee transfers from one agency to another, the employee retains all accumulated, unused sick leave hours.
If an employee leaves the service of the state after ten continuous years of state employment, the employee must be paid for 10 percent of their accrued unused sick leave. Employment is considered continuous in the following instances if an employee is subject to a reduction in force and is reinstated within two years or if an employee is placed on voluntary leave status without pay and the leave lasts no longer than two years for educational purposes or one year for any other voluntary leave without pay.
If an employee leaves and returns to the service of the state within one year, the employee must be credited with the amount of sick leave hours the employee had accumulated at the time of departure, less any amount for which the employee had subsequently been paid.
Temporary employees do not earn sick leave.
