1. ATTENDANCE
   1. Employees of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) who are unavailable to work during their regularly scheduled working hours will be considered absent by the University, regardless of circumstance or excuse. An absence may be further identified as an approved leave, an excused absence or an unexcused absence.
   2. Among the approved paid leaves provided by the UTHSC-H are the following: vacation, holiday, sick (personal or family), funeral, administrative, civic duty, and military leave of absence. Appropriations bill allows the University to grant a leave of absence with pay to an employee who is a foster parent of a child under the conservatorship of the Department of Human Services, in order for the employee to attend Department meetings or school conferences regarding the child.
   
   All excused and unexcused absences (as opposed to approved leaves) will be without pay .
   
   • An excused absence without pay may be granted for such reasons as illness or death in the family for which the employee does not qualify for funeral or sick leave, or personal business when planned and requested in advance.
   • An unexcused absence without pay may be charged if an employee is unable to provide an acceptable reason for an absence or fails to notify the supervisor of the absence.
   • Any absence of more than three (3) days without proper notification of the immediate supervisor will be considered as job abandonment and voluntary termination of employment.

   PROCEDURE

   Employees shall notify their immediate supervisor promptly if they are unable to report for work at their regularly scheduled time. Employees arriving for work after their regularly scheduled starting time shall be considered tardy.
   With prior approval of the supervisor, an employee may use accrued vacation time rather than be docked for an excused absence. Supervisors are not obligated to grant vacation leave in lieu of leave without pay.

   See X - Disciplinary Action

2. OFFICIAL TIME RECORDS
   1. There shall be a reduction in pay (docking) for all hours a non-exempt employee does not work when scheduled to work. All absent time will be considered according to currently established UTHSC-H and Departmental polices.
   2. Employees and supervisors should carefully complete time reports, since the signature of the employee card correctly rcertifies that the time eflects all time worked and absences for the pay period indicated.
   3. Time cards submitted to the supervisor incorrectly reflecting time worked and absences will be considered falsification of Official University documents and records. This unacceptable conduct and will result in immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination.
3. VACATION
   1. Advance request for time off form must be completed, and signed by Supervisor/DMO 72 hours prior to leave.
   2. Exceptions will be reviewed on individual bases.
      1. Emergencies.
4. SICK
   1. Notify immediate Supervisor/DMO promptly as to the reason for the absence on initial day of absence and each day thereafter no later than 15 minutes after scheduled reporting time. If message left on voice mail, it is the responsibility of the employee to call back and speak directly to the supervisor.
   2. For absences of three or more continuous working days, you will be requested to submit to your supervisor on the day of your return a statement from your attending physician or some other written statement of facts concerning the illness which is acceptable to your supervisor. Failure to provide your supervisor with this statement on the day you return to work will result in docking of time absent.
   3. If your supervisor feels that you are using sick leave inappropriately, he/she may require a doctor's statement relative to your condition each time you are absent due to illness.
   4. When you have exhausted all accrued sick leave, your sick leave will be leave without pay. You are not automatically able to use accrued vacation in lieu of sick leave. Vacation leave is granted at the discretion of your Supervisor/DMO and must be approved by him/her in advance of leave.
   5. Sick leave may not be used in conjunction with drug studies (This must be taken as pre-approved vacation and/or on your own time).
   6. Sick Pool leave may be applied for when all sick and vacation leave has been used and the illness requires more than 30 days leave. Applications to use sick leave from the pool must be accompanied by a doctor's statement, and a doctor's statement will be required every thirty days for the duration of the requested leave. A completed Sick Leave Pool Application form along with the doctor's statement specifying the patient's name, nature of illness or injury and the approximate duration of the absence must be submitted to the employee's supervisor for signature. The supervisor signs the request and forwards to the Assistant Vice President for PeopleWorks.
   7. Sick time may be used for doctor/dental appointments providing a Leave Request Form has been completed and approved 72 hours prior to the appointment.
   8. Family sick leave must be used when you or a member of your immediate family has been injured or for illness. Your immediate family is defined as those individuals related by kinship, adoption (including certified foster children), or marriage who resides in your household or, if not in your household, are totally dependent upon you for personal care and/or services on a continuing basis. UTHSC-H will grant up to 12 weeks of leave in a 12-month period to employees who have been employed at least 12 months and worked at least 50 percent time during the 12-month period immediately preceding the leave. Family and medical leave may be granted for one or more of the following reasons:
      • Birth of son/daughter and care after such birth;
      • Placement of son/daughter for adoption or foster care;
      • Serious health condition of spouse, child, or parent of employee; or
      • Serious health condition of employee (unable to perform job).

      When an employee is taking leave to care for a family member, or due to his/her own serious health condition, the employee may be required to support the leave request with certification from the health care provider. If UTHSC-H does not agree with the medical certification, a second opinion at the university's expense may be obtained. If two opinions disagree, a third opinion may be obtained at the university's expense, and will be the final determination.

   9. Eight (8) hours of preventive health care per year will be granted with the authorization of their supervisors to employees for scheduled preventive health care for themselves and family members.

    

5. OVERTIME
   1. EXEMPT
      1. Exempt employees are NOT eligible for paid overtime. There is no legal requirement, nor is the institution obligated to pay overtime or to grant compensatory time off to exempt employees. In some cases, however, a supervisor may approve compensatory time off to the exempt employees for the overtime the employee may be required to work.
      2. There are three situations in which, at the discretion of the supervisor and with the written advanced approval of the head of the operating unit , exempt employees may be paid for overtime hours they are required to work.
         • Patient care requires the overtime;
         • A research project or funding would be placed in jeopardy;
         • A Contract would be lost.
      3. Payment for overtime would be made only when granting compensatory time off is not feasible, and the exempt employee will be paid at straight time .
   2. NON-EXEMPT
      1. Non-exempt employees will be compensated for overtime at one and one-half times their base salary rate for any AUTHORIZED hours worked in excess of forty. Hours not actually worked for which a non-exempt employee is paid, such as holidays, sick leave or vacation, do not count for the purpose of computing overtime.
      2. If a non-exempt employee has not worked more than forty hours in a standard work week (worked 35 hours), but the total hours worked and (8) of paid leave exceed forty, the employee will be compensated at straight time for the hours in excess of forty.

      NOTE: ALL OVERTIME WORKED MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE BY THE SUPERVISOR AND/OR DMO. THUS, YOU SHOULD NEVER WORK EXTRA HOURS WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF YOUR SUPERVISOR AND ADVANCED APPROVAL. COMPENSATORY TIME MAY BE GRANTED IN LIEU OF OVERTIME TO NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES.

6. COMPENSATORY TIME
   1. Compensatory time may be granted to exempt and non-exempt employees if:
      1. Faculty member or supervisor requests employee to work over 40 hours a week. Requests must be written in advance and approved by Supervisor/DMO.
      2. Employee must have worked 40 hours in the week compensatory time is requested to be eligible to receive compensatory time off at (1-1/2) for each hour over forty, not including paid leave. Straight hour for hour) compensatory time may be granted for each hour over forty in a workweek that included paid leave. Compensatory time must be taken during the 12-month period following the end of that workweek.

      NOTE: ALL COMPENSATORY TIME WORKED MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE BY THE SUPERVISOR AND DMO. THUS, YOU SHOULD NEVER WORK EXTRA HOURS WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF YOUR SUPERVISOR AND ADVANCED APPROVAL. COMPENSATORY TIME MAY BE GRANTED IN LIEU OF OVERTIME TO NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES.

7. TARDINESS
   1. Excused. 1. Tardiness may be excused with the approval of your supervisor (known traffic problems, etc.). Vacation time may be used.
   2. Unexcused.
      1. Time can not be made up nor vacation time used and disciplinary actions may be taken.
         1. After three (3) unexcused tardiness, the employee will be required to sign in every morning for one month.
         2. Continued tardiness will result in a formal "Notice of Disciplinary Action."
         3. See X-Disciplinary Action

      NOTE: ALL TARDIES MUST BE ACCURATELY REPORTED ON THE OFFICIAL TIME RECORD. THIS POLICY WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. LUNCHTIME AND BREAK TIMES ARE NOT TO BE USED TO MAKEUP ANY TIME OFF. BREAKS CANNOT BE USED WITH LUNCHTIME FOR EXTENDED LUNCH PERIOD.

8. JURY DUTY
   1. If summoned to serve on a jury or subpoenaed to serve as a witness in a case in which you are not a party, you will be allowed paid time off.
      1. Employee must furnish supervisor with summons or documentation of proof of such service.
      2. Employee must return to work if not chosen as a juror or when not actually in court.
9. FUNERAL
   1. Death/funeral - Both require notification of supervisor/DMO and completed Leave Request Form.
      1. An employee's family is defined as a spouse, the employee's or the spouse's parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, or grandchildren.
      2. Funeral leave shall be granted for a period not to exceed three days, provided that such leave does not extend more than two days beyond the date of the funeral.
      3. If additional time is required, it may, with the approval of the employee's immediate supervisor, be charged to vacation or leave without pay.
      4. Leave without pay or vacation may be granted to attend a funeral that does not qualify for funeral leave.
10. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
    1. Disciplinary Actions may be invoked to discipline a classified employee who request an inordinate number of absences approved or disapproved; is absent without an acceptable reason; and/or is excessively tardy and/or absent.
    2. If a Notice of Disciplinary Action is necessary, the supervisor will conduct a pre-disciplinary hearing with the employee where the supervisor will inform the employee of the intention to impose the disciplinary action of either suspension without pay or termination. The supervisor will inform the employee in person and/or in writing of the reasons for the action, the relevant facts of the situation, the names of any persons who have made statements about the situation and the content of such statements. The supervisor will present for review any documentary material that contributed to the intention to apply the disciplinary action. The pre-disciplinary hearing serves as an opportunity to avoid mistaken decisions to impose discipline and is not intended to definitively resolve the propriety of the disciplinary action being considered. The supervisor will give the employee an opportunity to respond to the charges either orally or in writing within a reasonable time (one hour). If the employee fails to dissuade the supervisor from imposing the disciplinary action, the supervisor will submit the Notice of Disciplinary Action through his or her appropriate administrative superiors for their review and approval and to the assistant vice president for human resources for final approval.

LEAVE POLICY ADDENDUM

General Policy, Procedure, and Expectation for the Department of Pathology Administrative Staff

The mission of the Department is to maintain excellence in research, clinical service, and the teaching of Pathology, and to become known for this excellence in the medical community of UT, the Texas Medical Center, the State, and Nationally.

UTHSCH DPALM CLASSIFIED LEAVE POLICY

• Confirmation that each administrative staff has received a copy of the policy.

ATTENDANCE

• Working hours (8 hours daily/40 hours weekly, unless otherwise specified)
• Time Off (Advance Request for Time Off Form should be submitted at least 72 hours in advance. This includes vacation, jury duty, scheduled doctor's appointments or any time you will be away from your office for an hour or more.)
• Emergency leave during working hours (You should inform DMO/Supervisor, or designee of your leaving. Complete an Advanced Request for Time Off form stating the nature of your emergency.
• Out for illness or other reasons (You should call and speak with Supervisor or AA. A message left on voice mail is not acceptable. You should call by 7:15 or 8:15 a.m. depending on your schedule. Upon returning to work, complete an Advance Request Form (you may want to mark out advanced).
• Breaks (should be taken between the hours of 9-10 a.m. & 3-4 p.m., 15 minutes each, not to be added to the beginning or end of day nor lunchtime.)
• Lunchtime should be between the hours of 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
• You are to inform your supervisor when you are leaving the floor/building for any significant period of time and notify him/her of your return (more than 15 minutes.)
• Comp/over time needs prior approval by DMO and/or Supervisor.

DRESS

• You should wear appropriate business attire (no jeans, sweats, halters, etc.) Exceptions to jeans would be Chili Cook-off, Go-Texan Day, special workday, Fridays or emergencies.

QUALITY OF WORK

• Travel: TA's, TE's, and Registration Work sheets are filled out correctly.
• Purchasing: SO's, RQ's, and PP's should be legibly written or typed RI's, PS"s, Vouchers, and Petty cash should be typed. Appropriate commodity codes, if applicable, are necessary for TUFIMS entry.

GENERAL CONDUCT

• Cooperation and teamwork is expected.
• Rudeness will not be tolerated.
• Unacceptable conduct will be dealt with according to UTHSC and Departmental policy.
• DMO/Supervisor is available to discuss any problem you may have.

TIME REPORTS

• It is your responsibility to meet the deadline for turning in your time records. Normally this is one working day after the date noted on the time record. Do not depend on anyone to remind you.
• Falsification of your time record is grounds for dismissal.

ANNUAL EVALUATION

• Each administrative staff will be reviewed yearly to include duties, expectations, and priorities per the Classified Handbook.
• Each administrative staff desk should have a manual.

FLEX TIME

• Administrative staff wishing to take flextime must have written approval from their supervisor and/or faculty members. Request in writing to Supervisor/DMO listing hours that will be worked, lunchtime, and break times. He/she must also have a back up. It will be the back-up's responsibility to come in to work if the person is ill or cannot come in on the back-up's flex day. The staff member will furnish a monthly calendar to Supervisor/DMO and faculty showing the flex days; these days cannot be changed without approval of Supervisor/DMO. Failure to comply with these policies may result in the loss of Flextime.