Leave Benefits for Faculty and Librarians

Accrual of Sick Leave

Full-time librarians shall accrue 4.327 hours of sick leave each two-week payroll period, not to exceed fifteen days per year. Full-time faculty members on calendar year appointments shall accrue 4.61 hours of sick leave each two-week payroll period, not to exceed fifteen days per year. Full-time faculty members on academic year appointments shall accrue 3.07 hours of sick leave each two-week payroll period, not to exceed ten days per year. For part-time bargaining unit members, in compliance with M.G.L. c. 149, § 148(C): Earned Sick Time, this accrual shall be prorated based on percentage and length of appointment.

Notification of Absences Due to Illness. Notification of absence due to illness shall be given as early as possible on the first day of absence. If such notification is not made, such absence may, at the discretion of the Administration, be applied to absence without pay.

Faculty who exhaust personal sick leave can use the Sick Leave Bank in case of their own illness or the illness of an immediate family member.

Sick Leave Bank: Leave Application Process

The MSP Sick Leave Bank (SLB) Committee may approve continued salary payments for MSP members who have insufficient accrued sick leave to secure income while on an approved leave due to:

  • Their own medical inability to perform the essential functions of their job with or without accommodations.
  • The need to care for a qualified family member with a serious health condition (i.e., the spouse, child, foster child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of either the MSP member or their spouse; a person for whom the MSP member is a legal guardian; or a person living in the MSP member's immediate household).
  • A parental leave approved under Section 27.3.5 of the MSP collective bargaining agreement.
  • The use of more than five days of accrued sick leave in order to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

Membership: Employees in a position covered by the MSP collective bargaining agreement may become a member of the SLB at any time by submitting their request to Human Resources via AskHR.

MSP SLB Parental Leave Application Process

Upon request, the following MSP-represented employees are eligible to receive one semester (for librarians, twenty-four weeks) of paid parental leave to prepare for or care for a newborn or adopted child under age five:

  • Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members.
  • Non-tenure-track faculty members who are state-funded, have at least three years of full-time service, and have appointments that make it possible to fulfill a one-year return obligation.
  • Librarians with at least four months of service.

Please refer to the Provost's Office Leaves of Absence website for information about the application process and additional details.

Process for All Other MSP SLB Requests

To file an application to the MSP Sick Leave Bank, please submit the following information to the Employee Accommodations and Absence Support Team:

  • A written request addressing (1) the dates for which you are requesting income and the date you currently anticipate returning to your University position, (2) the reason for the leave, and (3) if you will be working part-time, the work schedule you have agreed upon with your department and your physician.
  • Submit a leave request form through the FMLA website and follow the instructions provided to complete the request process for leave approval.

All documentation should be uploaded through General Submissions or faxed to 413-573-8012.

Upon return to work following sick leave in excess of five consecutive working days, the University may require a physical examination to determine the bargaining unit member’s fitness to perform his/her duties.

To Apply for Sick Leave:

  • Notify your Chair or Dean to inform them of your need to take leave. An email notification is sufficient.
  • Please be advised that, under FMLA guidelines, an absence lasting more than three consecutive full calendar days due to a qualifying serious health condition may be eligible for FMLA leave. If your absence meets these criteria, please submit a leave request form through the FMLA website and follow the instructions provided to complete the process.
  • If you do not have enough accrued sick time to cover your leave, apply to the Sick Leave Bank.
  • Employees who are out on continuous sick leave for more than five consecutive working days are required to provide a return-to-work note from their health care provider confirming their fitness to return to work and perform their assigned duties. Faculty members with teaching responsibilities must submit the required documentation at least one month prior to their anticipated return-to-work date to allow sufficient time for planning and instructional arrangements.