206 Family Responsibility Time, Support Staff

Revised: March 2006

The University provides family responsibility time, separate from sick leave and paid personal leave, to assist employees with balancing their family and work responsibilities. Sick leave should be used only to provide employees with income during periods of their own illness.

1. The operational requirements of the University must be met. However, the University recognizes that effort is required to accommodate requests for family responsibility time (FRT).
2. The University provides 7 days per year of family responsibility time to each regular full-time employee. Employees may use the time in amounts not less than one hour, and, if possible, should request the time in advance. The time will be granted unless precluded by operational requirements.
3. Family responsibility time is available on a "borrow" basis, to be repaid by mutual agreement between an employee and supervisor. For example, an employee may repay family responsibility time by working shortened lunch breaks, starting earlier or working late. The minimum arrangement for re-payment of FRT must be in segments of no less than .50 hours.
4. Unused family responsibility time does not accumulate from one year to the next. Employees may draw FRT repetitively provided they do not exceed seven (7) days owing at any given time. An employee must repay all outstanding time by March 1 of the following year.
5. In addition to family responsibility time, employees may apply for an unpaid leave of absence as described in Human Resources Policy 501, to accommodate their family responsibilities.