During the course of employment, it may be necessary for an employee to request a leave of absence for a reason other than those addressed in other University policies. In such a situation, the employee may request an unpaid Personal Leave of Absence, the maximum length of which will generally not exceed thirty (30) consecutive calendar days. Reasons for a Personal Leave of Absence vary; however, Personal Leaves of Absence are not available (1) for the employee’s own serious health condition and/or disability, or (2) as an extension of leave after the employee has exhausted FMLA leave for any reason.
- Eligibility: An employee must have completed at least one year of continuous service. This one year requirement may be waived in extraordinary circumstances at the sole discretion of the Vice President for Operations and Strategic Planning/President.
- How to request a Leave of Absence: Employees must concurrently exhaust any available paid time off (such as vacation, personal leave time), or any other form of applicable paid leave before a Personal Leave of Absence can be requested. The employee initiates a Leave of absence by written request to his/her immediate supervisor. A Leave Request form is available through the Human Resources Office and can be found at Human Resources webpage on my.converse . Authorization requires the approval of the Department Head, the University Officer supervising the department, and Vice President for Operations and Strategic Planning/President. Once approved, the form is returned to the Human Resources Office.
- Approval Process: Requests for Leave of Absence are granted solely at the discretion of Converse. Factors the University may consider in determining whether to grant a Personal Leave include, but are not limited to: (a) the urgency of circumstances requiring the employee’s continuous absence; (b) whether the employee’s absence will unreasonably burden University operations or other employee workloads; and (c) the employee’s length of service and job performance.
- Benefits during Leave of Absence: Insurance coverages already in effect may be continued in accordance with the terms of the official plan documents, subject to the employee’s timely payment of applicable premiums. The University will make no contribution to the retirement fund on the employee's behalf during Personal Leave.
- Job Protection and Reinstatement: Leave of absence is not job-protected, and the employee’s position may be filled during the Personal Leave. Employees on Personal Leave may apply for vacant positions within Converse. If a person with a disability can no longer perform the essential functions of his or her position and all leave is exhausted, including ADA leave, the employee may be placed on Personal Leave while a vacant position search is conducted. Converse will attempt to reinstate an employee returning from Personal Leave to the position held by the employee at the time the leave commenced or to an equivalent position. However, reinstatement from a Personal Leave is not guaranteed because operational conditions may make reinstatement unreasonable.