Sick Time

Amended date: 4/15/23

Provided by: Department of Human Resources

Related Links and Resources

• Collective bargaining agreements 
• Faculty: Faculty should refer to the handbook of their primary school affiliation for guidance.
• Postdoctoral Scholars Handbook
• Leaves at Tufts Policy 
• Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
• Massachusetts Parental Leave Act
• Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Act
• Massachusetts Small Necessities Leave Act

All employees as defined below are eligible for paid sick time pursuant to this policy.

As an eligible employee, as defined below, you will be eligible for sick time after the completion of the trial period. 

Sick time is prorated for part-time and academic-year benefit eligible employees, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

[1] Employees working at least 20% effort on the federal Service Contract Act-covered contract may have up to 56 hours per federal fiscal year (October 1st – September 30^th).

[2] Employees who had 26 weeks of sick time prior to 1/1/21 will be allowed to retain that amount until they use/expend down to the new sick time maximum of 20 weeks.  New employees hired after 1/1/21 will be eligible for up to the sick time maximum of 20 weeks.

Paid sick time may be used after the completion of the trial period unless otherwise required by applicable law. Paid sick time may be used in 15-minute increments, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

As described in more below you may use paid sick time for absences due to:

1. Mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or need for preventive medical care including routine medical appointments;
2. The care of your family member, who needs medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition or who needs preventive medical care including routine medical appointments;
3. A family member needs personal care including:
   1. to ensure your family member’s basic medical, hygiene, nutritional, or safety needs are met;
   2. to provide transportation to medical appointments if your family member is unable to meet those needs for themselves; or
   3. to be physically present to provide emotional support for a family member with a serious health condition who is receiving inpatient or home care;
4. Closure of the employer’s place of business or the school or place of care of your child , by order of a public official due to an epidemic or other public health emergency, or because of the issuance by a public health authority of a determination that the presence in the community of the employee, or a member of your family in need of care by you, would jeopardize the health of others;
5. You or a family member being the victim of domestic violence/family offense matters, sexual offenses, stalking, or human trafficking including, but not limited:
   1. To obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or other shelter or services program for relief from a domestic violence/family offense matter, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking;
   2. To participate in safety planning, temporarily relocate, or take other actions to increase your safety or your family members from future domestic violence/family offense matters, sexual offenses, stalking, or human trafficking;
   3. To meet with a civil attorney or other social service provider to obtain information and advice on, and prepare for or participate in any criminal or civil proceeding, including but not limited to, matters related to a domestic violence/family offense matters, sexual offense, stalking, human trafficking, custody, visitation, matrimonial issues, orders of protection, immigration, housing, discrimination in employment, housing, or consumer credit;
   4. To file a complaint or domestic incident report with law enforcement;
   5. To meet with a district attorney’s office.
   6. To enroll children in a new school; or
   7. To take other actions necessary to maintain, improve, or restore the physical, psychological, or economic health or safety of the employee or employee’s family member or to protect those who associate or work with the employee;
6. For parental reasons such as for the birth of a child, or for the placement of a child with you for adoption or foster care; or to care for a newborn, newly adopted, or newly placed child within one year of birth, adoption, or placement;
7. Time needed for you in connection with your child to attend a school-related conference, meeting, function, or other event requested or required by a school administrator, teacher, or other professional staff member responsible for the child’s education, or to attend a meeting regarding care provided to the child in connection with the child’s health conditions or disability;
8. For bereavement for the death a family member.
9. For travel to and from an appointment, a pharmacy, or other location related to the purpose for which paid sick time was taken; or
10. Any other reason required by any applicable paid sick/safe time/leave or similar law or ordinance.

For purposes of this policy, family member means a child, spouse, domestic/civil union partner, parent, sibling, grandchild, or grandparent of the employee or the employee's spouse or domestic/civil union partner, any other individual related by blood to the employee, any other individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship, and any other relation required by applicable law. The family members listed above are not limited to biological family members but also include step, foster, adoptive, half relations and those who stand in loco parentis and legal guardians.

An employee’s use of paid sick time will not be conditioned upon searching for or finding a replacement worker.

Unless you advise the university otherwise, we will assume, subject to applicable law, that you want to use available paid sick time for absences for reasons set forth above and you will be paid for such absences to the extent you have paid sick time available.

Individual departments are responsible for maintaining attendance records for non-exempt staff and time off records including sick, personal, and vacation time for all employees, exempt and non-exempt For questions about timekeeping codes and recording, please contact Tufts Support Services at TSS@tufts.edu.

The university may require supporting documentation if you use paid sick time for more than 3 consecutive work days, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Supporting documentation will not be required if it would result in an unreasonable burden or expense on the employee and employees will be reimbursed for expenses, costs or fees associated with obtaining supporting documentation requested by the university to the extent required by applicable law.

The university will not tolerate retaliation against you for opposing practices that you believe to be in violation this policy or any applicable paid sick/safe time/leave or similar law or under any applicable paid sick/safe time/leave or similar law or ordinance. 

Employees with questions regarding this policy should contact Human Resources.

To the extent any applicable paid sick/safe time/leave or similar law or ordinance provides any greater rights than set forth in this policy, such provisions are incorporated by reference and/or addressed in a supplemental policy for covered employees.