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Annual Leave

 

Annual Leave Donation

Effective Date: October 10, 2005
Revised Date: June 1, 2009
 
Purpose:
Allows for employees to donate accrued annual leave to fellow employees who have experienced a catastrophic illness or injury to self or an immediate family member, or death of an immediate family member.
 
Policy:
Eligibility to Receive Annual Leave Donation
 
To be eligible, an employee:
1. Must be a regular fulltime or part time employee in good standing;
2. Must be eligible to earn annual leave;
3. Must have exhausted all forms of paid leave (i.e., annual, sick);
4. Must have passed their first ninety (90) days of employment;
5. The employee or immediate family suffers from a serious medical hardship or catastrophic illness or injury which requires inpatient, hospice or residential health care;
6. Immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent or child, spouse of a child, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, and other immediate in-laws. Requests for family members other than those identified will be reviewed on a case by case matter.
 
Employees are ineligible to apply for this benefit or continue use this benefit if they are receiving, or have applied to receive, workers' compensation benefits, or have been medically released by their treating physician to return to work.
Employees are ineligible to use this benefit during any disciplinary suspension periods.
 
Administration
The Department of Human Resources is responsible for coordinating donations, reviewing applications and authorizing eligibility. In determining eligibility, the Department of Human Resources shall review the recipient employee's application and verify the exhaustion of all paid leave. Medical information may be requested for review.
 
The final determination of eligibility and distribution of donated leave will be approved by the Vice President of Finance and Administration, and shall not be subject to the College’s grievance procedure.
 
Donations
Donations are limited to annual leave time only (sick time is excluded).
 
Annual leave time can be donated in increments of hours, and will be deducted from the donor’s accrued leave balance as needed. Donated time will be taken on a first come basis from the balance of the donor’s accrued balance. Annual leave donated, but not used will not be deducted from the donor’s accrued balance.
 
Solicitation for Donated Annual Leave
Solicitations for donated annual leave will be conducted by the Department of Human Resources, on a case by case situation. Individual departments will not make such solicitations.
 
Procedures:
Application for Annual Leave Donation
1. The request for the donation of annual leave time must be requested by the recipient employee. The employee must complete an Annual Leave Donation Request Form, and submit to the Department of Human Resources for approval.
2. Department of Human Resources will verify the exhaustion of all paid leave, and review the application and any medical information that may be requested from the applicant.
Requested medical information will be the employee’s responsibility; and will be treated in a confidential manner.
3. Human Resources then verifies the information and either approves or denies the application.
4. If the application by the recipient employee is approved, then donating employees complete the Annual Leave Donation Form, and submit it to the Department of Human Resources. The total of donated annual leave will be deducted from the donor’s earned balance of annual leave, and added to the leave balance of the recipient employee.
5. The Department of Human Resources will notify the recipient employee and the employee’s immediate supervisor of the increased annual leave allowance.
6. The staff member must meet with a representative of the Department of Human Resources before returning to work.
 
Last updated June 1, 2009

Benefits Eligibility

Effective Date: June 1, 2009
 
Purpose:
This policy outlines requirements for eligibility of full and partial employee benefits provided by the College, subject to special eligibility provisions that may exist in certain employee benefits plans, as defined within the specific plan document of the particular benefit.
 
Policy:
Benefits eligible staff members must be an employee of the College and receiving compensation through the College’s Payroll Department and must satisfy the requirements as described below for eligibility of participation in the employee benefits plans offered by the College:
 
1. Regularly scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week for at least 9 months of the fiscal year, to be eligible for full benefits.
 
2. Regularly scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week for at least 9 months of the fiscal year, to be eligible for partial benefits.
 
For additional details regarding employee benefits plans available please contact the Department of Human Resources.
 
The benefits of sick and annual leave are addressed specifically and individually by policy.
 
See Annual Leave Policy for details of the Annual Leave Policy.
 
See Sick Leave Policy for details of the Sick Leave Policy.
 
With respect to all of the College's employee benefit plans, policies, and programs, the College reserves the right to modify or terminate those plans, policies and programs.
 
 

Bereavement Leave

Effective Date: 06/01/95
 
Purpose:
To allow time off with pay for regular College employees to attend the funeral of a close relative.
 
Policy:

An employee who is absent during his/her regularly scheduled work week due to the death of a spouse, parent or child may receive payment for reasonable and customary days absent, not to exceed three (3) regularly scheduled work days. An employee who is absent during his/her regularly scheduled work week to the death of brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, or other immediate in-laws may receive payment for reasonable and customary time absent not to exceed two (2) regularly scheduled work days.

Additional approved time absent shall be charged to annual leave.

 
Last updated 4 March 2019

 

Centenary Fridays

Effective Date: 10/10/2005
 
Purpose:
To allow employees to wear other types of approved attire in show of school spirit, and support of the Centenary Community.
 
Policy:
Employees normally dressed in business/casual business wear may dress in Centenary logo attire on Fridays only with the following guidelines:
 
1. Employees are encouraged to wear Centenary attire (i.e., t-shirts, sweatshirts, golf-style shirts, etc.) with Centenary College of Louisiana logo/lettering.
2. Khakis, skirts, or other slacks may be worn — blue jeans are allowed only when dictated by the work environment or specific departmental functions and approved by department supervisor.
 
3. During the summer months, shorts that are an appropriate length may be worn – blue jeans are allowed only when dictated by the work environment or specific departmental functions and approved by the department supervisor.
 
4. Discretion should be used when business meetings occur on Friday and more appropriate business attire is suitable.

Guest Rooms

Effective Date: 10/01/97
 
Purpose:
To outline a procedure for Faculty, Staff, and Students to reserve College Guest Rooms.
 
Policy:
There are three quest rooms on campus which are scheduled by the Facilities Coordinator for use by Centenary faculty, staff, students, and their guests. They are located in Hardin Hall, James Hall, and Sexton Hall. These guest rooms are to be used by Centenary faculty, staff, and students and their guests only.
 
For more information, please contact Centenary's Conference and Event Coordinator.
 
1. Guest rooms may be used to house new college employees relocating to the Shreveport/Bossier city area with the approval of their supervisor. The first two weeks may be provided gratis as a benefit to our employees. If an employee needs to extend their stay, they are responsible for the personal guest room use fee.
 
2. Guest rooms reserved for personal use including relatives, friends, or employees needing a temporary place to stay are responsible for a fee of $20.00 per night.
 
Last updated 20 July 2000
 
 

Holidays

Effective Date: 06/01/95
 
Purpose:
To establish a uniform number of holidays and define payment of holidays for employees consistent with the area practice so as to provide employees with time off from work or payment for work during celebration periods during the year.
 
Policy:
Centenary College shall recognize the following days as holidays:
• New Year's Day
• Good Friday
• Independence Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day
• Additional non-duty days may be designated by the President during the year.
 
2. All regular employees on the active payroll will qualify for holiday pay for the days listed above in accordance with the following provisions:
• Employees must work their normally scheduled work hours on the days immediately preceding and following the holiday. Exception: If an employee is absent on one or both such days with an excused absence he/she will receive holiday pay. An employee who is scheduled for work on a holiday and fails to work that schedule will not receive holiday pay except where a supervisor excuses such an absence and the employee has otherwise qualified for holiday pay by working the scheduled day prior to and after the holiday.
• Pay for an unworked holiday will be made at the employee's current rate of pay for a scheduled day's work, not to exceed eight (8) hours.
• Pay for a holiday worked shall be made at the employee's current rate of pay for the scheduled number of hours worked at straight time plus the holiday payment outlined in 2b, or another day may be taken at the employee's request and with the approval of his/her supervisor.
• Any holiday falling within a period of an employee's sick leave shall be considered holiday leave and shall not be deducted from the employee's accrued sick leave.
• Any holiday falling within a period of an employee's vacation leave shall be considered holiday leave and shall not be deducted from the employee's accrued vacation leave. The vacation day may be taken immediately prior to or following the employee's vacation period at his/her election with the approval of his/her supervisor.
• The time off and/or payment for time worked on a non-duty day shall be treated the same as holiday pay and/or time off.
 
Last updated 20 July 2000
 
 

Tuition Remission

Effective Date: 01/01/97
Revised: 1/11/19

Purpose:

To provide the benefit of tuition remission for all Centenary College employees and their dependents.

 

Undergraduate Policy:

Centenary College wishes to encourage its employees to continue their education through either auditing or registering for and attending undergraduate classes. All full-time, disabled, and retired employees may take any undergraduate course free of charge (limited to one course per semester) after a year of continuous employment at the College, subject to supervisor approval and seat availability.

Dependents of full-time Centenary College employees are entitled to a discount schedule for remission of their tuition. A dependent is defined as a legal spouse, domestic partner or legal dependent under the age of 25.

During the first 12 months of employment, dependents are entitled to a 25% discount on tuition, after 12 months of employment a reduction of 50% will be given, after 24 months of employment a reduction of 75% will be given, and after 36 months dependents may have full tuition benefits. No fees are included in the remission. Percentages apply to the number of hours the dependent is taking. Dependents are eligible to use tuition remission toward their first undergraduate degree only.

 

Graduate Policy

Centenary College wishes to encourage its employees to continue their education by enrolling in its Graduate Program. The parameters of the program are as follows:

  • The program is open only to Centenary employees.
  • Employees must be admitted to the M.A.T. or MBA based on normal admission criteria. Prior experience or academic record may be considered at the discretion of the program director.
  • Employees must have the approval of their supervisor to participate in the program under this benefit.
  • To be eligible for this benefit, employees must be vested at the College according the following schedule: after one full year of employment, tuition will be reduced by 50%; after two full years of employment, tuition will be covered at 100%. No fees are included in the remission. Percentages apply to the number of hours and published tuition rate for the term in which the employee is seeking to enroll. Vesting requirements may be waived in certain circumstances at the discretion of the College.
  • Non-pay employees may only enroll in one course per term.
  • Non-pay enrollment will typically be limited to approximately 10% of total class size in any given course at a time. In case of multiple applicants to the program, the Graduate Council will determine priority, based on factors such as seniority, supervisor recommendation, and documented job performance.
  • Non-pay employee students will only be allowed to register for courses that have reached a minimum enrollment of full-pay students and in which instructors receive 100% of payment to teach the class.

Those eligible for scholarship and federal aid benefits are expected to apply for these sources of aid that may be available to them in an effort to reduce the financial burden to the College. College tuition remission will be reduced by the amount the dependent receives from other sources designated as tuition scholarship aid.

Those using the Tuition Remission benefit are not eligible for the Centenary Tuition Exchange Program and vice versa. 

Last updated January 11, 2019

Sick Leave Policy

Effective Date: 06/01/95
Revised: 4/26/01

Purpose:

To provide employees with protection against loss of earnings due to illness and/or injury by the establishment of a program wherein employees shall be compensated for limited absences due to illnesses and/or injury.

Policy:

Regular exempt and non-exempt staff employees in a pay status and who are scheduled to work 37.5 hours per week shall earn sick leave at the rate of 6.3 hours per month and like employees who are scheduled to work 40 hours per week shall earn sick leave at the rate of 6.7 hours per month. Employees scheduled to work 37 ½ hours weekly, may accumulate 975 hours of sick leave; employees scheduled to work 40 hours weekly, may accumulate 1040 hours of sick leave. However, those employees on the active roll on May 31, 2001 who have accumulated more than 975 or 1040 hours of sick leave may continue the amount accumulated as of that date. Such employees may use the sick leave accumulated in excess of 975 or 1040 hours but once this use causes the accumulated amount to drop to 975 or 1040 hours this amount will become their maximum. Part-time employees shall earn sick leave on a pro-rata basis based on percent of   time worked.

When in the opinion of the unit head an employee appears to be abusing the use of sick leave, a physician's statement may be required prior to the receipt of payment for sick leave. A unit head may require an employee to seek medical assistance should the use of sick leave become excessive when the employee has not visited a physician.

Employees who cannot report to work because of illness should contact their supervisors prior to the beginning of their regular shift. Payment for sick leave may be withheld in the event an employee fails to report his/her absence that is due to illness.

No payment for unused sick leave shall be made upon the termination of an employee.

Last updated 3 May 2001

Parental Leave Policy

PURPOSE:
Centenary College of Louisiana is committed to supporting its faculty and staff with parental leave for eligible employees who temporarily relinquish their duties following childbirth or adoption, in a manner consistent with its educational mission and the effective operation of the college.

APPLICABILITY:
Every employee is covered under one of the two tracks below, based on employment classification at the time of the event: the Staff Parental Leave Policy or the Faculty Parental Leave Policy. An employee may not claim eligibility under both tracks for the same birth, adoption, or placement event.

POLICY:
The policy provides six (6) weeks of leave that will be paid for the Centenary employee who is a caregiver of the child.  This paid leave must be taken within 12 months of the birth, adoption, or state placement of the child and must be taken in consecutive weeks.

The six weeks of paid parental leave include any holidays during that time, with the exception of the College’s winter break.

Eligibility:
This paid parental leave is available to full-time employees with at least one year of full-time service at Centenary at the time of the event (birth, adoption, etc.). Employees who are otherwise eligible for FMLA leave but not eligible for paid parental leave under this policy must follow the terms of the College’s FMLA policy.

  • Caregiver is the staff member who is responsible for the day-to-day custody, care and control of the child, regardless of gender. You may be required to provide sufficient documentation to establish eligibility for Parental Leave. The exact document depends on your circumstances, but primary proofs include the child's official birth certificate, court custody orders, or a legal adoption decree. A Paid Parent Leave Request Form shall be completed and submitted. The form is available in Human Resources.
  • Parental leave may be split between two eligible staff members with the approval of the Vice President for Finance and Administration
  • Staff members who will be requesting Parental Leave under this policy should use the following DocuSign form as soon as the need for such leave is foreseeable: Parental Leave Request

  • Paid parental leave should generally commence following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child, but in some instances, it may occur prior to the event when deemed medically necessary or when it is requisite to fulfill the legal requirements for adoption, provided all eligibility requirements are met. Employees may be asked to provide a birth certificate, adoption agreement, or court papers. Paid parental leave must be the first leave used for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

  • Paid parental leave will run concurrently with family and medical leave.

  • Paid parental leave shall be exhausted prior to the use of vacation or sick leave when such leave is requested for the purpose of a birth or adoption event.

  • Paid parental leave shall be exhausted prior to the use of unpaid leave.

  • One paid parental leave benefit is available per employee, per birth, adoption, or placement event. The number of children involved does not increase the length of paid parental leave granted for that event. Leave under this policy is not available when a spouse adopts the already born minor child(ren) of a spouse.

  • While on parental leave, the employee may not work secondary jobs at the College.

  • Unless waived by the Vice President for Finance and Administration, an employee who takes Parental Leave is obligated to return to work for at least an equivalent period immediately following such leave in order to retain the benefits of the leave. If the employee who has taken paid Parental Leave does not return, she/he shall be responsible for returning the amount of benefit advanced under this policy unless otherwise waived by the Vice President for Finance and Administration.  This return-to-work/return of benefit obligation does not apply in situations where the employee is laid off, unable to return to work due to disability, dies, or is involuntarily separated by the College during the leave without cause. 

Faculty Parental Leave Policy
Eligibility: Tenured faculty or faculty on probationary appointments who have been employed by the College at least one year before the leave is to begin. Therefore, part-time faculty, faculty on term contracts, or terminal year contracts will not be eligible for this paid leave. Faculty who are otherwise eligible for FMLA leave but not eligible for paid parental leave under this policy must follow the terms of the College’s FMLA policy.

Benefit: One semester paid leave of absence for the caregiver of the minor newborn child, the minor child placed for adoption, or placement of a child for foster care. Caregiver is the faculty member who is responsible for the day-to-day custody, care and control of the child

Utilizing the Benefit:

  • Leave under this policy must be taken in one semester. A semester begins on the first scheduled day of classes and ends on the last scheduled day of classes. Leave under this policy must be taken in consecutive weeks.
  • The Parental Leave under this policy may be taken during the semester in which the child is born, or first placed for adoption or during a subsequent semester that begins no later than six months after the birth or placement for adoption of the child with the faculty member. Leave under this policy will start at the beginning of an academic term. Leave under this policy is not available when a spouse adopts the already born minor child(ren) of a spouse.
  • Leave under this policy will run concurrently with any other available leave, including FMLA leave, to the extent applicable.
  • Faculty who will be requesting Parental Leave under this policy must notify the Department Chair, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the Director of Human Resources as soon as the need for such leave is foreseeable. In order to request leave for the Fall Semester, leave should be requested no later than June 1. For leave in the Spring Semester, leave should be requested no later than October 1. The College reserves the right to deny or delay the granting of paid Parental Leave where notice is not given in a timely fashion.
  • Parental leave may be split between two eligible faculty members with the approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Director of Human Resources and with consideration given to the needs of the College. Under any circumstance, no more than one semester of leave will be granted per birth or initial placement of a minor child.
  • Parental leave is available to spouses, domestic partners, and birthparents who are otherwise eligible under this policy.
  • Unless waived by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, a faculty member who takes Parental Leave is obligated to return to active status for at least an equivalent period immediately following such leave in order to retain the benefits of the leave, including salary paid. If the faculty member who has taken paid Parental Leave chooses to not return, she/he shall be responsible for returning the benefit advanced under this policy unless otherwise waived by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
  • The accumulated balance of leave is not payable to the employee when employment is terminated

Tenure, Promotion, Endowed Chair Review, Post-Tenure Review, and Sabbatical Eligibility:

Academic appointees shall not be disadvantaged in their promotion, tenure, or compensation because they have elected to take family leave or to stop the clock for any reviews.

Eligibility for sabbatical leave is not affected by time on family leave.

Compensation for Other Employees:

Employees that accept additional duties or are required to go beyond their regular duties for individuals on family leave will be compensated for their time and effort either with release time or overload pay. Typically, an additional course can mean a one-course release in the future or overload pay equivalent to the amount paid per class for adjunct professors.

 

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Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy The institution does not discriminate in its educational and employment policies against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or on any other basis proscribed by federal, state, or local law.