All full-time employees will earn five local leave days and five state personal leave days each school year if starting at the beginning of the school year.  

Employees hired after the start of the school year will receive a lesser number of days depending on the total contract days for the remainder of the school year.  

Local leave and State personal days can be used for any reason following approval from your principal/supervisor.

Contact Human Resources if you need to be off more than five consecutive days due to illness, surgery or temporary disability.

Any full-time employee whose position requires certification from the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) is eligible for temporary disability leave. The purpose of temporary disability leave is to provide job protection to full-time educators who cannot work for an extended period of time because of a mental or physical disability of a temporary nature.

Temporary disability leave must be taken as a continuous block of time. It may not be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule. Pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy are treated the same as any other temporary disability.

Employees must request approval for temporary disability leave. An employee’s notification of need for extended absence due to the employee’s own medical condition shall be accepted as a request for temporary disability leave. The request must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming the employee’s inability to work and estimating a probable date of return.

If disability leave is approved, the length of leave is no longer than 180 calendar days. If an employee is placed on temporary disability leave involuntarily, he or she has the right to request a hearing before the Board of Trustees. The employee may protest the action and present additional evidence of fitness to work.

When an employee is ready to return to work, Human Resources should be notified at least 30 days in advance. The return-to-work notice must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming that the employee is able to resume regular duties. Certified employees returning from leave will be reinstated to the school to which they were previously assigned if an appropriate position is available. If an appropriate position is not available, the employee may be assigned to another campus, subject to the approval of the campus principal. If a position is not available before the end of the school year, the employee will be reinstated to a position at the original campus at the beginning of the following school year.

The federal Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed by congress in 1993 to provide workers with job protection and continued health care benefits in cases of family or medical emergency. The FMLA also provides leave to Armed Forces families for “exigencies” due to being called to active duty and for caregiving responsibilities for injured or ill service members. To be eligible for FMLA GISD employees must have worked for the district for at least 12 months and have at least 1,250 hours of service in the 12 months before taking leave.

If eligible for FMLA 

What does it give me?

Allows you to be off for a maximum of 12 weeks due to one of the following qualifying events:

• The birth of a child (including baby bonding) or placement of a child with you for adoption or foster care;
•  Your own serious health condition;
• Because you are needed to care for your spouse, child, parent due to his/her serious health condition;
• Because of a qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that your spouse; son or daughter; parent is on active duty or status in support of a contingency operation as a member of the National Guard or Reserves;
• Because you are the spouse; son or daughter; parent; next of kin of a covered service member with a serious injury or illness.

Does this continue my pay during the 12 weeks?

• You will be required to use paid leave concurrently with FMLA. 
• Use of Extended Leave is optional (if available) as long as rules for use of Extended Leave are met. 
• Unpaid leave begins when paid leave is exhausted.

If not eligible for FMLA

How long can I be absent from work?

• For your own personal illness – your absence will be approved only for the time required for your recovery as certified by your physician.
• If your medical leave request is for a family member's illness for which your care of them is required – Your absence will be approved only for the time required as certified by your family member’s physician.

(Previously known as Supplemental Sick Leave)

According to DEC Local Policy, an employee, after exhausting all available paid leave days and any applicable compensatory time, may be granted, for the duration of their employment with the District, a maximum of 30 leave days of extended leave.

Employees who have exhausted accumulated paid leave benefits may be granted Extended Leave as follows:

• An employee must have completed 12 continuous months of service in the District to be eligible for Extended Leave.
• The Extended Leave Request Form must be submitted to Human Resources before or within 30 days after you return to work from the qualifying event.
• Extended Leave may be granted only after all available paid leave and applicable compensatory time have been exhausted.
• The District will pay the adjusted daily rate as outlined in the Employee Handbook for each day of approved Extended Leave taken.  Employees will be paid their daily rate minus $100 for professionals, or minus $50 (or half the daily rate) for auxiliary/paraprofessionals, whichever is greater.

Please email us at HR-Leave@garlandisd.net to request the Employee Extended Leave Request Form.