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Available Leave Options : These options require submission of a completed DCCCD leave form to the HR Department before, or as soon after- the leave event as possible.)

• Leave Without Pay:
  When an employee is absent and does not have enough paid leave to cover the hours away from work; those hours are recorded as leave without pay. The employee's paycheck will be reduced by the number of days with no pay. All of the above kinds of leave can develop into leave without pay, therefore-, it is critical the employee work closely with the HR staff to ensure appropriate coordination of leave. The following types of leave create the most serious problems when you do not have enough paid leave:
• Leave Without Pay effects Your Health Benefit :
  If the amount of unpaid leave, in any pay period, reduces your pay to a point where there is not enough salary to cover your elected health insurance premiums, you will need to make arrangements to pay your Premiums by personal check, to the District. Failure to pay insurance premiums by the 15th of any month may result in a loss of coverage. You have the option to keep and/or drop any one or all of your elected health coverages; but you must work closely with your HR Department to handle the coordination of benefits and payment.
• Absence due to on the job injury or illness:
  If you are absent from work due to a job related injury or illness you must file a report with the health center. Texas Worker's Compensation rules come into play when an employee is absent from work due to a job-related injury or illness. Worker's Compensation benefits will begin to pay up to 70% of your wages beginning the 8th day you continue to be away from work. How will you be paid for the first 7 days? You can use any of your available sick, vacation, or extenuating leave. The 1st seven (7) days you are absent due to a job injury or illness will not be paid by Worker's Comp, unless you remain absent for more than 4 weeks, You must work closely with your supervisor and the HR Dept, to coordinate the use of your leave and Worker's Comp benefits while you are away from work. Remember, even in this case, leave without pay affects your health Insurance coverage and the handling of your Insurance premiums,

Depending on the circumstances, for your absence, you may qualify for other kinds of paid leave. These are outlined on pages 2 and 3 of this summary.

Catastrophic Sick Leave : This leave benefit is only available to full-time employees. You must complete a Sick Leave Pool application. Applications are maintained in the HR Department. The illness must be of a serious nature and the employee or dependent under a doctor's care for 20 calendar days or more, You must exhaust all paid leave. Submit form and documentation as soon as you realize you may be in danger of exhausting all paid leave. Number of days approved can be limited if you carry Short or Long term disability. Number of days approved may cover only the 30 or 90 day waiting period for STD or LTD. If you have either STD or LTD, it is critical to apply for the benefit as early as possible. The review and approval process can take several weeks. A delay may cause you to be placed in leave without any pay until a decision is made. You must work through your supervisor to get this kind of leave approved.

Short Term Disability; If you carry the Short Term Disability Income Option as part of your health coverage plan, you may be able to receive up to 60% of your monthly salary under the following conditions:

1. You have exhausted all your available paid leave (this includes any sick leave pool hours awarded to you)
2. You have been absent from work, for medical reasons, at least 30 calendar days (referred to as an elimination period)
3. You have completed and submitted a Disability Claim form to your HR Department for processing (forms are in HR)
4. The Insurance provider approves your claim of disability. Until approved by letter, you are not on disability.

If the insurance carrier approves your claim, you will begin receiving monthly checks up to a maximum period of five months. The monthly income is 60% of your September 1 salary to a maximum of $3000, or $1,800, whichever is less. Formula: $3000 x .60= $1800. Short term disability may be used in conjunction with your worker's comp benefits. The combined benefit would then increase to no more than 70% of your insured salary or the lesser of $1,800. The maximum benefit period does not change. The maximum period of coverage is five (5) months.

Remember that if you are eligible for Short Term Disability income, you have been placed into a Leave Without Pay Status and therefore become responsible for paying your total insurance premiums. See section 8 of the "Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance Program" booklet provided by ERS for step-by-step instructions on filing a Short Term Disability claim.

Long Term Disability: If you carry the Long Term Disability Income Option as part of your health coverage plan, you may be able to receive up to 60% of your monthly salary under the
following conditions:

1. You have exhausted all your available sick leave (this includes any sick leave pool hours awarded to you)
2. You have been absent from work, for medical reasons, at least 90 calendar days (referred to as an elimination period)
3. You have completed and submitted a Disability Claim form to your HR Department for processing (forms are in HR)
4. The Insurance provider approves your claim of disability. Until approved by letter, you are not on disability.

If the insurance carrier approves your claim, you will begin receiving monthly checks for a maximum benefit period that is dependent upon your age when you become disabled (except for Nervous and Mental Conditions). The maximum amount of disability income will be the lesser of 60% of your insured salary or $6,000.

Like Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability may be used in conjunction with your worker's comp benefits, The combined benefit would then increase to no more than 700/o of your insured salary.

Remember that if you are eligible for Long Term Disability income, you have been placed into a Leave Without Pay Status and therefore become responsible for paying your total insurance premiums. See section 8 of the "Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance Program" booklet provided by ERS for step-by-step instructions on filing a Long Term Disability claim.

FMLA: Eligible after 12 months of continuous employment. You can request a maximum of 12 weeks per academic year. FMLA is leave without pay. Medical insurance premium for the employee only, continues to be paid. Any dependent insurance premiums or other options such as dental, life, etc. must be paid by personal check, by the employee. Disability coverage, such as STD and LTD, is suspended until the employee returns to work, unless the employee is actually receiving disability compensation. FMLA protects the employee's employment with the college for a maximum of 12 weeks. The employee is responsible for requesting FMLA from the Campus HR Dept.

Other Special kinds of leave: (These leave options require special kinds of approval from various levels of Campus and District HR. Do not require standard leave forms)

For those absences from work that may require a doctor's written return to work release, you must submit the release prior to reporting back to work. The release must be submitted to both the Health Center Nurse and the Human Resource's Director. If the release contains restrictions, your supervisor will evaluate whether the accommodations can be met to safely allow your return to work. In the event the restrictions cannot be accommodated, we will be unable to allow you to return to work until the restrictions have been lifted or modified. Absences requiring a doctor's written return to work release are: On the Job Injuries, maternity, injuries or illnesses your supervisor determines it necessary to ensure your safety and the safety of others in the work place.

Steps for paying your insurance health coverage premiums:

Make checks payable to- Employee Group Insurance Fund Mail checks to:
DCCCD
Attn: Payroll
4343 IH-30
Mesquite, TX 75150

Payments not received by the 15th of month may result in termination of your coverage

Any leave of absence longer than one year may result in separation of your employment with the DCCCD. In some cases, due to the critical needs of your department, your employment may be terminated sooner. For those employees eligible for family medical leave, your employment is protected for a maximum period of 12 weeks within a 12-month period. At no time does this statement or document alter the district conditions of employment and policy with any employee.

This information has been coordinated from a variety of sources and does not supersede, alter, or change any DCCCD policy or procedure; nor any benefit plan information provided by the insurance carriers.

Eastfield Human Resources Department: 972-860-7630

Attached are:    Available leave balance reports

                           Short Term and / or Long Term Disability Applications

                           Sick Leave Pool Application (should you need and policy)

                           A copy of your elected health premiums and cost

                           An insurance enrollment form if you need to add a dependent such as a newborn or spouse

                           An insurance supplemental form, to complete, to show the physician elected for any newly added                               dependent

                           An Family Medical Leave Application Form (should you need and policy)

Blank leave forms to be completed and returned to your supervisor or the HR Department

REMINDER: IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IT IS THE EMPLOYEE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT TO INITIATE AND COORDINATE ALL NECESSARY PAPERWORK FOR ANY TYPE OF LEAVE. ADDITIONALLY, THE EMPLOYEE MUST WORK THRU THEIR SUPERVISOR AND KEEP THE SUPERVISOR INFORMED AT ALL TIMES AS TO THE STATUS OF ANY LEAVE AND RETURN TO WORK STATUS.