Sick Leave

All RFCUNY employees are eligible to accrue sick leave and apply sick leave accruals towards a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; to obtain a medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; or to obtain preventative care.  

Up to 56 hours of sick leave may be used each calendar year for the following circumstances:

• Family Medical Care: Care of a family member (employee's child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, grandchild or grandparent, or child or parent of employee's spouse or domestic partner, any other individual related by blood to the employee, or any other individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship) who needs medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, or who needs preventative medical care; or

• Ordered Closure Due to Public Health Emergency: Employees may be eligible to use leave in certain circumstances in the event of an ordered closure due to an officially-declared "public health emergency" issued by the NYC Commissioner of Health or NYC Mayor.

• Safe Time (effective on and after May 5, 2018): Employees may use ESSTA leave to address “safe time” issues, when the employee or employee’s family member (employee's child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, grandchild or grandparent, or child or parent of employee's spouse or domestic partner, any other individual related by blood to the employee, or any other individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship) has been the victim of a family offense matter, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking for the following reasons:

  • To obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or other shelter or services program for relief from a family offense matter, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking;

  • To participate in safety planning, temporarily or permanently relocate, or take other actions to increase the safety of the employee or employee’s family members from future family offense matters, sexual offenses, stalking, or human trafficking;

  • 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 family offense matter, sexual offense, stalking, human trafficking, custody, visitation, matrimonial issues, orders of protection, immigration, housing, discrimination in employment, housing or consumer credit;

  • To file a complaint or domestic incident report with law enforcement;

  • To meet with a district attorney's office;

  • To enroll children in a new school; or

  • To take other actions necessary to maintain, improve, or restore the physical, psychological, or economic health or safety of the employee or the employee’s family member or to protect those who associate or work with the employee.

The maximum sick leave accrual is 1120 hours. Sick leave accruals are earned on the hours worked; no sick leave hours are earned on Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) hours . The Time and Leave system contain the official records of employee time worked, sick leave accrued, and sick leave taken, and allows employees to view and manage leave accrual balances. The minimum unit of time that may be charged against sick leave is one hour; and then in multiples of one-quarter hour.

Absences of six (6) consecutive days of sick leave based on an employee’s own mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition requires that the employee present certification from a health practitioner to the RFCUNY Human Resources department.

Absences of six (6) or more consecutive working days based on an employee’s own mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition requires that the employee contact the RFCUNY Leaves Management Administrator to obtain information on filing an application for New York State Short-Term Disability.

Certification from a health practitioner may be required for an absence of one or more days in cases of documented excessive absenteeism.

Upon separation or termination of employment with RFCUNY, there is no payout of sick leave (with the exception of the retirement payout option). 

Employees may review the procedures of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for information on qualifying absences for medical reasons.

Disability & Leaves of Absence Forms