Miscellaneous Leave

Qualifying employees encountering specific circumstances are eligible for miscellaneous leave with pay. These leave types include jury duty, bereavement, court subpoena, and health quarantine.

Jury Duty

RFCUNY employees serving in a jury are allowed up to two weeks of leave, unless the additional service is non-voluntary. Full-time and Part-time exempt employees are eligible for jury duty leave. Part-time non-exempt employees may be permitted, at the discretion of the employee’s supervisor or project director and consistent with the needs and resources of the project, to make up on another day those lost work hours spent serving on jury duty. In no event, however, will the first forty dollars ($40) of the Part- time employee's wages be withheld during the first three days of jury service.

A copy of the jury notice must be presented to the employee’s supervisor or project director who will send the notice to RFCUNY’s Human Resources department before the start date of jury duty. Compensation received for jury duty, except for reasonable travel expenses, must be submitted to the employee’s supervisor or project director who will send the information to RFCUNY’s Human Resources department. Employees on jury duty during annual leave or on holidays will not be required to remit any compensation to RFCUNY.

Court Attendance under Subpoena

An employee who is summoned in connection with a judicial proceeding, and provided the employee does not have an interest in the case, may be on leave for the length of participation in the proceedings. Full-time and Part-time exempt employees are eligible for court subpoena leave. A copy of the subpoena must be presented to the employee’s supervisor or project director and sent to RFCUNY’s Human Resources department.

Bereavement

In the event of the death of an employee’s immediate family member, the duration of bereavement leave is allowed as follows:

• Four days- Spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandparent, grandchild or relative residing in household.

Full-time and Part-time exempt employees are eligible for bereavement leave.

Health Department Quarantine

In the event an employee is quarantined by the Health Department, that employee may be on leave for the duration of quarantine. A copy of the Department of Health notice must be sent to the employee’s project director, which will be forwarded to RFCUNY Human Resources department.

Cancer Screening

Employees are eligible for up to four (4) hours of paid leave in a calendar year for cancer screening, provided the screening is performed during regular work hours. This leave is not cumulative and shall be deemed forfeited if not used in a particular calendar year. An absence for this purpose beyond four hours must be charged to the employee’s sick leave accruals, annual leave accruals and if no accruals are available the time off will be without pay. The RF may require medical documentation to verify that the employee’s absence was for the purpose of a qualifying cancer screening.

Lactation Break

For the first three years following childbirth, employees are eligible for 30 minutes of paid break time to express breast milk as often as the employee reasonably needs to express breast milk in the workplace. Employees may use existing paid break or mealtime if they need additional time for breast milk expression beyond the paid 30 minutes. Employees should ensure they communicate with their supervisor about their need for lactation break time.

General leave without pay may be granted at the discretion of the project director, up to three months, for any reasons not covered under existing leave benefits. Such leave may not go beyond the completion of a grant or contract, or the expected termination date of employment. An employee must apply through their project director. 

While an employee is on general leave without pay, timesheets must not be submitted during the leave. 

An employee on general leave without pay must return to work within three months from the start of leave and must provide notice 14 days in advance if returning to work earlier than expected. A break in service will not take effect provided the employee returns to work prior to the three months.