Sick and Safe 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.

• 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 domestic violence, a family offense matter, sexual offense, stalking, workplace violence or human trafficking for the following reasons:
  1. 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;
  2. 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;
  3. To meet with a legal or 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 or discrimination;
  4. To file a complaint or domestic incident report with law enforcement;
  5. To meet with a district attorney's office;
  6. To enroll children in a new school; or
  7. 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.
  8. Employees may use ESSTA leave when the employee is a caregiver for a minor child or care recipient to provide care to the minor child or care recipient; or to initiate, attend or prepare for a legal proceeding or hearing related to subsistence benefits or housing to which the employee, the employee’s family member, or the employee’s care recipient is a party, or to take actions necessary to apply for, maintain, or restore subsistence benefits or shelter for the employee or their family member or care recipient.

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 OneRF system contains 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-quarter hour.

If an employee requests use of safe or sick leave including the 56 hours of ESSTA and NYS Paid Sick leave for absences of up to three (3) consecutive work days, the employee must submit written confirmation of the purpose for which the leave was used. For absences of more than three (3) consecutive work days relating to Personal Medical Care or Family Medical Care, as described above, the employee must provide documentation signed by a licensed health care provider, a licensed clinical social worker, or a licensed mental health counselor verifying that the leave was used for an authorized purpose and verifying the need for the amount of leave taken. For absences of more than three (3) consecutive days relating to Safe Time, as described above, the employee must provide documentation verifying that safe time was used for an authorized purpose and verifying the need for the amount of safe time taken, such as documentation signed by an employee, agent, or volunteer of a victim services organization, an attorney, a member of the clergy, or a medical or other professional service provider from whom the employee or the employee’s family member has sought assistance in addressing family offense matters, sexual offenses, stalking, or human trafficking and their effects; a police or court record; or a notarized letter from the employee explaining the need for such time.

Absences of six (6) or more consecutive days of sick leave based on an employee’s own mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition requires that the employee applies for a medical leave of absence and present certification from a health practitioner to the RFCUNY Human Resources department. Employees who are away from work for 6 or more consecutive days must contact the Leaves Administration team for instructions on how to apply for a leave of absence. Without proper documentation sick leave charges may not be authorized.

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.

Upon separation or termination of employment with RFCUNY, there is no payout of sick leave.

Disability & Leaves of Absence Forms