VII - 7.11 - USM POLICY ON LEAVE RESERVE FUND FOR EXEMPT
               AND NONEXEMPT STAFF EMPLOYEES ON REGULAR STATUS

 (Approved by the Board of Regents, April 25, 1991; Amended
December 6, 2002; Amended January 1, 2003)

I.   PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY

     There shall be a USM Leave Reserve Fund (LRF) composed of
     unused personal leave that provides paid leave to all Exempt
     and Nonexempt Staff employees on Regular Status, working 50%
     or more, who become temporarily medically disabled and who
     meet qualifying criteria.

II.  DEFINITIONS:

     "LRF" means the University System of Maryland Leave Reserve
     Fund, which consists of employees' personal leave that is
     unused at the end of each calendar year.

     "TEMPORARY MEDICAL DISABILITY" means that the employee has a
     reasonable expectation of returning to work.

     "CREDITABLE SERVICE" means service required for computing
     the amount of any benefits.
     
III. GENERAL
     
     The employee, or someone on the employee's behalf, may
     submit to the Director of Human Resources/Personnel of the
     USM institution at which the employee is employed, a written
     request to use leave from the LRF, together with
     documentation that the employee has:

     A.   completed at least one year of service with the University
          System of Maryland;
     
     B.   a temporary medical disability which is authenticated by a
        licensed or certified medical provider in accordance with
        established leave authorization procedures, and by the
        institutional or State Medical Director; and when the employee
        has a reasonable expectation of return to work;

     C.   used all available sick leave, advanced sick leave, extended
        sick leave, personal leave, and compensatory leave; and

     D.   a satisfactory record of sick leave use and work
          performance.
     
     In addition, each request must specify the number of days
     requested and must provide a justification for the number of
     days requested.  The maximum number of days which may be
     requested from the LRF shall not exceed one day for each
     month of creditable service, as defined by the Maryland
     State Retirement and Pensions Systems.
     
IV.  INSTITUTION APPROVAL

     The President or designee of the institution shall determine
     whether the requirements of this policy (Section III) have
     been met, and, if so, shall approve the request for the use
     of the LRF.  Based upon the employee's justification for the
     request, the President or designee may approve the number of
     days requested or may approve some lesser number of days.
     The institution Director of Human Resources/Personnel shall
     forward the approved requests to the USM Director of Human
     Resources.

V.   ADMINISTRATION OF THE USM LEAVE RESERVE FUND

     A.   The USM Director of Human Resources shall administer the
        LRF.  Based on information submitted with the request, the USM
        Director of Human Resources shall verify the employee's
        eligibility to use leave from the LRF and may return to the
        President or designee any request of an employee whose
        eligibility the USM Director of Human Resources deems
        questionable.  The USM Director of Human Resources shall accept
        the final determination of the President or designee as to the
        employee's eligibility.

     B.   Once the employee's eligibility has been established, the
        USM Director of Human Resources shall determine the amount of
        leave to be granted to the employee based on guidelines
        established by the Chancellor.  Such guidelines may establish a
        cap on the number of days granted to any one employee and may
        include other provisions designed to fairly distribute among
        eligible employees the days available in the LRF.  Within these
        guidelines, the USM Director of Human Resources shall transfer
        leave from the LRF to the eligible employee.

     C.   The USM Director of Human Resources may not transfer leave
        from the LRF to an employee after the date on which the
        employee's disability retirement, granted by the Board of
        Trustees of the State Retirement Systems, is effective.

IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES

     Each Chief Executive Officer shall identify his/her
     designee(s) as appropriate for this policy; shall develop
     procedures as necessary to implement this policy; shall
     communicate this policy and applicable procedures to his/her
     institutional community; shall forward a copy of such
     designations and procedures to the Chancellor.

REFERENCES:

     Chapter 304, Acts of 1986; House Bill 476, 1990 Legislative
     Session; COMAR 06.01.01.42G.
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