Grievance Officer Elect John Capurso, right, poses with SCCC President Ed Bonahue and Tina Smith-Bonahue at an event for the SCC Foundation in August. (photo by Victoria Pendzick)

In the FA we are hearing some questions and concerns about members taking a sick or personal day and the matter of class cancelation or finding a substitute.

Most challenging are the instances when we get reports of members canceling classes and notifying their students (in Brightspace or by email) but failing to notify their supervisor. Or in other instances they take upon themselves to arrange for their own substitute to cover their class. These are concerning because they are violations of contractual provisions.

The contractual rules and college policies governing class cancelation and substitution as well as sick days and personal days are below.

Class cancelation notification

For all FA members who need to take a sick day, you should notify your supervisor that you will not be coming to work as soon as possible at the onset of the illness.

It is not sufficient to only notify your students. The FA advises the following:

1. Send an email to your supervisor with a cc: to the appropriate department administrative assistants. This provides a date-time stamp on your notification and, for classroom faculty, better ensures the administrative assistants can post cancelation notices on your classroom doors as needed.
   
2. Post an announcement in your Brightspace class websites and/or email your entire class. A prompt notice can save on-campus students from having to come to campus earlier than needed—or at all if your class is their only one on that day. If you’re able to, it is recommended that you provide students with a note regarding what assignments should be completed in lieu of the class meeting and/or how the weekly schedule will be adjusted.
   
   

For FA members planning to take a personal day, please give as much advance notice as you can to your students.

Substitutions and switching

Sometimes our members’ dedication prompts them to arrange for a substitute to cover their classes while they are out to avoid a cancelation which might throw off their weekly class schedule. At times, FA members in both classroom and nonclassroom assignments informally agree to switch or swap assignments with colleagues. Neither of these is allowed.

In the case of absences, your obligation is met by notifying your supervisor of the absence as soon as possible.

It is the responsibility of your supervisor to determine if and when a substitution is appropriate. College policy is that a substitute may not be brought in and paid until after one week’s worth of absences, and there is a precise manner by which substitutes are to be arranged, in seniority order, to colleagues in the department.

Sick days

Unless one is anticipating elective surgery or disability (e.g., pregnancy-related disability), sick leave should not be requested unless you or a family member are actually sick.

Adjunct classroom faculty members are allowed two absences per course per semester without loss of pay for illness or disability unless the course meets only once per week, in which case only one absence per course per semester shall be paid for.

Adjunct specialists and adjunct professional assistants are permitted to take the equivalent of one week’s assigned work hours per semester without loss of pay for illness or disability. Absences for personal reasons under existing contractual limits need to be mutually agreed upon between the adjunct faculty member and their supervisor.

For full-time faculty members, the following applies:

• Ten-month faculty members have ten sick days per year to be used for absences caused by illness or physical disability
• Twelve-month faculty have twelve sick days per year to be used for absences caused by illness or physical disability
• Faculty members can use up to five of their sick days per year for an illness in the faculty member’s immediate family.

Personal days

For full-time faculty, with prior notification, personal leave is permitted for matters that cannot be cared for during times when they are normally off campus. A common example would be for the closing on a home, the scheduling of which is not fully in the hands of the prospective homebuyer.

The contract requires that faculty members give prior notification to their supervisor that they are taking a personal day.

Any use of personal leave time immediately before or after a holiday or vacation is subject to the prior approval of your supervisor, who has the discretion to deny such use of personal days if the member fails to demonstrate that the need for such time is for a purpose which cannot be arranged when no duties are scheduled.

As always, if you have questions about your contractual rights regarding use of sick or personal time, contact the FA. I look forward to working with you as grievance officer in the new year.