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SECTION 149: LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
SOURCE: SBHE Policy Manual, Section 701.1
- Leave without pay may be authorized for benefited employees, who have maintained a record of good performance, for purposes such as education, research, temporary employment with another university, governmental, or private agency when such employment will contribute to the employee's expertise in his or her field and make the employee more effective upon return to employment, literary pursuits, or any other purpose that will improve the employee professionally and will directly or indirectly benefit the institution or system. In addition, a leave without pay may be granted for necessary absences due to illness (when family medical leave is not available or has expired) or other important matters.
- Requests for leave without pay for the President shall be approved by the
Board. Requests for leave without pay for institution employees shall be approved
by the institution president or designee.
All Employees
In cases where a leave without pay is requested due to sickness, the employee may be requested to provide medical certification to verify the existence of a health condition including date of commencement and probably duration of the illness.
Broadbanded Employees
Leave without pay for a period of less than 21 working days may be authorized by the department head. Leave without pay for 21 or more working days requires advance approval of the appropriate vice president and should be requested through the Office of Human Resources/Payroll.
Leave may not be granted for a period in excess of one calendar year, except for military service. Failure of an employee to report for duty or reinstatement on expiration of leave granted is cause for automatic termination.
Externally Funded Research Faculty
Research faculty (so designated by their titles) who are funded totally on externally generated funds may, when their project and funding are completed, request a leave without pay while they submit proposals for additional funding. Such a leave must be approved as other leaves without pay but allows the research faculty member to retain their research faculty title and use it when submitting funding proposals. Research faculty applying for a leave without pay under these circumstances should follow the NDSU Guidelines below but use this form.
- An employee who is on an approved leave of absence without pay may continue
to be covered by employer benefits (health, basic life and employee assistant
program) and/or voluntary benefits (optional life, dental, etc.) provided:
a) the employee remits the appropriate premium(s) to the Human Resources/Payroll Office,
b) such coverage is not inconsistent or contrary to insurance contracts, and
c) such coverage would not be contrary to State law.
- Leave of absence shall be granted with assurance of reinstatement to the
same position or to other employment in the department recommending the leave
unless circumstances make it clearly impractical.
Employees on leave without pay shall retain their year's service rights and
accumulated benefits but shall earn no additional benefits. - NDSU Guidelines
- Proposals for leave of absence without pay shall be in writing
and submitted on the University's Leave
of Absence form for approval through appropriate channels. An individual
requesting a leave without pay for a reason other than illness should inform
the department chair or unit administrator at least six months prior to the
anticipated leave and submit the request for administrative approval at least
three months prior to the leave.
No proposal for leave without pay shall be approved unless the employee agrees, in writing, to provide notification to the University by a specific date of the employee's resignation or of the employee's intent to return to NDSU. The date is to be negotiated prior to approval of the proposal. Failure by the employee after a specific request by the responsible supervisor to either provide the notification of the intent to return or to submit a resignation by the required date shall be deemed to be a resignation.
HISTORY: March 13, 1987, Amended April 1995, October 1996, October 1998, April 2002, April 2006