What are Critical Days?
Critical Days are the days before or after a school holiday when students are in attendance.
What if I use an Annual/Personal leave day on a Critical Day?
Employees using annual/personal leave on Critical Days will be docked on their next paycheck as listed below:
- Licensed - $156, equivalent to 50% of the daily rate of a licensed employee on salary level one.
- ESP - 40% of the employee’s daily rate.
Will I still be docked if I don’t need a substitute?
Yes, this is not to cover the cost of a sub.
Are there any exceptions in the policy to having my paycheck docked?
Annual/personal leave may be taken on a Critical Day without being docked for the following specific reasons:
- Observance of religious holidays which fall on a regularly scheduled school calendar workday.
- Family weddings of near relatives including children, father, mother, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, grandparents, or the same to one's spouse or any other person who is a member of the same household as the employee.
- Graduations of near relatives as defined in "b." above.
- Required court appearances.
- Deaths not covered by DP330 NEG Bereavement Leave - Licensed.
- Conferences and conventions which relate to the individual employee's work assignment and are not covered by DP339 – Released Time—Professional.
- To attend to personal or business matters which require the employee’s attendance and scheduling is beyond the employee’s control.
- First year employees who notify their supervisor in writing that they are ill.
- Applying for the Critical Days “lottery” during the appropriate time window and being randomly selected as one of the limited number of employees allowed. Employees are only eligible for this exemption once per contract year. More information about this “lottery” request process can be found in JEM and at the HR Annual Leave page.
What if the reason I’m using annual/personal leave on a Critical Day is an exception in policy as listed above?
The specific reason and exception in the policy must be added in the Skyward time off description
Will I still be docked if my supervisor gives me permission and approves my time off request?
Yes, unless the reason and above listed exception is applicable and entered in the time off description
How do I know when Critical Days are?
Information regarding the use of annual/personal leave on Critical Days is posted on the Human Resources Department Annual Leave page and is sent in JEM. The Payroll Department also posts these Critical Days on their website, and sends them in JEM during the applicable months.