Administrative Regulation

AR 4161.2

Certificated Personnel

Personal Leaves

Personal Necessity

Acceptable reasons for the use of personal necessity leave include:

1. Death of a member of the immediate family when the number of days of absence exceeds the limits set by bereavement leave provisions. (Education Code 44981, 45207)

2. An accident involving the employee's person or property or the person or property of a member of the immediate family. (Education Code 44981, 45207)

3. An illness of a member of the employee's immediate family. (Education Code 44981)

4. Fire, flood, or other immediate danger to the home of the employee.

5. Required court appearance other than those identified as legal or civic duties and those required when the employee is an agent of the district. (Education Code 45207)

6. Personal business of a serious nature which the employee cannot disregard.

Leave for personal necessity may be allowed for other reasons at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee. However, no such leave shall be granted for purposes of personal convenience, for the extension of a holiday or vacation period, or for matters which can be taken care of outside of working hours. The Superintendent or designee shall have final discretion as to whether a particular request reflects true personal necessity.

The employee shall request advance permission for personal necessity leave, except in urgent situations such as the death or serious illness of a member of the immediate family or an accident involving the employee's person or property or the person or property of a member of the immediate family. (Education Code 44981)

After any absence due to personal necessity, the employee shall verify the absence by submitting a completed and signed district absence form to his/her immediate supervisor.

Bereavement

Employees are entitled to a leave of up to three days, or five days if out-of-state travel is required, upon the death of any member of the employee's immediate family. No deduction shall be made from the employee's salary, nor shall such leave be deducted from any other leave to which the employee is entitled. (Education Code 44985, 45194)

At the employee's request, bereavement leave may be extended under personal necessity leave provisions. (Education Code 44981, 45207)

Members of the immediate family shall include: the employee's mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, or grandchild; the grandchild of the employee's spouse; the employee's spouse, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, brother, or sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law; or any relative living in the employee's immediate household. (Education Code 44985, 45194)

At his/her discretion, the Superintendent or designee may grant additional unpaid bereavement leave.

Legal and Civic Duties

Employees shall be granted leave with pay to appear in court as jurors or as witnesses other than litigants. (Education Code 44036)

The employee shall turn over to the district any jury or witness fees received, minus the cost of mileage and other expenses necessitated by the court appearance. (Education Code 44036)

Notices, summons and subpoenas for court appearances shall be submitted to the district office when requesting leave.

Employees shall be granted up to 20 days of paid leave per year for service performed within the state on any boards, commissions, committees or groups authorized by Education Code 44987.3, provided the organization in question informs the district of the service and agrees to reimburse the district for all compensation paid to the employee on account of this leave. (Education Code 44987.3)

Religious Leave

Employees may take up to three days of leave per year for religious purposes. The Superintendent or designee may grant such leave provided that it is requested in advance, that suitable lesson plans and instructions to the substitute are provided, and that a competent substitute is available.

To avoid any appearance of public school support for religious organizations, the Superintendent or designee shall deduct the cost of a substitute, when required, from the wages of the employee who takes religious leave. No employee shall be discriminated against for using this leave or any additional days of unpaid leave granted for religious observances at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee, as long as such leaves do not cause additional district expenditures, the neglect of assigned duties, or any other unreasonable hardship on the district.

Regulation PALOS VERDES PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

approved: February 8, 2001 Palos Verdes Estates, California