Administrative Policies

Special/Other Leave

Special/Other Leaves may be available for employees who have exhausted all applicable and available leave, or who need to take a leave of absence from KCTCS for reasons other than those normally provided by other KCTCS leave of absence policies and procedures. Special leave is subject to approval and may be approved as paid or unpaid leave. An employee shall submit a written request for a Special/Other Leave with pay or a Special/Other Leave without pay to their immediate supervisor and the local HR Director.

Special leave may include leaves for reasons such as extended personal illness, necessary additional education, care of a relative in the immediate family members (as defined in the KCTCS administrative policy and procedure regarding staff temporary disability leaves), attendance at a professional meeting, or service temporarily with an outside agency. Other special leaves may be considered as requested, whenever special circumstances exist not otherwise provided for in these policies.

Approval of special leave with pay for absences due to personal or family illness is reserved for catastrophic and/or extended illnesses, such as terminal illnesses. Absences due to elective or routine surgeries, and other non-catastrophic illnesses do not normally meet the criteria for approval of special leave with pay.

If an employee is eligible for Family Medical Leave, a special leave with or without pay shall run concurrent with a Family Medical Leave if the reason for the leave meets the criteria under the Family Medical Leave Act (see KCTCS administrative policies and procedures regarding family/medical leaves). For special leave requests due to illness, an employee shall have exhausted all available leave balances prior to the effective date in order to receive approval for special leave with pay. In addition, any leave time accrued during a special leave with pay must be applied toward and exhausted during the continued leave.

Special leave for educational purposes shall be directly related and beneficial to an employee’s employment at KCTCS in order to be approved for special leave with pay, and may require the use of annual and compensatory leave.

The KCTCS President may grant special leave with pay. A leave of absence with pay for more than 90 calendar days shall be reported to the Board of Regents.

The college president/ceo or for system office employees the respective KCTCS President’s cabinet member, may approve special leave without pay for their respective organizational unit. Ordinarily, such leave shall not be granted for a period in excess of one year.

Employees who remain away from work for more than the approved period of time shall be considered resigned from employment.