Administrative Policies

Conversion of Staff Temporary Disability (Sick) Leave

Regular staff employees with a full-time equivalent (FTE) of 0.5 or greater under the UK personnel system who have a minimum accrued balance of 66 days of temporary disability leave (TDL), have a conversion option for extra vacation leave or credit toward retirement. Likewise, regular full-time and regular part-time staff employees (who work a schedule of 50 percent or more of a full-time schedule on an annualized basis) under the KCTCS personnel system who elected to opt over from the UK personnel system and have a minimum accrued balance of 66 days of temporary disability leave (TDL), have a conversion option for extra vacation leave or credit toward retirement. It is the intention of this policy to reward loyal, long-time employees who remain healthy as well as to encourage employees to use TDL only when necessary.

Conversion is available for regular part-time staff employees (who work a schedule of 50 percent or more of a full-time schedule on an annualized basis) if the employee has TDL accrual which is pro rata the equivalent to 66 days. For example, an employee who works 50 percent, an accrual of 33 days shall be maintained to be eligible for conversion.

KCTCS Personnel System and UK Personnel System

Annual Conversion of Temporary Disability Leave

Upon accumulating a balance of more than 66 temporary disability leave days, regular full-time employees may, on an annual basis, voluntarily convert a portion of their accrued temporary disability leave to vacation leave. Staff who opted over may use their combined TDL balance (banked balance earned under the UK personnel system and the TDL balance accrued under the KCTCS personnel system) to count toward eligibility or this conversion option. Employees shall have accumulated and shall retain a minimum balance of 66 temporary disability leave days following the conversion in order to be eligible for this alternative conversion option. Only days in excess of 66 accrued temporary disability leave days may be converted. One vacation leave day shall be acquired for each three temporary disability leave days converted. A maximum of 12 temporary disability leave days may be converted in any one fiscal year.

Employees who convert 12 temporary disability leave days and who did not use any temporary disability leave days during that fiscal year shall acquire five vacation leave days as a result of the conversion.

The annual conversion shall occur only in the month of April. The days acquired through the conversion shall be counted as vacation days earned in the current fiscal year. Any converted day(s) shall become a part of the employees’ vacation leave balance and shall be used in accordance with Kentucky Community and Technical College System administrative policies and procedures regarding staff vacation leave. Conversion of temporary disability leave for vacation leave shall be final. Employees who have a minimum balance of 66 temporary disability leave days plus three or more days for conversion and who desires to convert accrued temporary leave days to vacation leave days shall, in consultation with the human resources department, complete the appropriate form. Conversion of accrued temporary disability leave to vacation leave for the preceding fiscal year shall be completed between April 1 and April 30.

Any costs as a result of this policy shall come from the department’s regular salary account.

Temporary Disability Leave Conversion at Retirement

The option for staff employees to convert a portion or all of their temporary disability leave accrued balance at retirement may be done in accordance with KCTCS Board Policy 3.7.3.5- Sick Leave Conversion if they meet the eligibility requirements set forth below.

1. If, at retirement, regular full-time employees who participate in the KCTCS 403b retirement plan have a minimum of 66 days of accrued TDL, employees may apply the entire accrual (less days opted for full payment under section b. below) toward the employees’ service date for regular retirement and/or the age requirement for early retirement.
   1. For employees hired prior to July 1, 1995, KCTCS shall pay the employee an amount equal to that which the employer would have contributed to the employees’ retirement plan if the employee had worked the same period of time.
      

      Example: An employee is 66 days 'short' of eligibility for retirement and has 66 days of accrued TDL, the employee’s TDL accrual could be applied to fulfill the retirement eligibility requirement. Also, the employee shall receive a lump sum payment based on the total number of TDL days (less days opted for full payment under section b. below). The amount of the lump sum payment shall be determined by taking the remaining number of TDL days (valued at the daily or hourly pay), multiplied by the retirement percentage contribution for the employee.

   2. Employees hired prior to July 1, 1995, who has a minimum of 66 days of accrued TDL, may choose to take a cash award for the TDL balance, not to exceed the salary equivalency of 22 days.
      

      Example
      Total days of accrued TDL	66 days
      Less days opted for full payment	22 days
      Balance of accrued TDL	44 days
      Daily rate of pay (annual salary of $26,000 divided 260 work days)	$100
      Value of accrued TDL (44 days x $100)	$4,400
      Multiplied by normal retirement contribution percentage	10%
      Lump sum payment to employee	$440

   3. The remaining balance, if any, may be applied to the employees’ service and/or age eligibility toward retirement. 
      

18A/151B Personnel System

For employees under this personnel system sick leave conversion is addressed in the provisions of their retirement plan and in the Kentucky Administrative Regulations for KRS Chapter 18A and KRS Chapter151B in effect as of June 30, 1998, located in Appendix I (Section 2) of this manual.