Eligibility

• New Hires who joined the Sick Leave Bank within the first 6 months and 30 days of employment are eligible to use the Sick Leave Bank as soon as the required days are deducted from their personal sick leave.
• Employees who opted not to join the Sick Leave Bank within their first 6 months of employment and joined during the annual Open Enrollment period are eligible to request leave from the Sick Leave Bank 6 months after the date the Sick Leave Bank Donation form is received at PGCEA.
• The Sick Leave Bank may only be used for the member’s personal incapacitating illness or disability.
• Leave from the Sick Leave Bank may not be used for disabilities that qualify the member for Workman’s Compensation benefits, unless the member has exhausted all Workman’s Compensation Leave, their own accumulated sick, annual leave and the Member signs over all Workman’s compensation checks to the Board of Education.
• A member using the Sick Leave Bank for the first time, must be out of work for 30 consecutive calendar days (includes Sat., Sun., & Holidays) exhausting their own accumulated sick leave, annual leave or leave with-out pay during this time before the Sick Leave Bank Committee will grant paid days from the Bank. All sick leave must be exhausted prior to the Committee’s approval of a grant.
• Subsequent users must be out of work for 10 consecutive calendar days (includes Sat., Sun., & Holidays) exhausting their own personal sick leave during this time before the Sick Leave Bank Committee will grant paid days from the Bank. All sick leave must be exhausted prior to the Committee’s approval of a grant.

Required Forms

• All requests to use leave from the Bank must be completed on the PGCEA Sick Leave Bank Request Form which can be obtained by request from PGCEA.
  1. The form must be signed by your physician/Medical Doctor (no faxes or stamped signatures will be accepted) with an actual or proposed return to work date. The first application to the Bank must also be signed by your Principal or Immediate Supervisor.
• Grants to use the Bank are approved in 20-30 day increments. Extensions may be granted if a new request form is submitted, signed by the physician/Medical Doctor each time. After the first grant, you DO NOT need to have your form signed by your immediate supervisor again.

Approval Process

• Request Forms are reviewed by the Sick Leave Bank Committee on the 1st & 3rd Monday of every month (Aug thru Jun). Some dates may vary you may contact PGCEA for a current schedule.
• All request forms must be submitted to PGCEA the Friday before the meeting date. If you miss the submission deadline your Sick Leave Bank Form will be reviewed at the next scheduled meeting date.
• The Board of Education Division of Human Resources will then receive and review the decision of the Approval/Sick Leave Bank Committee. If the grants from the bank are consistent with the Prince George’s County Board of Education’s sick leave policies and the rules of the Sick Leave Bank, the Department of Personnel will approve the Sick Leave Bank Grants that will be paid by the Prince George’s County Public Schools to the member and will forward the bank grants to the appropriate department for payment. In any case where the decision of the Department of Human Resources does not concur with the Sick Leave Bank Committee, the Department of Human Resources shall explain the full reason for the difference of opinion.
• Payments will be processed by the Board of Education by next pay date after the meeting.

Notification Process

• Once the Sick Leave Bank Committee has met, the PGCEA Sick Leave Bank Coordinator sends the processed grants to the Benefits Administration office by close of business the next day.
• The Board of Education Benefits Administration Office processes the grants and within 48 hours, the grants are sent to the Payroll Department for payment.
• The PGCEA Sick Leave Bank Coordinator sends a letter of confirmation to each member within 48 hours informing them of the Sick Leave Bank Committees’ decision.
• If an employee is on any type of leave for more than 20 or more days it is their responsibility to complete a Medical Disability Statement, only at the Request of the Principal. The form is obtained from and must be returned to the employee’s principal or their immediate supervisor. The statement informs the employer of the employee’s condition and the employee’s intent to return to work. A Medical Disability Statement Form can be obtained from your school.
• The Benefits Administration Office sends a confirmation letter with final approval dates to the member, the school, Human Resource Department and PGCEA.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:

• An applicant may be required to undergo a medical review by a physician/medical doctor of the Sick Leave Bank Committee’s choice at the member’s expense.
• Grants from the same illness or injury shall not exceed 2 school years from the date of the initial grant or a maximum of 384 scheduled duty days.
• If you are a member of the PGCEA Sick Leave Bank and you transfer to another Prince George’s County Public School Unit that has a Sick Leave Bank your membership will automatically be transferred
• Sick Leave Bank Grants will not automatically be carried over from one fiscal year to another. All bank grants end on the last duty day of the school year and must be renewed through the Sick Leave Bank Committee at the beginning of the next school year.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PGCEA Sick Leave Bank Coordinator 301-736-2700

Prince George’s County Benefits/Payroll Administration 301-952-6219