ARTICLE 15

Sick and Personal Leave

             In the event of an eligible employee's absence from work because of nonoccupational sickness or injury, he or she shall be entitled to leave with pay during each year of continuous and active service as provided below.  Such leave with pay may also be used for personal reasons, once the employee has received his or her supervisor’s prior approval.

Section 1.      For the purposes of this Article, the period during which an employee shall be eligible for leave with pay because of nonoccupational sickness or injury or personal reasons shall begin on January 1 of each year and end on December 31 of that year.   However, employees recalled from layoff during the first quarter of the year will be treated as though they were continuously and actively in the employ of the Company on January 1 of the year of recall for the purpose of determining sick and personal leave eligibility.

Section 2.      An employee who on January 1 of any year during the term of this Agreement has been continuously and actively in the employ of the Company for at least six (6) months prior thereto shall be eligible for three (3) days' leave with pay during the following year. 

Section 3.      An employee who on January 1 of any year during the term of this Agreement has been continuously and actively in the employ of the Company for at least one (1) year prior thereto shall be eligible for five (5) days' leave with pay during the following year.

Section 4.      Pay for one (1) day of sick and injury or personal leave means pay for eight (8) hours at the employee's regular base rate of pay plus cost-of-living allowance exclusive of all premiums, bonuses, or overtime payments.

Section 5.      Each eligible employee shall be entitled to pay for the balance of the days of sick or personal leave for which he or she was eligible that remain unused at the end of the sick or personal leave eligibility year.  Pay for the unused days of such leave shall be at the employee's regular base rate of pay plus cost-of-living allowance exclusive of all premiums, bonuses, or overtime payments.

Section 6.      Sick and personal leave days may be taken in full days consisting of eight (8) hours or half-days consisting of four (4) consecutive hours.  Where SAP is fully operational in areas where bargaining unit employees reside that are covered by this Agreement, the employees will be permitted, with prior approval to take sick and personal leave in one hour increments.

Section 7.      To be eligible for pay for unused leave, an employee must be employed on December 31 of the sick or personal leave year.  There shall be no prorated payment to terminating or laid-off employees for unused leave; except employees who are laid off or retire will be eligible for any unused sick or personal leave.

Section 8.      Time spent by an employee after having been terminated from active employment for any reason, including discharge, resignation, layoff, leave of absence, or for the purpose of entering the Armed Services, shall not be considered as service time for the purpose of acquiring sick and injury or personal leave benefits.

Section 9.      The Company may require verification acceptable to it in any case for which an employee requests payment for an absence due to sickness or injury.

Section 10.    Payment shall not be made for an absence due to illness or injury unless the employee claiming such payment shall have notified the Company within two (2) hours of the start of his or her shift on the first day of his or her absence.

Section 11.    When the reported reason for absence of an employee is illness or injury or personal reasons and the Company does not require verification, the employee shall be considered as applying for a day of paid sick or personal leave.  If he or she is entitled to such a paid day, it will be included in his or her paycheck for the affected week whenever practicable.