PTO and sick time policies expanded with new eligibility, new uses

Recent legislation has expanded the university’s sick time and PTO policies to cover new uses.

The state of Michigan’s Paid Medical Leave Act of 2018 requires employers to offer paid sick time to eligible employees. While U-M already meets or exceeds most of the requirements, the legislation includes specific circumstances that were not previously identified under university policies.

As of March 29, faculty and staff may request sick time or PTO for purposes relating to domestic violence or sexual assault situations, closure of an individual’s primary worksite or child’s school due to a public health emergency, and to care for a sick grandchild.

The law also extends a new paid sick time benefit to certain temporary and part-time staff.

Eligible staff who do not already receive paid time off will gain access to up to 40 hours of paid sick time per year based on hours worked in the previous year. Eligibility will be re-assessed every Jan. 1, or with each new qualifying appointment during the year.

Approximately 160 Michigan Medicine staff were recently notified by email that they qualify for the new paid sick time benefit in 2019 based on hours worked in 2018. Like other types of time off, paid sick time will be displayed on an individual’s timesheet and paystub.

Eligible staff can report paid sick time using the new time reporting code SPL-Sick Paid Leave.