Holidays
CF observes the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Spring Break (five days)
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day and the day after
Christmas and the day before
All weekdays falling between Christmas day and New Year’s Day
The college calendar, as adopted by the District Board of Trustees, may identify additional days as non-working days.
Holidays are considered unpaid leave for all part-time employees.
Annual Leave, Full-Time Employees
Sick Leave
Each eligible full-time employee shall earn one day of sick leave for each calendar month of active service, or major portion thereof, not to exceed 12 days each fiscal year. A day of sick leave is defined as the number of scheduled hours the average employee works in a normal workday. For faculty members, a workday is defined as 7 hours. For all other employees, the normal workday is defined as 7.5 hours. Career service, professional, technology and administrative employees accrue sick leave at the rate of 7.5 hours per month, and may earn up to 90 hours during a 12-month period. Regular faculty members (defined as faculty members with full-time 168-day contracts) accrue sick leave at the rate of 7.0 hours per month of active service.
Vacation Leave
The Board authorizes vacation leave, exclusive of holidays, for employees employed on a 12 (12) month basis. The amount of paid vacation time employees receive each year increases with the length of their employment, as shown in the following schedule:
Career service, professional, technology and administrative 12-month employees
- 0-5 years of employment with the college: vacation leave is accrued at the rate of 7.5 hours per month, and may earn up to 90 hours during a 12-month period.
- 5-10 years of employment with the college: vacation leave is accrued at the rate of 9.5 hours per month, and up to 114 hours may be earned during a 12-month period.
- More than 10 years of employment with the college: vacation leave is accrued at the rate of 11.5 hours per month and may earn up to 138 hours during a 12-month period.
- 12-month employees with less than 260 workdays (12 months) do not accrue vacation leave.
The length of eligible service is calculated on the basis of a benefit year. This is the 12-month period that begins when the employee starts to earn vacation time. An employee’s benefit year may be extended for any significant leave of absence except military leave of absence. Military leave has no effect on this calculation. (See individual leave of absence policies for more information.)
In the event available vacation is not used by the end of the calendar year (Dec. 31), employees will forfeit the unused time in excess of 450 hours (60 days).
Once employees enter an eligible employment classification, they begin to earn paid vacation time according to the schedule. However, before vacation time can be used, a waiting period of 90 calendar days must be completed. After completing the 90-day observation period, employees can request use of earned vacation time, including that accrued during the waiting period. To take vacation, employees should request advance approval from their supervisors. Requests will be reviewed based on a number of factors including business needs and staffing requirements.
Upon voluntary termination of employment, employees will receive terminal pay per Board Policy 6.15 - Terminal Pay, provided advance notice of intent to leave is given in accordance with procedure guidelines. Employees will be paid for unused vacation time (up to 44 days) that has been earned through the last day of work. Employees who have completed 10 years of full-time service will be paid for unused sick leave. Any amount over $2,000 will be deposited to a IRS Section 401(a)/403(b) special pay plan tax free. Terminal pay calculations are based on the employee’s leave balances and salary in effect on the date of the mandatory payment. The special pay plan is administered by BENCOR. If CF, in its sole discretion, terminates employment for cause, forfeiture of unused sick and vacation time may result. Additionally, if an employee does not give appropriate notification of intent to leave, all vacation leave is forfeited.
Refer to the Vacation Leave administrative procedure or policy manual for more information on leave and terminal pay.
Use of Sick Leave, Full-Time Employees
Career Service, Technology Professional and Administrative employees will deduct sick leave at the rate of one hour for each hour the employee is absent. The deduction from accrued leave shall be made in half hour increments. Sick leave deduction varies for faculty members. Sick leave may be used for personal illness and illness or death of an immediate family member. Refer to Board Policy 6.14 - Leaves of Absence and Administrative Procedure for Sick Leave. Leave Request forms may be obtained from the Payroll Office or at inside.cf.edu/forms, under Payroll.
Sick Leave Pool Full Time Employees
Enrollment in the Sick Leave Pool is available to full-time employees provided that such employee has met all eligibility requirements. To be considered for membership, the employee must have been employed for one continuous year and have accrued sick days as attainable in the contract period, such as Administrators, Professional, Technology and Career employees-12 days, 10-month employees-10 days, faculty - 8 days, etc. Open enrollment occurs semi-annually (April and October) for eligible employees. The purpose of the sick leave pool is to provide an opportunity for employees to create a bank of sick leave hours that can be drawn on by fellow employee sick leave pool members who have exhausted all sick leave due to a catastrophic illness or health related emergency only. For more information review the Administrative Procedure for Sick Leave Pool located at inside.cf.edu, under Manuals/Procedures or view the Sick Leave Pool informational section at inside.cf.edu, under Employee Benefits.
Emergency or Personal Leave, Full-Time Employees
According to Board Policy 6.14 - Leaves of Absence, employees are allowed time off for family emergencies and leave with supervisor’s permission. A maximum of four days (30 hours maximum) per fiscal year may be charged to accrued sick leave for purposes of personal leave, inclusive of emergencies.
Emergencies are defined as circumstances or events beyond the control of the employee, which require time away from assigned duties and which cannot be reasonably anticipated or scheduled after duty hours or during the weekend. Bona fide emergency leave and leave with pay for personal reasons is not cumulative. The following are examples of situations for which emergency or personal leave may be used:
- Events due to natural disaster or acts of nature
- Compassionate reasons
- Legal commitments
- Religious holidays
- Immediate family responsibilities or events such as weddings and graduations
- Immediate occupational or professional events, which in no case involves remuneration to the employee
Whenever possible, a request for leave for personal reasons should be filed in advance. Immediately upon return to work after an emergency or illness, a certification of absence is filed on the proper form giving the reason for the leave request. Leave Request forms may be obtained from the Payroll Office or at inside.cf.edu/forms, under Payroll.
Refer to the policy manual and Administrative Procedure for Personal Leave for more information.
Family and Medical Leave Act
Board Policy 6.14 outlines CF’s policy regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). An “eligible” employee is entitled to up to 12 weeks (60 work days) of unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons. Family and medical leave will run concurrently with paid sick leave and/or vacation leave, if applicable. Employees (full or part-time) are eligible if they have worked for CF for at least 12 months of cumulative service and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months. An employee is required to provide thirty days advance leave notice when known in advance that leave is needed, or as much notice as possible when leave is needed for an unforeseen reason. This notification must be submitted to the Human Resources Office and forms are available at benefits.cf.edu/, under Family and Medical Leave Act.
FML may also be used for Military Family Leave in the following situations:
- Military Caregiver leave (also known as Covered Service Member leave); family of covered service members will be able to take up to 26 workweeks of leave in a “single 12-month period” to care for a covered service member with a serious illness or injury incurred in the line of duty on active duty.
- Qualifying Exigency leave: helps family of members of National Guard and Reserves manage their affairs when the member is on active duty in support of a contingency operation. This provision makes the normal 12-workweeks of FML leave available to eligible employees to use for “any qualifying exigency” arising out of the fact that a covered military member is on active duty or called to active duty status in support of a contingency operation such as a) Short-notice deployment; b) Military events and related activities; c) Childcare and school activities; d) Financial and legal arrangements; e) Counseling; f) Rest and recuperation; g) Post-deployment activities; and h) Additional activities not encompassed in the other categories but agreed to by the employer and employee.
For more information review Board Policy 6.14 - Leaves of Absence and/or Administrative Procedure Family and Medical Leave at www.inside.cf.edu/manuals.
Professional and Military Leave, Full-Time Employees
An unpaid leave of absence may be requested for professional leave and military leave. According to board rule, an employee granted military leave, inactive leave for federal duty, or active leave for state duty shall continue to receive pay for 17 days at any one time. Leave beyond 17 days at one time shall be without pay. Employees granted extended active military leave shall continue to receive pay for 30 days. Leave beyond 30 days at one time shall be without pay. During this period, no vacation or sick time will be accrued except as required by law. Arrangements must be made with the Payroll Office for payment of medical, dental, life insurance and long-term disability insurance premiums to ensure continued coverage of these benefits. For more information review Board Policy 6.14 - Leaves of Absence and/or Administrative Procedure Military Leave at inside.cf.edu/manuals.
Workers’ Compensation
Employees are covered under workers’ compensation in the event of an injury or accident while in the scope of their employment. Employees who sustain work-related injuries or illnesses should inform their supervisor and Public Safety immediately. No matter how minor an on-the-job injury may appear, it is important that it be reported immediately. Information about Workers’ compensation can be obtained at inside.cf.edu, under Employee Benefits. If treatment is waived or not required, the supervisors or Public Safety will forward the incident report to the Human Resources Office for record keeping.
If the employee (injured party) deems it necessary to seek medical care, they must contact Human Resources for referral to the health care facility authorized by the college. If treatment is not requested on the day of injury and symptoms persist, treatment may be sought at a later by obtaining a referral from the Human Resources Office. It is customary for the health care facility to call the Human Resources Office to verify the referral. Employees should carry their college photo ID cards with them when seeking medical treatment. A drug screen will be run on all workers’ compensation referrals.
If the severity of the injuries requires immediate emergency attention, the best course of action is to call 911 and the Public Safety Office. Public Safety will interview the supervisor or other witnesses to the incident for reporting purposes.
Unemployment Compensation
Employees who receive wages or earnings from the college are covered by unemployment compensation. The maximum length of this coverage is 26 weeks. To be eligible to draw a full benefit, a claimant must be totally unemployed, able and available to work, and actively seeking employment.
Jury Duty
When on jury duty or when subpoenaed as a witness (but not a principal in the litigation), full-time employees will receive court-related leave with pay and may retain any fees earned. The employee will not be paid by the college for meals, lodging or travel while serving in this capacity.
Employees summoned for jury duty must furnish a copy of the jury duty summons to their supervisor as soon as possible so the supervisor accommodate the employee’s absence. The appropriate leave form must be completed with a copy of the summons attached and sent to Human Resources. An employee is expected to report for work whenever the court schedule permits.
When involved in litigation on behalf of the college or due to action in the line of duty as an employee, the employee is considered on duty and is required to turn over to the college any fees received from the court. An employee involved in litigation on behalf of the college or due to action in line of duty as an employee is eligible for travel reimbursement and meal stipend in accordance with Court-Related Leave Administrative Procedure.
An employee engaged in personal litigation in which he or she is a principal will not be granted administrative leave for court attendance. Eligible employees may be granted vacation, personal or emergency leave in such cases, with approval of the president. The employee should fill out a leave request form for the purpose of documenting time away from the workplace. Review Board Policy 6.14 - Leaves of Absence at inside.cf.edu.
Educational Opportunities
CF recognizes that the skills and knowledge of its employees are critical to the success of the organization. The educational assistance program encourages personal development through formal education so that employees can maintain and improve job-related skills or enhance their ability to compete for reasonably attainable jobs within CF.
To maintain eligibility, employees must remain on the active payroll and perform their job satisfactorily through the completion of each course.
While educational assistance is expected to enhance employees’ performance and professional abilities, CF cannot guarantee that participation in formal education will entitle the employee to automatic advancement, a different job assignment or a pay increase.
Employees are provided with educational assistance by the college in several ways. Four major categories of assistance are described in this section: tuition waivers and reimbursement, degree incentives, staff and program development and the Employee Assistance Program.
Tuition Waivers and Reimbursement
Tuition Waivers
Tuition waivers of up to six credit or equivalent noncredit hours per semester are permitted for full-time employees and their immediate family.
Tuition waivers of up to three credit or equivalent noncredit hours per term are permitted for part-time employees who have met Florida Retirement System eligibility requirement of 2,080 hours and for employees in non-FRS eligible part-time positions who meet other eligibility requirements.
The application for tuition waiver must be completed and submitted online. The Human Resources Office will verify the employment status for tuition waiver requests. The tuition waiver (fee waiver) request form is available at inside.cf.edu/Employee Benefits, under Tuition Assistance, or https://benefits.cf.edu/tuition_waivers.html. For information on CF tuition waivers, see Administrative Procedure for Waivers of Fees and Tuition for Employees and Dependents.
Tuition Reimbursement
The Office of Professional Development coordinates requests for tuition reimbursement for full-time employees for courses that support professional development at the department, division or instructional level. Forms are available at inside.cf.edu/Employee Benefits, under Tuition Assistance, or https://benefits.cf.edu/tuition_waivers.html. For information on CF tuition reimbursement, see Administrative Procedure for Tuition Assistance for Employees.
Incentives for Degree Attainment
Individuals who have been employed full-time at CF for a minimum of one (1) year and who earn an initial college degree or a higher-level degree (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) from a regionally accredited institution after July 1, 2021 will be eligible to receive a degree incentive adjustment to their salary upon completion; provided that the employee has received a review of satisfactory or higher on the most recent annual evaluation, and the required documentation is provided to the Human Resources office within the timeframe specified in the Salary Schedule. More information is available at inside.cf.edu/Employee Benefits, under Tuition Assistance.
Staff and Program Development
Staff and Program Development funds are allocated in the college’s annual budget. These funds are used primarily for faculty participation at annual master teacher or division dean conferences and for administrative leadership conferences.
Other professional leave may be included in an employee’s own division or departmental budget. These funds pay for attendance at professional and/or job-related workshops, seminars, conventions and conferences. A regular travel request form, available through each office’s staff assistant, is used for each leave request.
Employee Assistance Program
Through the Employee Assistance Program, CF provides confidential access to professional counseling services for help in confronting such personal problems as:
- Alcohol and other substance abuse
- Marital and family difficulties
- Financial or legal troubles
- Emotional distress
The EAP offers problem assessment, short-term counseling, and referral to appropriate community and private services to all employees and their immediate family members.
There is no cost to an employee for consulting with an EAP counselor. If further counseling is necessary, the EAP counselor will outline community and private services available. The counselor will also let an employee know whether costs associated with private services may be covered by their health insurance plan. Costs that are not covered are the responsibility of the employee.
Personal information concerning employee participation in the EAP is maintained in a confidential manner. No information related to an employee’s participation in the program is entered into the personnel file.
Employees can find additional information about the EAP at inside.cf.edu, under Employee Benefits/Employee Assistance Plan. For more specific information regarding the EAP, contact the Human Resources Office at 352-854-2322, ext. 1570.
Employee Discounts
CF occasionally receives discounts from other establishments, such as restaurants, local businesses and area attractions. Current discount offerings may be found at inside.cf.edu, under Employee Benefits, then Discounts and Perks.
Ancillary Benefits
A regular full-time or regular part-time employee is eligible to receive other college benefits by simply showing their photo ID card. These benefits include free use of the weight room, spin room, jogging trail, tennis and racquetball courts and other sports facilities. Employees may also receive discounts at certain local food establishments and various businesses. A regular full-time or regular part-time employee also has access to reserved parking spaces. CF parking regulations are strictly enforced. All employees should obtain and read a copy of the Traffic and Parking Regulations issued by Public Safety. Information can be found at https://www.cf.edu/student-life/about-our-campuses/campus-safety/parking-rules/.
College employment permits an employee to attend college-sponsored athletic, cultural, entertainment, musical and special performances on either a no charge or reduced charge basis. A regular full-time or regular part-time employee may use the Learning Resources Center at no charge. An employee has an opportunity to enroll his/her child in the college’s Learning Lab School, and to participate in blood bank contributions when the units are on campus. Public safety, printing and postal services, maintenance and custodial personnel are provided uniforms at no cost to them.
Through a cooperative agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield, the college offers annual wellness checks to full-time employees on a voluntary basis at the Ocala and Citrus campuses.
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