SECTION 612:20-2-7. Employee benefits

(a)   Personal leave. Contracted instructional staff will receive five days each academic year. Such leave shall vest at the beginning of each academic year and may be taken with the approval of the school superintendent. Personal leave may not be charged to sick leave, and any unused personal leave will not be cumulative and will not be paid to the employee upon separation from the Department.

(b)   Sick leave. Contracted instructional staff will receive ten days sick leave per academic year. Such leave shall vest at the beginning of each academic year and unused sick leave shall be cumulative up to a total of sixty working days. Such leave is to be used when the employee is required to be absent from duty due to personal injury, illness or pregnancy, or injury or illness of an immediate family member requiring the employee's care. In instances where a contracted instructional staff person has exhausted all accrued sick leave and continues to be absent due to personal injury, illness, or pregnancy, that employee is entitled to an additional twenty days at full salary less the amount actually paid to employ a substitute to temporarily assume the absent employee's position; as long as the total leave does not exceed the total number of days in the contract period. Sick days may be accrued as credit toward retirement. Otherwise, all accumulated sick leave will be cancelled upon separation from the Department.

(c)   Family and medical leave. Family and medical leave will be granted in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act.

(d)   Educational leave. A teacher may apply for up to 80 hours per academic year for educational leave. Such leave must be pre-approved by the immediate supervisor and Superintendent.

(e)   Jury duty. Contracted instructional personnel will be granted leave for jury service in a criminal, civil, or juvenile proceeding and will receive the full, current contract salary during such service; provided that the Department may deduct any compensation received for serving as a juror from the employee's salary during such service.

(f)   Armed forces leave. Contracted instructional personnel who are members of the Reserve Forces of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, the Air Force, or any other component of the Armed Forces of the United States, including members of the Air or Army National Guard, shall, when ordered by the proper authority to active duty or service, be entitled to a leave of absence from employment with the Department for the period of such service without loss of status or efficiency rating.

(g)   Shared leave. The state leave sharing program permits state employees to donate leave to a fellow state employee who is suffering or has a relative who is suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition which has caused, or is likely to cause, the employee to take leave without pay or terminate employment. Contracted instructional personnel may contribute sick leave under this program. The shared leave will be credited on a dollar for dollar basis.

(h)   Other leave. Any leave not defined in this Section shall be treated as personal leave.

(i)   Health and life insurance. Each Department employee receives health and life benefits coverage as prescribed by the agency at no cost. The employee may elect to purchase additional individual or family benefit options.

(j)   Retirement. Contracted instructional personnel employed before July 1, 1995 may continue participation in either the State Teachers Retirement System or the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. Contracted instructional personnel employed on or after July 1, 1995 will be enrolled in the State Teachers Retirement System. The employee and employer will contribute the amount prescribed by statute.

(k)   Longevity. Contracted instructional personnel hired prior to July 1, 1995 will retain longevity as long as they remain in continuous service. Any break in service will result in the loss of longevity. New hires after July 1, 1995 will not be entitled to longevity unless provided by law.

[Source: Added at 13 Ok Reg 165, eff 10-12-95 (emergency); Added at 13 Ok Reg 3087, eff 8-1-96]