1.  An employee shall obtain leave forms from the Fort Bend ISD website.
2. The employee completes and signs an Employee Request for Leave Application (DEC-E-2) and submits to leaves office. The supervisor will complete a DC-E-2 form placing the employee on leave.
3. The employee has the attending physician complete and sign a medical certification form and submits it to the Leaves Office. (Forms not signed by the physician will be returned to the employee.) Click on the link below for the appropriate medical certification form:

• • Employee’s Serious Health Condition (Form WH-380-E) - Includes Maternity
  • Family Member’s Serious Health Condition (Form WH-380-F)
  • Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Servicemember for Military Family Leave (Form WH-385)
  • Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave (Form WH-385-V)
  • Certification of Qualifying Exigency For Military Family Leave (Form WH-384) - this form does not need to be completed by a healthcare provider

*Leaves are processed as quickly as possible. However, please note that we cannot process a leave without all required documents.*

1. The employee obtains a medical release and submits it to Human Resources (Leaves Office) five days before return to work. Employees will not be allowed to return to work without a release from the attending physician. All medical releases with restrictions/limitations must be reviewed by the Leaves Office before allowing the employee to return to work.The supervisor completes a DC-E-2 form returning the employee from leave and submits all paperwork to the Leaves Office.
2. For questions regarding employee leaves, you may email us at Leaves.HR@fortbendisd.com , or fax to (281) 327-7777
   
   *Please note that employees will not be reactivated in the payroll system and may not receive paychecks without completion of the above steps.*

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

FMLA is for employees employed by the District for 12 months, and the employee has worked 1250 hours in the 12 months immediately preceding the need for leave. This leave is for maternity, illness of a member of the immediate family (mother, father, spouse, and children) or illness of self. The term parent does NOT include a parent “in-law”. The term son or daughter does include individuals 18 years or over, if they are “incapable of self-care” because of mental or physical disability that limits one or more of the “major life activities”.

Maximum duration: 12 work weeks

Temporary Disability Leave (TDL)

This leave is only for full-time educators who have exhausted FML or have been with the District less than one year. This leave is for the illness of the employee only. Maximum duration: 180 calendar days

Unpaid Personal Leave (UPL)  

This leave is for full-time regular employees who are not eligible for temporary disability leave.  UPL may be taken under the same circumstances as FMLA.  Maximum Duration:  90 calendar days.

Non-Discretionary Leave

This type of leave allows very little or no advance planning and will be granted to employees in the same manner as sick leave. Salaried employees are required to report their absences in ReadySub. Hourly employees’ absences are entered into Kronos by the supervisor or entered on a timesheet.

This leave may be used for the following reasons only:

1. Employee illness
2. Illness in the employee’s immediate family
3. Family emergency (i.e., natural disasters or life-threatening situations)
4. Death in the immediate family
5. Childcare or adoption of a child
6. Active military service

Non-Discretionary Leave Request Form

Other Leaves

Please check Board Policy DEC (LOCAL) regarding the specifics on other leaves such as military.

Sick Leave Program

Catastrophic Benefit 

Fort Bend ISD created the Catastrophic Leave Program to aid employees who experience a catastrophic medical condition and have insufficient compensable time and as a result, will lose compensation.  A catastrophic illness or injury is a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the mental or physical health of the employee that requires the services of a licensed practitioner for a prolonged period of time and that forces the employee to exhaust all leave time earned by that employee and as a result, compensation from the district is impacted.  Please contact Human Resources through Talent Connection.

 

Sick Leave Bank  

The District established a sick leave bank that employees may join through contribution of local leave. Leave contributed to the bank shall be solely for the use of participating employees. An employee who is a member of the bank may request leave from the bank if the employee is experiencing a catastrophic illness or injury and all available compensable time has been utilized, including the Catastrophic Benefit offered and administered by the district. 

 

Annual enrollment is required during the open enrollment period (September 15 – October 15). 

 

During the Sick Leave Bank Open enrollment period (closed for the 2023-2024 school year), eligible employees must donate a minimum of one to a maximum of ten local sick days to the bank for membership.  Membership allows the donating employee consideration for a withdrawal from the bank if the need arises due to a catastrophic illness or injury.  

 

Leave contributed to the SLB shall be solely for the use of participating members.

 

Membership

To be a member of the Sick Leave Bank, you must meet the following requirements:

 

1. Full-time benefits eligible;

2. Completed 12 consecutive months of employment with the district;

3. Accrued at least 1 local leave day (Local Sick or Local Personal) and;

4. Completed enrollment during the membership window

 

To check your current absence balances, please log into PeopleSoft My-Self Service > FBISD Self Service Tile > FB-SS Absence Balances

To Apply:  Sick Leave Bank Benefit Claim Form

 

 

Voluntary Transfer of Days - Catastrophic Illness

 FBISD’s Voluntary Leave Transfer Program allows an eligible employee to receive local leave days donated by district employees to assist with the loss of pay due to a catastrophic illness or injury.  Please note, that before receiving additional days through the transfer process, all leave balances must have been exhausted including the catastrophic benefit.  Under this application, employees may receive up to a maximum of 30 full days to be used while on leave of absence.   The receiving employee must apply before the donating employee can donate days.  

**Please note: The receiving employee is required to submit a medical certification from their physician to confirm eligibility under catastrophic illness or injury before receiving additional days.

 

To apply:  Voluntary Transfer of Days Donation Application (To be completed by the donating employee)
To apply:  Voluntary Transfer of Days Benefit Application Form  (To be completed by the receiving employee)

 

 

Voluntary Transfer of Days – Bereavement 

FBISD’s Voluntary Leave Transfer Program allows an employee to receive local leave days donated by district employees to assist with the loss of pay due to bereavement – death in the immediate family. Please note that before receiving additional days, all leave balances must have been exhausted including any earned compensatory time.  Under this application, employees may receive a maximum of five local days.  The application must be received within 10 days of the death resulting in the need for leave days. The receiving employee must apply before the donating employee can donate days.

 

 **Please note: The receiving employee will be required to submit documentation to confirm eligibility under voluntary transfer of days before receiving days.

 

To apply:  Voluntary Transfer of Days Donation Application (To be completed by the donating employee)

To apply:  Voluntary Transfer of Days Benefit Application Form  (To be completed by the receiving employee)

 

Appeals

Sick Leave decisions made by the program committee may be appealed upon denial of a claim.  These are processed and coordinated by the FBISD Human Resources Leaves Office.  

If a claim is denied, you may appeal by completing the Sick Leave Bank Appeal Application

Time limits shall apply to the appeals process and will be strictly enforced.  Submissions must be received by the Leaves Office no later than ten (10) calendar days after notification of decision is sent. The 10-calendar day period begins on the day after the email notification is sent.  If an appeal is untimely, the complaint shall be dismissed, and the employee notified of the decision in writing.  

What are the eligibility requirements to donate local leave days?

Eligibility – Sick Leave Bank

All active FBISD employees are eligible to participate in the SLB if:

• The employee is full-time and benefits-eligible;

• The employee has completed twelve (12) months of employment with the District;

• The employee has earned and accrued one (1) local sick leave day;

• The employee has completed registration to contribute at least one (1) local leave day to the SLB during the enrollment period; and

• The employee renews membership each school year

 

Eligibility – Voluntary Transfer of Days

• The employee is full-time and benefits-eligible;

• The employee has completed twelve (12) months of employment with the District;

• The employee has earned and accrued one (1) local leave day

 

Under Voluntary Transfer of Days, a donating employee who is not a member of the Sick Leave Bank is ineligible to receive days from the Sick Leave Bank; however the donating employee may receive a Voluntary Transfer of Days from a donating employee should they become eligible due to catastrophic illness or bereavement.

A donating employee will be able to transfer up to ten (10) days of local leave to a fellow employee who is experiencing a life-threatening or catastrophic illness or injury, and up to five (5) days to an employee who has experienced a death in their immediate family. 

Q. What is the process to become a member of the Sick Leave Program?

To become a member of the Sick Leave Bank, an employee must contribute at least one (1) earned local day during the school year. All donated days become the property of the Sick Leave Program and will not be returned to the employee for any reason. Sick Leave Bank members may only elect to terminate membership by not enrolling during the next school year.

To donate through the Voluntary Transfer of Days program, District employees may voluntarily transfer available local days up to a total of ten (10) to another approved employee via the application link found on the Human Resources website. As part of the application process, the donating employee will be asked to provide a unique identification code to associate the donation to the approved requesting employee. Unlike the Sick Leave Bank, transferring days does not require membership; However, it is important to note that non-Sick Leave Bank members are ineligible to receive sick days through the Sick Leave Bank.

A donating employee will be able to transfer up to ten (10) days of local leave days to a fellow employee who is experiencing a life-threatening or catastrophic illness or injury, and up to five (5) days to an employee who has experienced a death in their immediate family.

Q. Am I eligible to receive transferred days if I am not a member of the Sick Leave Bank?

Yes. Employees who experience a) catastrophic illness or injury or b) bereavement but who are not members of the Sick Leave Bank may receive additional sick days donated by other employees through the voluntary transfer of days. 

Q. What’s the difference between the Sick Leave Bank and Voluntary Transfer of Days?

The Sick Leave Bank requires membership through the donation of up to ten (10) local leave days per school year and automatically makes the employee eligible for additional sick days should they experience catastrophic illness or injury themselves.

The Voluntary Transfer of Days program allows employees to transfer up to ten (10) local days to a fellow employee in need due to a catastrophic illness or injury, or up to five (5) days due to the loss of an immediate family member. The donating employee may also receive transferred days from other employees should they experience a catastrophic illness or injury but are ineligible for days from the Sick Leave Bank.

 

Q. What is considered a catastrophic illness or injury?

According to DEC (Local) a catastrophic illness or injury is defined as, “a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the mental or physical health of the employee that requires the services of a licensed practitioner for a prolonged period of time. The illness or injury forces the employee to exhaust all leave time earned by that employee and to lose compensation from the District. Such conditions typically require prolonged hospitalization or recovery or are expected to result in disability or death. Conditions relating to pregnancy or childbirth shall be considered catastrophic if they meet the requirements of this paragraph.” (Exceptions may be granted by the Sick Leave Program Committee in atypical cases of serious illness or injury.)

NOTE: Medically related issues such as pregnancy, childbirth, extended hospital stays, and elective surgeries that occur without complication are not considered catastrophic illnesses and are not covered by the Sick Leave Program.

For specific Sick Leave Program questions, please use the “Sick Leave Program” interest area in Talent Connection.

For Leaves: 

Leaves Line	(281) 634-4608
Sarah White	(281) 634-1283
Haley Martinez	(281) 634-5290
Christopher Nord	(281) 634-2811

FBISD does not offer paid leave. An employee is paid for any accrued state and local days. For instance, if an employee has 20 accrued days and is out for 24 days, then “sick leave” days will be taken from the accrued state and local leave days; hence, he/she will not be paid for 4 days. Contact your HR Advisor with any questions regarding leave days and/or salary information.

• DEC (Local) and DEC (Legal)
• DECA (Legal)
• DECB (Legal)
• FMLA Notice
• FMLA Notice (Spanish)