Now is the time to join Sick Leave Bank or make changes to your enrollment. Requests to enroll, change or withdraw from SLB must be in the BTF/SBF office no later than close of business (5:00 pm) Friday, June 20, 2008. Please call SBF at 881-5462 if you have questions regarding this procedure.
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2002
GUIDELINES FOR SICK LEAVE BANK
In accordance with its contract with the Buffalo Board of Education, the Buffalo Teachers Federation, Inc., establishes a Sick Leave Bank. The sole purpose of the Sick Leave Bank is to provide additional paid sick leave days to Sick Leave Bank members who have suffered a prolonged illness resulting in the individual's inability to perform any gainful employment and whose personal sick leave accumulation has been exhausted. The Sick Leave Bank will be administered according to the guidelines that follow. All interpretations of these guidelines will be made by a committee of three (3) teachers appointed by the President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation. All interpretations and applications of these guidelines shall be in the sole discretion of the Sick Leave Bank Trustees. Guidelines are subject to revision by a unanimous vote of the Sick Leave Bank Trustees.
A prolonged illness is defined as an illness resulting in an absence of more than five (5) consecutive teaching days.
1. Membership in the Sick Leave Bank is open to all teachers employed by the Buffalo Board of Education.
2. Application for membership in the Sick Leave Bank shall be done as follows:
a. The application forms will only be accepted if they are mailed to the Sick Leave Bank through the United States Postal Service or hand delivered to this office.
b. The Sick Leave Bank will mail a confirmation notice to the member upon receipt of the application forms. Applicants who have received no confirmation should contact the SLB to be sure the application has been received and obtain a confirmation notice
c. Application for benefits must be approved by the Sick Leave Bank Trustees before a member can receive benefits.
d. New teachers may join within the first ninety (90) days after the effective date of employment or between May 1st and May 31st.
e. All other teachers may join between May 1st and May 31st.The appropriate membership forms must be completed in both the aforementioned cases.
f. Membership is effective when the application is stamped "RECEIVED" at the BTF Office.
3. To become a member and maintain membership in the Sick Leave Bank, a teacher must donate a minimum of one day per school year of his/her accumulated sick Leave. A maximum of three days per school year may be donated. Membership in the Sick Leave Bank will be continuous without the necessity of filing a new application each year.
4. A teacher who is enrolled in the Sick Leave Bank and wishes to change his/her contribution may do so by filing new application forms between May 1st and May 31st of the given year.
5. Days donated to the Sick Leave Bank are non-refundable.
6. Members wishing to terminate membership must do so by certified mail only. Letters should be sent to the BTF Office in care of the Sick Leave Bank. Termination will become effective at the end of the school year in which the request is made.
7. To be eligible to draw Sick Leave Bank benefits, the application for benefits must be approved by the Sick Leave Bank Trustees and teachers must be members of the Sick Leave Bank for a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days prior to application for benefits.
8. Before a member can draw on the Sick Leave Bank, all his/her available sick leave days (excluding personal days) and any paid Board extensions must be exhausted. Teachers are eligible for paid Board of Education extensions after completion of ten (10) years of service. (see BTF Contract)
9. The Bank may be used only by the individual contributor for his/her qualifying personal illness. The Bank may not be used for disabilities of other members of the contributor's family. The Bank may not be used by the contributor to remain away from his/her position in order to assist a member of his/her family who is ill.
10. Benefits granted will not have to be repaid, unless the days are fraudulently obtained. (see guideline #18)
11. Maximum benefits for extended personal illness are based upon the number of days contributed as follows:
| contribution per year | less than 3 years of service | more than 3 years of service |
| 1 day | 40 days* | 55 days* |
| 2 days | 60 days** | 75 days** |
| 3 days | 80 days*** | 95 days*** |
| * or 10% of the available days, whichever is less | ||
| ** or 13% of the available days, whichever is less | ||
| *** or 16% of the available days, whichever is less | ||
"Available" is defined as the number of days remaining in the Sick Leave Bank on the date the application is received. (3) If the prognosis is life threatening, a member may be eligible for up to sixty (60) additional days. (see "EXTENDED BENEFITS")
12. To apply for Sick Leave Bank benefits, members of the Sick Leave Bank must submit both [1] an Application for Benefits and [2], a Physician's Statement. The Physician's Statement must be submitted directly to the SLB by the physician by mail or by fax. Upon request, an application form, along with a physician's statement and guidelines, will be mailed to the member by the SBF Office (881-5462). In cases involving psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, stress or depression, the member must have a physician's statement submitted from a certified psychologist or psychiatrist. No action will be taken until both these forms are received by the Sick Leave Bank Trustees. All requests to draw from the Bank must be made on the original form which must be submitted to the SLB Trustees within one (1) month of the date the sick leave exhausted, unless significant extenuating circumstances exist.
13. Members may reapply for new benefits after a return to work of five (5) calendar months. In computation of the five-month period, summer months are counted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing contained herein shall preclude a member of the Sick Leave Bank from attempting a return to work, for one trial period of up to ten (10) consecutive school days. If such member shall be unable to perform the normal duties of his/her position, during or at the end of said trial period, as a result of the illness or disease, as substantiated by a physician's statement, the member shall then be eligible for the remainder of benefits entitled to. Except as otherwise recorded in these guidelines, members can receive benefits only once (regardless of whether or not the full amount of days for which they are eligible have been exhausted) per application. Receipt of benefits cannot be split.
14. The Sick Leave Bank Trustees may, in their sole discretion, require a member requesting and/or receiving benefits to submit to examination by a doctor of the Sick Leave Bank's choice. The Trustees are free to accept or reject any physician's statement, as they may in their sole discretion, elect.
15. A majority vote of the Trustees of the Sick Leave Bank is necessary to approve an application for benefits.
16. All applicable sections below will be pro-rated for part-time teachers.
17. While an applicant is receiving sick leave days from the Bank, he/she shall be required to submit periodic updated medical and/or psychiatric reports. Such reports should be completed by the physician and submitted directly to the SLB Trustees by US Mail or fax. If the updated medical was sent by fax, the physician must also mail the original to the Sick Leave Bank. If the original updated medical is not received in a timely manner, the Sick Leave Bank benefits shall be suspended.
18. Should it be determined by the Sick Leave Bank Trustees, in their sole discretion, that a member has drawn or is drawing Sick Leave Bank days fraudulently, he/she shall be required to repay to the Sick Leave Bank all fraudulently obtained funds and shall be prohibited from receiving benefits for a period of two (2) years. The Committee, the Sick Leave Bank nor the Buffalo Teachers Federation shall be deemed barred from pursuing any other, or additional actions against such teacher.
19. Teachers applying for Sick Leave Bank benefits due to a work related injury must complete a Worker's Compensation application and must provide a copy for the Sick Leave Bank.
20. Teachers receiving benefits must be under the continual care of a physician, and/or psychiatrist or psychologist.
21. Every effort will be made to notify teachers receiving Sick Leave Bank benefits, ten (10) days prior to the exhausting of their Sick Leave Bank days.
22. A member of the Sick Leave Bank may, upon receipt of a physician's statement supporting such, avail him or herself of benefits on an intermittent basis if such is necessary treatment of a major illness or disease which is either seriously life threatening or episodically totally disabling.
In accordance with Guideline #11 of the Sick Leave Bank Guidelines, provision is made for an additional sixty (60) days of SLB benefits for persons suffering from a life threatening illness.
Life Threatening Illness: A serious illness, which is imminently life endangering and/or which is totally disabling, and involves a complex modality of treatment.
a. The teacher requesting additional days must be a member in good standing of the Sick Leave Bank.
b. The teacher requesting additional days must have exhausted all possible sick leave days.
c. The teacher requesting additional days must be afflicted with a life threatening illness as attested to by at least one physician. An additional letter must be sent by the physician to explain in detail the nature of the life threatening illness.
d. Extended benefits under this provision may be granted only once in a five (5) year period.