Sample company sick leave policy
The Sick Leave Policy details provisions for employees needing absence due to illness. It specifies accrual and usage of sick leave, differentiating it from other leaves. The policy emphasizes early notification, potential requirements for medical certification, and encourages remote work to prevent illness spread.
This Company Sick Leave Policy template is ready to be tailored to your company’s needs and should be considered a starting point for setting up your employment policies. A company sick leave policy may also be called a sick time policy, sick pay policy, or sick days policy.
This sick leave policy should include:
- Clear definitions distinguishing sick leave from other types of leave.
- Guidelines on how and when employees should notify their supervisors about their absence.
- Circumstances under which a physician’s note or medical certification might be required.
Company sick leave policy template
Policy brief & purpose
Our company sick leave policy outlines our company’s provisions for employees who become sick and need to be absent from work. The following sample policy specifies how sick leave will be accrued and how it may be used.
Scope
This company sick leave policy applies to all our employees who have been with our company for at least [six months.]
Policy elements
Our employees may be unable to perform their duties if they get sick. Our company follows legal guidelines that may apply to sick pay. We’ll also offer [25 days] of [paid/ partially paid] sick leave. This leave is separate from other types of leave like maternity leave and Paid Time Off (PTO).
How do sick days work?
Our employees can take sick leave when they want to:
- Recover from sudden illness
- Recover from accidents/injuries
- Receive mental/psychological care or counseling when necessary
Employees who want to attend to routine healthcare (e.g. doctor’s/dentist’s appointments) should use their PTO.
Unused sick leave policy
Employees will receive [1] additional day/s every [1 year] of working for our company. Depending on the law, employees can accumulate unused sick leave until it reaches a certain number of days. Unused sick time may be calculated for an employee’s annuity when they retire.
Keep in mind that, employees who become sick should either use their sick days or work from home to avoid spreading illnesses.
Procedure
When employees want to use their sick time, they should notify their supervisor as soon as possible either through email or an automated Human Resources Information System (HRIS.) They should also inform the supervisor for how long they’ll be absent (if possible) or report daily for every day of sick leave.
Under certain circumstances, employees might need to submit a physician’s note or other medical certification and/or complete a sick leave form. Those circumstances include but are not limited to:
- Being absent for more than [three days] on sick leave.
- Cases when a pattern arises (e.g. employees plead sick at a specific time each week.)
We will handle all sick time requests with discretion.
| Disclaimer: This policy template is meant to provide general guidelines and should be used as a reference. It may not take into account all relevant local, state or federal laws and is not a legal document. Neither the author nor Workable will assume any legal liability that may arise from the use of this policy. |