Given this unstructured work schedule, it is challenging to manage the sick leave benefit which allocates and reports usage in a configuration more like the traditional work arrangement. So for purposes of reporting sick leave usage, faculty are asked to assume an 8-hour work day Monday through Friday. For example, if a faculty member is out for six weeks because of major surgery, they would report 6 X 40 hours, or 240 hours of sick leave. An absence of three days due to the flu would mean 24 hours of sick leave.

Many faculty indicate that they devote many hours to their teaching and research and find it unfair or insulting to be asked to report sick leave usage in such a structured way. This is understandable; however, the benefit of 8 hours per month is allocated based on the traditional 40-hour work week and usage reporting follows that model. This guideline is in no way intended to diminish the significant contributions faculty make to this institution or the importance of their independence. It is merely an effort to regularize reporting of this particular benefit. Other University employees (classified staff and officers of administration) report their usage in the same way.