Page 149 - 2016-2021-OSU

to employees who are providing direct care to a family member who is ill.

Requests for use of family sick leave for illness or death in the employee’s

family shall not be unreasonably denied. Employees who request leave for
illness or death in the family may be required to present evidence of the

family relationship and the need for leave.
Employees who have exhausted sick leave credits are entitled to charge

absences otherwise chargeable to sick leave to other leave credits (vacation,
personal leave, etc.) subject to the same approval procedures and

documentation requirements as apply to use of sick leave credits.
Medical Documentation

The Attendance Rules provide that an appointing authority is entitled to
satisfactory medical documentation before approving absence due to illness

or before authorizing return to work.
Satisfactory medical documentation generally meets the following

criteria:
1. A brief diagnosis will not be required as part of any required medical

documentation unless the employee has been absent from work due to
illness or injury for greater than 30 consecutive calendar days.

2. It specifies the inclusive dates of disability covered by the doctor’s
note and the date or dates of treatment during the period covered.

3. It certifies that the employee is disabled from the performance of his
or her job duties. In some cases (for example, partial disability) it may

provide information on the kinds of job duties the employee is unable to
perform.

4. It indicates the anticipated date of return to work.

5. It is signed by an appropriate medical practitioner.
Agencies are required to treat medical documentation in a confidential
manner. Article 10.11 of the OSU Agreement provides employees, upon

request, with an additional procedure for special handling of medical

certificates when extreme confidentiality concerns exist.
The OSU Agreement provides that a doctor’s certificate will not be

routinely required for absences of four days or less due to illness. This in no
way limits management’s rights to require medical documentation for a

specific absence in order to substantiate use of sick leave.
The OSU Agreement further provides that when the appointing authority

places an employee on an ongoing medical documentation requirement

148