WMU Sick Leave Policy for Student Employees, Graduate Assistants (non-teaching only), and WMU Temporary Employees

Student employees, research and discovery graduate assistants, and WMU temporary employees are eligible for paid sick leave under the policy detailed below in accordance with the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) as amended on February 21, 2025.

For your rights and responsibilities under the Michigan ESTA, please see the State of Michigan posters section at Employment Law Posters.

To ensure everyone understands this new policy, we are offering multiple ESTA training sessions:  

• Student employees and graduate assistants (research and discovery only):  To view and register for available sessions, please visit Upcoming Events - ExperienceWMU.  Please note: These sessions are in-person only. 
• Supervisors, timekeepers and WMU temporary employees:   To view and register for available sessions, please visit https://experiencewmu.wmich.edu/organization/HR/events.  Please note:  These sessions are available both in-person and livestreamed. 

Accrual of paid sick leave

Paid sick leave accrues beginning at the start of an employee’s employment. Employees will accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours paid. Exempt employees will be assumed to work 40 hours per workweek for purposes of this accrual, unless the exempt employee’s normal workweek is less than 40 hours. In that case, the exempt employee’s paid sick time will accrue based on their normal workweek.

Eligibility to use and carryover paid sick leave

Employees may use sick leave in the smallest increment used by the University’s payroll system to account for absences or use of other time. 

Eligible employees may only use up to 72 hours of paid sick leave per year. Accrued sick time under this policy will carry over each year up to a maximum carry over of 72 hours.  

For paid sick leave accrual and carryover purposes, a “year” means a calendar year. 

To the extent permitted by law, paid sick leave will run concurrently with leave taken under other University policies and under other applicable laws.

Payment of sick leave

Sick time is paid at a pay rate equal to an employee’s regular rate of pay.  For any employee with multiple appointments, the employee’s sick leave will be paid by the department in which the sick leave hours are used at the rate of pay applicable to that appointment.

Authorized uses of paid sick leave

Paid sick leave may be  used for any of the following purposes: 

1. For the diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition of, or preventative care for, an employee or an employee’s family member.
2. If an employee or an employee’s family member is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, for the medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability; to obtain services from a victim services organization; to relocate due to domestic violence or sexual assault; to obtain legal services; or, to participate in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from the domestic violence or sexual assault.
3. For meetings at a child’s school or place of care related to the child’s health or disability, or the effects of domestic violence or sexual assault on the child.
4. For closure of the employee’s place of business by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; for an employee’s need to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; or, when it has been determined by the health authorities having jurisdiction or by a health care provider that the employee’s or employee’s family member’s presence in the community would jeopardize the health of others because of the employee’s or family member’s exposure to a communicable disease, whether or not the employee or family member has actually contracted the communicable disease.

A family member is defined as:   

1. A biological, adopted or foster child, stepchild or legal ward, a child of a domestic partner, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis. 
   1. A biological parent, foster parent, stepparent, or adoptive parent or a legal guardian of an employee or an employee’s spouse or domestic partner or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child. 
   2. A person to whom the employee is legally married under the laws of any state or a domestic partner. 
   3. A grandparent. 
   4.  A grandchild.
   5. A biological, foster, or adopted sibling. 
   6. Any other individual related by blood to the employee. 
   7. An individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

The University may take adverse personnel action against an employee if the employee uses earned sick time for a purpose other than a purpose described above.  

Reasonable notice for the use of paid sick leave

If an employee knows in advance that the employee will need to use paid sick leave, the employee must provide their supervisor with advance notice seven days before the day the paid sick leave is to begin. 

Where seven-day advance notice is not possible and in the event of an unexpected absence, employees are required to notify their supervisor, or the supervisor’s designee, no later than two hours after the beginning of the scheduled workday.

The University may not require an employee to search for or secure a replacement worker to use sick leave. 

Verification for absences exceeding three days 

The University reserves the right to request reasonable documentation certifying any absence for which sick leave pay is requested for more than three (3) consecutive days for WMU temporary employees. 

Supervisors of WMU temporary employees must consult with Human Resources before requesting relevant documentation to ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. 

The University is responsible for paying the out-of-pocket expenses employees incur in obtaining documentation under this policy, including costs charged by health care providers if an employee does not have health insurance.

If requested, documentation must be submitted to Human Resources within fifteen (15) days. 

The University will not request documentation from student employees and graduate assistants covered by this policy. 

Termination of employment

Accrued but unused paid sick leave is not paid out upon termination of employment. If an employee whose employment has been terminated is subsequently re-employed by the University within two months of the employee’s separation, the employee will have any previously accrued but unused paid sick leave time made available to the employee.

Retaliation prohibited 

Employees will not be disciplined for the lawful use of paid sick leave. Retaliatory personnel action by the University against an employee for requesting or using paid sick leave for which the employee is eligible or otherwise engaging in activity protected by the Earned Sick Time Act, is absolutely prohibited. If an employee feels that the employee is being discriminated or retaliated against for exercising rights provided by the Earned Sick Time Act, the employee may file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.