Sick Leave

The University provides employees with paid time off for occasional workplace absence needed for personal illness, injury or medical appointments. If eligible, employees can also use paid sick time under the New York Safe and Sick Leave for illness or preventative care of one’s self or certain family members. Managers should develop and communicate clear, consistent and reasonable call out guidelines and ensure that employees are using the University's tracking procedures for sick days. Union employees should refer to their collective bargaining agreements. Sick days are included in the allotment for non-union employees described below.

The following standards apply to sick time/sick days:

  • Sick time cannot be utilized when an employee is on vacation.*
  • Vacation time does not accrue when an employee is on a leave including FMLA, disability and/or an unpaid leave of absence.
  • Employees must notify their supervisors in advance, or within the first hour of their normal starting time, of the need to take sick time. Supervisors/Managers will determine reasonable guidelines for notification of an unscheduled absence..
  • For sick time absences of more than three consecutive work days that are not covered under the New York Safe and Sick Leave, under this policy, a department may require reasonable documentation signed by a licensed health care provider indicating the need for the amount of sick time taken. If requested, this documentation must be produced within seven calendar days of the employee's return to work.
  • Employees are expected to schedule doctor's appointments in such a way as to minimize time away for work.
  • Unused sick days are not compensated upon termination or retirement or at the start of an unpaid leave of absence.
  • The misuse of sick days may result in discipline up to and including termination of employment with the University.
  • The University expects that its employees will not travel during sick leave, including FMLA and disability leaves, except as required in connection with an employee's treatment plan. In such instances of permissible required travel, the employee is expected to provide advanced notice in writing of the required travel to the Disability Benefits office.
  • The University expects that its employees will not engage in external activities** during sick leave, including FMLA and disability leaves, that are inconsistent with an employee's treatment plan or that reflect an employee may be misusing the University's sick leave policies.
  • Employees who are not in good standing*** who request an extended medical leave will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • The University does not offer paid sick leave under this policy after an employee's termination or release date. However, separating employees may be eligible for other benefits under University plans.
  • Sick leave days will run concurrently with other leave covered and taken under federal, state, or local laws or pursuant to University policy, including but not limited to the University's FMLA policy and the New York Safe and Sick Leave.

 Temporary and part-time Officers of Administration will receive sick leave in accordance with New York Safe and Sick Leave and any other applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Full-time Officers of Administration and Officers of the Libraries shall be entitled to salary continuation for up to six (6) months during any rolling 12 month period when extended absence (defined as being out for more than 5 consecutive business days) is caused by an employee's own disability, illness, or injury. See the University salary continuation plan for Officers of Administration.

While on salary continuation by Columbia University, employees who receive State Disability or Worker's Compensation payments must immediately remit these payments to the University.

After seven consecutive calendar days of absence, an employee is expected to complete a New York State Disability Claim Form (DB-450) and contact the Disability Office with any questions. Completed forms should be forwarded to:

Leave Management
615 West 131st Street, MC 8703
Studebaker 4th Floor
New York, NY 10027
Telephone: (212) 851-7000
Fax: (212) 851-7069
Email: [email protected]

Employees must pass their service anniversary date and have returned to work in order to re-establish eligibility for a new sick leave period. When sick time is not available, the employee may use accrued vacation time with the permission of the supervisor.

The schedule of sick time shall be pro-rated for regular part-time employees by the number of days and hours they work per week.

Non-union support staff employees hired prior to October 21, 1994, will accrue paid sick leave in accordance with the following schedule:

15 years or more of service -- 30 days per year

The above is modified as follows:


Effective October 1, 2001, employees hired prior to October 21, 1994 shall be entitled to accrue up to sixty (60) working days of sick leave during any one year, including the days earned or to be earned in the current sick leave year. Once an employee has accrued 60 working days, the employee will only accrue New York City Earned Sick Leave Act days (if applicable) and any other similar days required by law.

Non-union support staff employees hired on or after October 21, 1994, will accrue sick leave as follows:

Employees, after thirty (30) days of employment, they shall be entitled to accrue paid sick leave earned at the rate of one (1) day for each month of employment, retroactive to date of hire, up to a maximum of twelve (12) days per year, except as otherwise required by the New York Safe and Sick Leave.

Employees, after one (1) or more years of employment with the University shall be entitled to accrue a total of twelve (12) additional days of sick leave as of the beginning of his/her second and each subsequent year of employment, provided that at no time will an employee be entitled to accumulate more than sixty (60) working days of sick leave during any one year, including the days earned or to be earned in the current sick leave year, except as otherwise required by the New York Safe and Sick Leave.

See the University’s Family and Medical Leave Act policy for information.

See Workplace Accommodations on the Human Resources website.


See the  New York Safe and Sick Leave for the full policy.