In alignment with Colorado's Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), we have updated our sick leave accrual policy. As of January 1, 2021, all employees will accrue one hour of sick leave for every 20 hours worked. 

Here are some important things you should know:

• All employees (including salaried, hourly, and temporary status) will accrue sick leave. 
• Sick leave will be added to your available sick leave banks on each payroll where you have worked the minimum time required to accrue.  
• Employees on a contract year who work less than 40 hours per week (FTE <1.0) will accrue sick time based on hours worked and not by their full time equivalency (FTE).
• Employees who have additional hourly assignments will accrue sick time for those roles.
• Employees will be able to take sick time as they accrue it.
• All employees will have a maximum accrual of 96 hours per calendar year. 

This change has the largest impact on groups that have never accrued sick leave before - including guest teachers, crossing guards, and coaches who will now have the ability to take paid sick leave when they need it. If you previously had sick leave based on your calendar year, you will still accrue the same amount of sick leave. There is no impact to Sick Leave Bank. 

To use your sick leave, you must enter it into True Pay.

Sick leave of three days or less does not require a leave of absence. Sick leave of four days or more will require you to enter a leave of absence into TruePay. Visit Employee Leaves to learn more about leave of absences. 

DPS provides some personal paid time off to use at your discretion. These days are preloaded at the start of your work calendar year. If you do not use them by the end of your work year, they will be converted into sick leave hours. 

Eligibility: refer to your work calendar for eligibility and accrual rates. 

To use your sick time, you must enter it into True Pay.

This job-protected leave is guaranteed for active military members. USERRA established the cumulative length of time that an individual may be absent from work for military duty and retain employment right for up to five years. For complete information for active duty and reserve military members, visit The Department of Labor. 

The first 10 work days of leave may be eligible for compensation with DPS and additional 5 work days will come out of the employee sick accruals. After the initial fifteen days and 5 days of sick accruals, you will be transferred to an Unpaid Leave Status. 

To request a military leave, you must enter it into True Pay.

If you experience a death in your family, you can take unpaid time off for up to five days for immediate family, and three days for extended family. You are able to use your accrued time off (such as sick, personal, or vacation) to receive pay during this leave. 

 

DPS provides paid leave to employees who are called to serve on juries or need are subpoenaed in cases that are related to employment at DPS. 

If you are summoned for Jury Duty or are subpoenaed for cases related to employment at DPS, you must submit documentation to your HR Business Partner. Contact your supervisor to discuss your time away from work. Compensation during your Jury Duty service or for time away due to legal proceedings will be determined with your HR Business Partner.

While this leave type is typically unpaid, you are eligible to take job-protected leave to attend academic activities or events. Work with your supervisor to request time off for these events.

For information on this leave type, please contact your HR Business Partner. They will help with identifying the correct leave type for your situation.

DPS encourages employees to use their right to vote! We provide time off for you to exercise your voting rights. Please work with your supervisor on requesting this leave.

You may be experiencing a situation that doesn’t quite fit one of the listed leave types but still requires a leave from work. In this case, you can work with your supervisor and the Leave of Absence team to determine if DPS can offer you a Discretionary Leave. These leaves are at the sole discretion of DPS and may or may not be job-protected. To receive compensation during this leave, you must use your accrued vacation and personal time.

When certain public health-related situations arise during declared public health emergencies, DPS will offer Public Health Emergency Leaves to eligible employees, in accordance with the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act. Information on these leaves will be made available in the event that there is a declared public health emergency. *We are currently experiencing a Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19. For more information on available leaves related to COVID-19, visit the COVID-19 Leaves page.

You must utilize all your accumulated sick and vacation hours to receive pay on your leave. Use of personal days is optional.

Sick leave bank is only used for the Employee Health Condition after 4 days or more. Sick Leave Bank is NOT used for intermittent leaves.DPS will use your own sick accruals, you may be eligible for Sick Leave Bank for up to 40 days of additional pay. To qualify for Sick Leave Bank, you must have enrolled during Open Enrollment each spring.

Maternity leave: Sick Leave Bank is only used up to 6 - 8 weeks (calendar days) depending on your delivery type. Refer to the Sick Leave Bank rules for more details.

DPS provides Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance to eligible employees automatically and at no cost to you through The Standard. LTD insurance is designed to help you meet your financial needs if you become unable to work due to an illness or injury. 

To qualify for your LTD coverage, you must be on a leave for at least 90 days. After the waiting period, your benefit includes 60% of your monthly earnings, up to $5,000 per month. 

To submit a claim and receive LTD payments, please review the LTD forms in the forms section. The employer section of the packet can be completed by your assigned Leave of Absence Case Manager at your request.

Submit the completed packet to: 

Standard Insurance Company

Employee Benefits Department 

PO Box 2800 

Portland, OR 97208

Or by fax to 971-321-8400

For additional resources or questions regarding your LTD benefit, contact The Standard at 800-368-1135.

Colorado PERA members with five or more years of service are covered by a Short Term Disability (STD) program and a disability retirement benefit. This STD program helps you return to work as soon as practical to your previous job or another similar job. If you are unable to work or are not expected to recover, your disability retirement package will take the place of STD. 

If you believe you may qualify for STD or disability retirement, please contact PERA no later than 90-days following your date of termination from employment. Your date of termination if the last day you receive salary on which PERA contributions are withheld or the last day of an employer-certified leave, whichever is later. 

For additional information, review the CO PERA Disability Program Booklet or call COPERA at 800-759-7372.

The Voluntary Payroll Protection Plan through Denver Teachers’ Club is available to all full-time DPS employees. For the cost of $10 per month, the plan provides members with supplemental income during a long-term personal illness or injury. Visit the Program Site to learn more.

If your Leave of Absence is related to a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) you have 30 days from the date of your event to make changes to your DPS benefits. To make changes, contact Employee_Benefits@dpsk12.org. Request to change your benefits after the IRS permitted 30-day window cannot be processed. 

For births and adoptions: the date of your event is the birth or adoption date. Your 30-day window begins on that day.

You will see no change to your benefit deductions and will continue to receive applicable Benefit Credits. Your premium costs will be deducted from your pay the same way they are when you are working.

FMLA, Unpaid Status: your position and benefits are still protected. Because you are unpaid, you will owe your regular benefit premiums minus applicable Benefit Credits. You can opt to pay for your premiums during your leave (through invoices) or to have the full amount deducted from your paychecks when you return from your leave. 

Unprotected, Unpaid Leave Status: your position and benefits are not protected under the FMLA guidelines. Your benefits through DPS will end on the last day of the month you transition into an unpaid leave status. When your DPS benefits terminate, you are eligible for continuing coverage through COBRA.

COBRA Information: You will receive a COBRA information packet from HealthEquity within 4 weeks of your benefits ending. COBRA will be retroactively effective the first of the month following the end of your DPS plan to ensure no gap in coverage. The cost of COBRA is the full premium cost of DPS plans, without Benefit Credits or subsidies, plus 2% COBRA mandated administrative fee. You can be covered by COBRA for up to 18 months. 

As an alternative to COBRA plans, you may be eligible to enroll in coverage with a Qualifying Life Event through Connect for Health Colorado.