Chicago Paid Sick Leave FAQs

​ How are DePaul student employees impacted by the Chicago Paid Sick Leave Ordinance?

Student employees (along with part-time non-exempt employees and temporary employees) who are paid on an hourly basis are eligible to accrue paid sick leave at a rate of 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, effective July 1, 2017. Student employees can take sick leave time in any increments once time is accrued.

How does the new paid sick leave ordinance affect a student employee who holds multiple hourly positions at DePaul?

The student employee will accrue paid sick leave for all hourly positions. There is one combined accrual, and the student employee will be able to use accrued sick leave in any hourly position.

Example: Sally generally works 15 hours per week in the DePaul Housing and 5 hours per week in the Career Center. After four weeks, Sally has worked a total of 80 hours and has accrued 2 hours of paid sick leave. During the next week, Sally was scheduled to work a 2 hour shift in the Career Center but called in sick instead. Sally has earned 2 hours of paid sick time, so she would enter those hours on her timesheet for the Career Center.

What if a student employee holds an hourly and a stipend position?

The student employee would only accrue and use paid sick leave for the hourly position.

Example: John has an hourly student service position in the College of Education and a stipend position as a Chicago Quarter Mentor. He works 8 hours a week in the College of Education and 10 hours a week as a Chicago Quarter Mentor. John accrues sick time only for hours worked in his hourly position in the College of Education.If John needs to use sick time in his hourly position, his available paid sick leave is limited to his accrual balance. John would report sick time on his timesheet. Any sick time taken in excess of the accrued paid sick leave balance would not be reported on his timesheet. It would be unpaid.If John needs to use sick time in his stipend position, the sick time would not be reported on his timesheet and the hours would not be subtracted from his accrued sick leave balance. There would be no reduction to his stipend payment as a result of having taken sick time.

Does a student employee’s accrued sick time carry over if he/she gets a new job on campus?

Student employees who have been terminated retain their accrued sick leave from their previous position(s) only if they are rehired within the same calendar year. Student employees who transfer to another position with no break in service retain their accrued sick leave.

Example : Taylor accrued 6 hours of sick time while working for the Admissions office. She left that position in March and started a new job with Study Abroad in October of the same year. Taylor will have 6 hours of accrued sick time when she begins her job with Study Abroad.

Example : Leo accrued 4 hours of sick time while working for Campus Rec but left that position in July. He obtained a new position with CDM in March of the following year. He would start his new job in CDM with no accrued sick time.

Example : Joshua accrued 3 hours of sick time while working for Human Resources. Joshua accepted a position with Finance with no break in service, and resigned from his position in Human Resources. Joshua keeps the 3 hours of accrued sick time he earned while working in Human Resources.

Can hourly student employees borrow sick time, or receive an advance of paid sick time, that has not yet been accrued?

Student employees who accrue paid sick leave cannot use more paid sick time than they have accrued. Any sick time taken by student employees in excess of their accrued paid sick leave balance will be unpaid.

Do student employees who are paid by stipend (e.g. Graduate Assistants, Student Mentors, etc.) receive paid sick time?

Student employees who are paid by stipend do not have their pay reduced when they use sick time. Student employees in stipend positions must follow the attendance policy guidelines to communicate with their managers when using sick time.

How does paid sick leave coincide with the Attendance Policy?

In accordance with the Attendance Policy, student employees must communicate with their manager within one hour of their scheduled start time. If they fail to communicate with their manager, the instance could lead to progressive discipline. If this happens on multiple occasions, it could lead to further progressive discipline and/or termination. If managers are experiencing issues with their student employee(s), they must consult with the Associate Director of Student Employment, before action is taken.

When will student employees be notified about paid sick time?

Student Employees receive notice through  the Office of Student Employment when they complete new hire paperwork. It is encouraged that managers review this policy with new student employees during the onboarding process to address any questions and reinforce their department’s attendance policy and procedures. It may be necessary to have an additional discussion about the Chicago Paid Sick Leave Ordinance with student employees at the beginning of the academic year. 

How does taking sick time affect the rest of an hourly student employee’s work week?

During the academic year, student employees in one or more hourly position(s) should not “make-up” hours used as paid sick time within the work week. As an example, a student employee who typically works 25 hours per week and takes 3 hours of paid sick time should only work the remaining 22 hours or less during that week. This should also be followed for international student employees who are restricted to 20 hours of paid time per week to ensure their visa status is not put at risk.

What is permissible for a student employee to use their sick time balance for?