Wautoma Area School District
Approved 09/14/89
Revised 03/28/02
It is the philosophy of the Board of Education that Wautoma Area School Transportation Related Employees (WASTRE) have a primary commitment to provide those services for which they were hired and signed a contract to provide. However, it is also the Board's understanding that bus driving is a part-time occupation and that some drivers may need to supplement their income with additional work outside of this contracted obligation. In addition, there may be times when a conflict between these responsibilities may occur.
Therefore, this policy shall distinguish between unpaid leaves of absence requests due to occupational conflicts and unpaid leaves of absence requests due to other unusual circumstances.
A. Unpaid Leave of Absence Requests Due to Occupational Conflicts
1. If, at the time of hiring, the prospective employee made the District aware of the potential employment conflict, the District will grant an unpaid leave of absence due to the occupational conflicts provided the request does not exceed a total of ten (10) workdays per contract year.
2. Should an occupational conflict arise after the beginning date of employment(those not known by the District at the time of hire) and the employee requests an unpaid leave to resolve said conflict, the
District will attempt to grant the leave requests providing the requests do not exceed ten (10) working days per contract year and there are qualified substitute bus drivers available.
3. Employees on an unpaid leave of absence due to occupational conflict shall be responsible for and pay, through salary deduction, that portion of any fringe benefits paid by the District during said leave of absence.
4. Requests for unpaid leaves of absence due to occupational conflict shall be made by the employee, in writing, to the Transportation Supervisor and must be submitted with adequate advance notice.
B. Unpaid Leaves of Absence Requests Due to Other Highly Unusual Circumstances
1. Requests shall not exceed five (5) consecutive workdays.
2. Said leave, if granted, shall be without pay including the District's portion of any fringe benefits paid on behalf of the employee.
3. Appropriate advanced notice, in writing, must be given to the Transportation Supervisor.
4. Qualified substitute bus drivers must be available.
5. Probationary employees are not eligible for unpaid leave of absence.
C. Guidelines for All Unpaid Leave of Absence Requests
1. Not more than two (2) WASTRE employees may be on an unpaid leave of absence at any one time.
2. The Transportation Supervisor and the District Administrator shall take action on unpaid leave requests.
3. Decisions of the Transportation Supervisor and the District Administrator may be appealed to the Board of Education.
4. In the event there is a conflict with the WASTRE-Board Master Contract, master contract language will prevail.
D. Violations of this policy may lead to disciplinary actions by the Board of Education and such actions may include the dismissal of said employee.
E. This policy does not apply to unpaid leaves of absence required by law such as the Family Medical Leave Act.
