Extended Leaves
Providing support and resources to employees with greater than three (3) days of consecutive sick absences.
COVID-19 Information for Employees
- As of 07/01/2023, no paid COVID leave is available. All employees will utilize their own accrued leave for COVID-related absences (sick, personal, annual, unpaid), just like other illness-related absences. Please see COVID-related recommendations and guidance.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an extended medical or parental leave of absence:
- An employee must have worked for Albuquerque Public Schools a minimum of one (1) contract year just prior to the Leave start date.
- Medical documentation will be requested for medical absences greater than three (3) days.
Four (4) or More Consecutive Absences For Sickness
Employees with greater than three (3) days of consecutive sick absences must contact the Leaves Department by email at Extended.Leaves@aps.edu. FMLA Notice will be mailed to the employee per the Department of Labor regulations.
Less Than Ten (10) Consecutive Absences
Non-medical leaves less than ten (10) consecutive work days must be requested through and approved by the employee's principal or supervisor.
Greater Than Ten (10) Consecutive Absences
Extended leaves of more than ten (10) consecutive work days, with or without pay, must be requested through the Human Resources Leaves Office. Employees must complete the required leave forms and receive the necessary approval before the leave requested may be taken. Refer to each type of leave to determine the correct forms to submit. Employees on an approved leave will receive a Leave Letter, mailed to the home address, detailing the responsibilities of the employee while on leave of absence
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
FMLA is limited to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per rolling calendar year. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) will be granted to employees who:
- Have worked for APS for at least twelve (12) months and
- Have worked at least 1250 hours in the previous 12 months
Intermittent Leave of Absence
- Intermittent leave will be addressed according to FMLA Regulations
- Only FMLA eligible employees will be approved for intermittent leave
- Family member as defined by FMLA is spouse, parent, son or daughter
- APS does not support intermittent or reduced schedule to care and bond with a healthy child under the parental, adoption, or foster care categories.
For more information:
APS Leaves of Absence
To be eligible for an APS extended medical leave of absence, an employee must have worked for APS a minimum of one contract year just prior to the leave start date. All other leaves of absence are subject to FMLA regulations, the respective negotiated agreements, Meet and Confer Groups, and/or the APS Employee Handbook.
Policy and Procedural Directive
- Donation of Annual / Personal Leave Procedural Directive
- Policy GC2: Donation of Annual and/or Personal Leave
Negotiated Agreements and Bylaws
Find the Negotiated Agreements and/or Bylaws listed below on the APS Labor Relations website:
- Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF) Negotiated Contract
- Albuquerque Educational Assistants Association (AEAA) Negotiated Agreement
- Albuquerque Secretarial/Clerical Association (ASCA) Negotiated Agreement
- CWA Maintenance and Operations (CWA) Negotiated Agreement
- Educational Police Officers Association (EPOA) Negotiated Agreement
- Communication Workers of America (CWA) Food Services Unit Negotiated Agreement
- Educational Administrators and Support Personnel Association (EASPA)
- Albuquerque Public Schools Principals' Association (APSPA). For more information, contact Executive Director Andrea Trybus at trybus@aps.edu.
Substitution of Paid Leave
- Compensatory time will not be applied to any leave of absence
- Substitution of Pay for Employee's Illness: APS requires employees to substitute or use paid leave during an FMLA Leave. Once all absence balances of sick, personal, and annual leave are exhausted, the remaining FMLA hours will be unpaid.
- Substitution of Pay for Care of a Family Member: APS allows employees to use sick time towards the care of a family member. After all sick days are exhausted, personal leave, and annual leave will be used. Once absence balances are exhausted, the remainder of the leave will be unpaid. An employee is allowed the time to be absence, but the absence may be in an unpaid status.
General Information
- Employees must request a leave thirty (30 calendar) days in advance to the Extended Leaves Office. Prior notification may be waived in emergency medical situations. Provide appropriate documentation to the Leaves Office as soon as possible.
- While on an approved continuous leave, an employee may not volunteer or perform any duties for the APS District or utilize APS property for personal use.
- While on an approved continuous leave, all APS equipment (keys, laptop, etc.) must be turned in prior to the start date.
- Group insurance benefits (medical, dental, vision, sick leave bank, LTD, and life) will continue during the leave provided the employee continues to make required contributions to these plans. Other benefits, such as retirement and 403(b) plans, will be governed in accordance with the terms of each plan.
- Workers' Compensation Leaves are handled by the Risk Management Department. Contact (505) 830-8460.
Leave Types and Processes
Click to learn more about each type of leave and its associated process:
- Administrators Sick Leave Bank
- Adoption or Foster Care Leave
- Advance Study Leave
- Annual/Vacation Leave
- Assault Leave
- Bereavement (Funeral) Leave
- Catastrophic Illness or Injury Leave
- Court Leave
- Domestic Violence Leave
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Holiday Leave
- Illness in the Immediate Family Leave
- Intermittent Medical Leave
- Lactation/Breastfeeding
- Medical Leave
- Medical Appointment Leave
- Military Leave
- Military Family Leave
- Parental (Maternity) Leave
- Personal Emergency Leave
- Personal Leave
- Personal Extended Leave of Absence
- Political Leave
- Professional Leave
- Qualifying Exigency
- Religious Leave
- Severe Weather and Emergency Closures
- Sick Leave
- Sick Leave Bank
- Vacation/Annual Leave
- Voting Leave
- Workers' Compensation Leave
Contact Information
Main Phone:
(505) 889-4859
Fax:
(505) 884-0536
Email:
extended.leaves@aps.edu
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 25704
Albuquerque, NM 87125-0704
Physical Address: