Only being critically ill or injured, becoming pregnant, documentable traumatic events or government-mandated activities such as jury service, court appearances, or public commitments qualify for a leave of absence, UPS adheres to the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The distinction between UPS sick leave and leave of absence policy
Most people seek a leave of absence owing to a personal sickness or accident, however, these policies differ.
UPS has a unique accident and illness policy known as “The Scheme,” which specifies the amount of paid and unpaid company sick time given to each employee based on their seniority.
UPS employees who have worked for less than a year are entitled to up to 13 weeks of sick pay, or 60% of their regular wage. Employees who have worked for UPS for one to five years are entitled to up to 26 weeks of sick leave.
Finally, UPS employees who have worked for the company for five years or more are entitled to up to 52 weeks of sick compensation. UPS also has the right to provide paid sick days to employees on an individual basis.
(7/2018) Absence Policy and Procedure
This policy is not part of any employee’s employment contract, and it is subject to change at the Company’s sole discretion.
Leave for Compassion
At the company’s option, up to five days of paid leave may be granted. This leave may be granted to an employee who has experienced a catastrophic event, such as the death or serious illness of a close relative.
The amount of time off granted will be determined by the gravity of the situation; for example, the death of a spouse, parent, or kid would be deemed more significant than the death of a distant relative.
When circumstances necessitate lengthy absences, yearly leave should be granted in addition to compassionate leave, or a further period of unpaid leave should be granted if annual leave has been exhausted.
Compassionate leave is paid at minimum wage.
At-Home Crises
The Company will evaluate the request and the circumstances surrounding it if an employee requests leave to deal with a domestic issue. Burst water pipes, fires, gas leaks, burglary, and other common residential problems are all possibilities.
In certain cases, paid or unpaid absence should be taken (if there is insufficient holiday entitlement).
Dependents’ Leave Time
Under the Company Time Off for Dependents Policy, employees will be able to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to attend to an emergency involving a dependent. Employees must notify the Company as soon as feasible about their absence, the cause for it, and the anticipated length of their absence.
In most cases, the Company believes one or two days of unpaid absence to be an appropriate amount of time. An employee’s yearly leave entitlement may include such leave (if there is sufficient holiday entitlement).
Visits to the doctor (medical appointments)
Appointments for urgent medical, dental, or optical care will usually be allowed time off. In most cases, this time off is compensated.
For further information on appointments for Company-arranged medicals or LGV license medicals, employees can check with line management.
Employees are urged to plan minor, non-urgent medical appointments at times when the business will be less impacted (i.e. by scheduling appointments for evenings, weekends, and lunchtimes).
When employees can meet this condition and give their manager or supervisor enough notice, permission to attend the appointment is usually granted without penalty.
Adoption or Ante-Natal Appointments
On the of a registered medical practitioner, registered midwife, or registered health visitor, pregnant employees are entitled to compensated time off during work hours for antenatal consultations.
Employees who are primary adopters may be eligible for paid time off for adoption appointments up to five times under current legislation.
Each visit must not take more than 6.5 hours, including transport and waiting time. Employees should try to plan ante-natal/adoption appointments as near the start or end of the working day as possible. Human Resources should be consulted.
Service on a jury
If an employee is called to serve on a jury, they must notify the Company as soon as possible. Jury duty requires time off from work. Even though there is no legal requirement to pay employees who serve on juries, the Company’s goal is to ensure that no contractual salary is lost.
Nonetheless, a claim for lost wages up to certain limits must be filed with the Court. These payments will thereafter be deducted from the employee’s pay while on jury duty.
If it is believed that the Company’s company will be harmed as a result of the employee’s absence, a letter detailing the issues should be addressed to the Court, requesting that the employee be excused.
Human Resources should be consulted first on these issues.
Public Obligations
Employees* engaged in the following public obligations are legally entitled to appropriate time off from work:
The Justice of the Peace is a person who is in charge of maintaining the peaceLocal government officialA statutory tribunal memberMember of a Family Practitioner Committee, NHS Trust, Health Authority, or Health BoardGovernor of a grant-supported school, higher education corporation, or educational organization run by a municipal governmentMember of a river purification board or a water authorityServed on a board of visitors for prisons, remand facilities, and juvenile detention centers. Environment Agency or Scottish Environment Protection Agency member
Employees will be expected to provide the Company with as much information as possible about the length of time they will be taking off and why. Before taking on public activities, employees are also required to assess the influence on the company.
Any time off for public service would be unpaid.
The leave of absence policy at UPS varies greatly depending on the cause of your absence. UPS can be liberal with paid leave and full documentation of all expected procedures and standards for maternity, paternity, adoption, and other types of parental leave.
Finally, the employer has sole discretion over whether or not to give any other leave of absence and whether it will be compensated or unpaid.
What are some of the reasons for UPS employees taking time off?
UPS does not guarantee any leave of absence allowances that are not mandated by federal law for reasons other than illness or injury.
Are COVID-19 tests necessary for UPS employees?
Absent an Executive or Public Health Order, we cannot legally compel an employee to be tested.
COVID-19 benefits coverage for testing may be available to UPSers and family members enrolled in UPS medical coverage.
