Paid sick time

Harvard observes the provisions of the Massachusetts Paid Sick Time Law (“the Law”). The Law entitles Harvard employees, including those on paid research appointments to a guaranteed minimum amount of paid sick time each year: specifically, one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours of paid sick time per academic year (from July 1 to June 30). Under the Law, full-time academic appointees are entitled to 40 hours of sick time each academic year, as are part-time academic appointees scheduled to work at least 1,200 hours in an academic year. 

In the case of other part-time academic appointees, the amount of sick time is based on an academic appointee’s specified weekly hours.[7] Harvard grants academic appointees their full entitlement as of July 1, 2015 (the effective date of the Law), and thereafter, as of the start of each academic year, except that individuals hired on a semester basis instead receive their full entitlement at the start of the semester. Unused sick time does not roll over from one academic year to the next.

Employees can use paid sick time to care for a physical or mental illness, injury or condition affecting the employee or the employee’s child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse, to attend routine medical appointments for these individuals, and to address the psychological, physical or legal effects of domestic violence on the employee or the employee’s family member. Individuals may not be treated adversely because they have exercised their rights under the Law, including in taking earned sick time.

In most cases, Harvard’s existing sick leave policies are more generous than the minimum sick time allotments mandated by the Law.  Where individuals already are entitled to equivalent or more favorable sick pay benefits under existing Harvard policies, the Harvard policy will apply.

Holders of academic appointments should follow their School and Department’s normal protocols for advance notice (unless the need for sick time is not foreseeable), including when the need for sick time will conflict with normally scheduled class hours. For questions concerning sick leave entitlement, please consult the assistant dean for the division.

[7] This is determined as follows: (1) multiply the specified weekly hours by the number of weeks of the appointment in the applicable academic year and (2) divide that figure by 30.