SICK LEAVE  

The time allowed (days earned) for sick leave shall be one (1) day for each nineteen (19) days worked, for a maximum of thirteen (13) days per year.1  

Sick leave is accumulated on an unlimited basis.   

Sick leave shall be granted for: illness of an employee from natural causes, quarantine, or illness or death of a member of the immediate family of the employee, including the employee’s wife or husband, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.  

A signed statement listing the cause of absence shall be provided by the employee on forms furnished by the Director of Schools and shall promptly be given to the immediate supervisor in support of all claims for sick leave pay. A falsified statement shall be grounds for dismissal.   

A certificate from the physician on forms furnished by the Board may be required in support of any claim for sick leave pay. An employee absent for five (5) consecutive working days shall submit a doctor's statement verifying illness or injury of the employee or immediate family member.  

Frequent use and/or suspected misuse of sick leave by an employee are sufficient grounds for requiring a physician’s certificate stating the reason for absence.  Permanent, cumulative sick leave records for each active employee shall be kept in the Director of Schools' office.  

The Human Resources Department shall be notified immediately when it is known that a teacher will be out twenty or more days. The substitute teacher, beyond this point, must have a certificate or permit and must be paid according to the state salary scale.  

A teacher, upon employment, may transfer his or her accumulated sick leave from another Tennessee school system, provided that the Director of Schools of the system in which the accumulated leave was held provides notarized verification.

Sick leave for maternity purposes may be taken during the period of physical disability only as determined by a physician. Upon verification by a written statement from an adoption agency or other entity handling an adoption, the employee may also be allowed to use up to thirty (30) days of accumulated sick leave for adoption of a child. If both adoptive parents are teachers, only one (1) parent is entitled to leave under this subsection.

At the termination of employment of any employee, all unused sick leave accumulated by the employee shall be terminated.  

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE  

Bereavement leave shall be granted for the death of a member of the immediate family of a professional employee, including the teacher’s wife or husband, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-inlaw.

Per occurrence, up to two (2) days of paid bereavement leave shall be granted to professional employees. The days do not accrue and may not exceed ten (10) days per school year. If additional days are needed in relation to the death of an immediate family member, up to three (3) days of other leave (sick, personal, or unpaid) may be used. In extraordinary circumstances additional sick, personal, or unpaid days due to bereavement may be requested through the Director of Schools’ office.  Professional employees may be required to provide appropriate documentation.  

Permanent, cumulative bereavement records for each active employee shall be kept in the Human Resources Office. 

Legal References:  

1. TRR/MS 0520-1-2-.04(2). 
2. T.C.A. § 49-5-710.   

Approved as to Legal Form 
By Knox County Law Director 3/27/2023 
/Gary T. Dupler/Deputy Law Director