Unpaid Time Off

Unpaid Time Off

  • Personal Leave

  • 1. Authorization
    A written request for a personal leave must be submitted to and approved by the employee's supervisor (classified employees), and the President or his designee (unclassified employees).

    2. Application Of Earned Vacation and Administrative Leave
    An employee approved for a personal leave may apply earned vacation and administrative time, or take a leave of absence without pay. Should the employee request to use earned vacation and administrative time, the Office of Human Resources will request a earned Leave Balance Status from the Payroll Office. The Payroll Office calculates the number of earned vacation and administrative days available to the employee.

    3. Health Benefits
    Health benefits coverage is unaltered for an employee on vacation or administrative leave. When an employee takes a leave of absence without pay for personal reasons, health benefit coverage will terminate in accordance with the NJ State Health Benefits termination timetable. The employee may then elect to continue their health coverage during a personal leave of absence at the group rate through the University for nine months (payable in a lump sum) and then through COBRA for nine months for a maximum of 18 months.

    4. Pension
    Service and salary credit for pension purposes are earned in the state retirement systems while in pay status only. For periods where leave is taken on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis, an employee may be able to obtain pension credit depending upon the compensation received during the coverage periods involved. Members under the Alternate Benefit Program must receive at least 50% percent of their base salary to make contributions to their account.

    Members of Public Employees Retirement System, Teachers Pension Annuity Fund and Police and Fire Pension Fund may only purchase service credit for three months for a personal leave of absence. The Alternate Benefit Program does not have such a provision.

    5. Life Insurance
    Group life insurance coverage will continue for up to 93 days while on official leave for personal reasons. In this case, contributions are required from members covered by contributory insurance to continue coverage under the contributory plan. Group life insurance coverage will continue for up to one year for employees on official leaves to fulfill residency requirements for advanced degrees, and for employees who are enrolled as full-time students at institutions of higher education. In these instances, contributions are necessary from members covered by contributory insurance to continue coverage under the contributory plan.