Student Earned Sick Time Eligibility
Massachusetts law limits the number of students who are eligible to earn and use sick time. Eligibility to accrue sick hours most often occur during the summer when enrollment in the current semester is not a condition for employment. You are eligible to accrue and use sick time if you are either:
- not enrolled in the current academic semester
- enrolled less than half-time for the current academic semester
PhD students or any stipend supported student should check the university sick leave policy as they do not accrue time based on their hours.
Note: Work-Study students and Resident Assistants are exempt from the sick time law and will not accrue any sick hours.
Sick time accrues at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked and you can earn up to 40 hours of sick time per year. You cannot use earned sick time until you have been employed by Boston University for 90 days.
IMPORTANT: Do not record your sick time on your weekly time entry. There is a separate procedure for entering sick time which your supervisor should follow.
Sick time is to be used as follows:
- To care for your own physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition
- To care for the physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition of a child, parent, parent in-law, or spouse
- To attend a routine medical appointment for yourself
- To attend a routine medical appointment for a child, parent, parent in-law, or spouse
- To address the psychological or legal effects of domestic violence
Report your intention to use earned sick time to your employer as soon as is practicable. Adhere to all departmental procedures regarding time off requests.