Any employee shall be granted maternity/adoption leave for a period of one (1) year without forfeiture of rights or benefits (i.e., tenure, fringe benefits). A pregnant employee may use accumulated sick leave for the period of physical disability as certified by a physician. Upon verification by a written statement from an adoption agency or other entity handling an adoption, an 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 employees, only one (1) parent is entitled to leave under this policy. The employee shall be returned to the position vacated provided the employee returns to service within one (1) year and provided said position has not been affected by a reduction in force.1
The Shelby County school system will comply with the guidelines of the Family Medical Leave Act. (FMLA)