Other Leave

Administrative Leave

State employees in (full-time equivalent (FTE) positions who are physically attacked while in the performance of official duties and suffer bodily harm as a result of the attack must be placed on administrative leave with pay by their employers, rather than sick leave.  The period of administrative leave for each incident may not exceed 180 calendar days. Denial of the use of administrative leave by the agency will be grounds for review by the Division of State Human Resources upon request of the employee.  Administrative review by the DSHR will be final.  (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-40)

Adoption Leave

An adoptive parent who is employed by this State, its departments, agencies, or institutions may use up to six weeks of earned sick leave to take time off for purposes of caring for the child after placement. The agency shall not penalize an employee for requesting or obtaining time off according to this Section. The leave authorized by this Section may be requested by the employee only if the employee is the person who is primarily responsible for furnishing the care and nurture of the child. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-155)

American Red Cross Certified Disaster Service Leave

An employee who is a certified disaster service volunteer for the American Red Cross may use up to 10 days of paid leave in a calendar year to participate in specialized disaster relief services with the approval of the agency designee. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-180)

Blood Drive and Donation Leave

Employees are permitted to participate in a blood drive during their work hours without using sick and annual leave. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-175)

The employee desiring to donate blood shall notify the agency of the scheduled donation and the amount of time needed for the donation as far in advance as may be practicable. The agency may deny the employee's request for time to donate if the absence of the employee would create an extraordinary burden on the agency. The agency may, as a condition of approving the request, require the employee to provide documentation of the donation. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-175)

Bone Marrow/Donor Leave

An employee who works an average of 20 hours or more a week and who seeks to undergo a medical procedure to donate bone marrow may be granted bone marrow donor leave with pay. The total amount of paid leave may not exceed 40 work hours unless a longer length of time is approved by the agency head. Such leave may require verification by a health care practitioner of the purpose and length of each request. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 44-43-80)

Court Leave

Jury Duty (With Pay)

An employee who is summoned as a member of a jury panel shall be granted court leave with pay. Any jury fees and travel payment shall be retained by the employee. This court leave with pay shall not apply to agencies whose employees are exempt from jury duty by law.

An employee, who is excused from jury duty and is not required to be at court the number of hours equal to the employee’s workday, is required to return to the job according to arrangements between the employee and the agency designee. The employee must be on authorized leave for any time the employee is excused from jury duty and does not return to work.

An employee who is summoned to jury duty will be required to work on any given day only the number of hours that equal the employee’s work schedule, minus the hours required to be at court.

Subpoenaed As a Witness (With Pay)

An employee, who is subpoenaed as a witness and who will not receive any personal gain from the outcome of the litigation, shall be entitled to court leave with pay for those hours required for the subpoena and may retain any witness fee and travel expenses.

Victim or Witness (With Pay)

An employee, who is a victim of or witness to a crime and must attend court in relation to the case or in order to obtain an Order of Protection or restraining order, shall receive court leave with pay.

Death in Immediate Family Leave

An employee, upon request, shall be granted up to three consecutive workdays of leave with pay on the death of any member of the employee's immediate family. Immediate family is defined as the spouse, great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, legal guardians, brothers, spouse of brothers, sisters, spouse of sisters, children, spouse of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of either the employee or the spouse. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-177)

Extended Disability Leave

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), and other applicable law, certainly extended impairments may be protected as disabilities and may require reasonable accommodation. In certain State Human Resources Regulations cases, the use of leave may be considered a reasonable accommodation. Determinations regarding reasonable accommodations should be made on a case-by-case basis as dictated by the circumstances.

The agency shall require, prior to the approval of leave as a reasonable accommodation, certification by the health care practitioner to a reasonable degree of medical certainty to include at a minimum: (a) the date on which the disability commenced; (b) the probable duration of the condition and a probable return date; and (c) appropriate medical facts within the knowledge of the health care practitioner regarding the condition and any work limitations. Dates set forth in the health care practitioner’s certificate may be amended. The agency may require additional documentation from the healthcare practitioner issuing the certificate or may secure additional medical opinions from other healthcare practitioners. If an employee’s health care practitioner or the employee identifies a disability as long-term, the agency may suggest to the employee to contact the Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) as soon as possible to evaluate eligibility for any appropriate benefits, such as insurance or retirement, if the employee believes it would be appropriate.

Leave Transfer Program

Employees who occupy FTE positions (including probationary employees) are eligible to receive and donate leave to the leave transfer program. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions who accrue leave at the same rate as an FTE employee may donate and receive leave if all other eligibility requirements are met.

Organ Donor Leave

All employees who wish to be an organ donor and who accrue annual or sick leave as part of their employment are entitled to leaves of absence with pay for one or more periods not exceeding an aggregate of thirty regularly scheduled workdays in any one fiscal year during which they may engage in the donation of their organs. Saturdays, Sundays, and State holidays may not be included in the thirty-day aggregate unless the particular Saturday, Sunday, or holiday to be included is a regularly scheduled workday for the officer or employee involved.  The employee must show documentation from the attending physician of the proposed organ donation before leave is approved that confirms that the employee is the donor.  (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-65 (A.))

Voting Leave

An employee who lives at such distance from the assigned work location as to preclude voting outside of working hours may be authorized a maximum of two hours of leave with pay for this purpose. To work at the polls during elections, an employee must be on authorized leave.

Workers' Compensation Leave

If there is an accidental injury arising out of and in the course of employment with the State, which is covered under Workers' Compensation, an employee who is not eligible for or who has exhausted his paid administrative leave, shall make an election to use either earned leave time (sick and/or annual) or Workers’ Compensation benefits awarded in accordance with Title 42 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. (S.C. Code Ann. Section 8-11-145)