Jackson Health System Policy No. 319
Subject: Personal Leave, Leave of Absence, Mandatory Leave,
Union Leave
Revised: 03/28/2017
Supersedes: 03/08/2013
III. Mandatory Leaves of Absence
It is the policy of JHS that under circumstances described in this section a department Director may
require an employee to take paid or unpaid leave.
A. Mandatory Non-Disciplinary Leave
If an employee is unable to perform the duties of a position due to illness, injury, mental
incapacitation or pregnancy, or where an examination has been legally mandated, a
department director has the authority to require an employee to take paid or unpaid leave.
PROCEDURE
Employees in all status codes may be subject to mandatory leave.
When, in the opinion of a department director, an employee is unable to perform the duties of
a position due to illness, injury, mental incapacitation or pregnancy, or where an examination
has been legally mandated, the department director may require the employee to submit to a
medical or psychological examination by a physician, psychologist, or other appropriately
licensed health care professional designated by Employee Health Services. The director will
designate the leave as mandatory by issuing a memorandum to the employee and providing a
department director will require that the employee not return to work until such examination is
completed and a written evaluation is available for review. The department director will place
the employee on administrative leave until such time as he or she has reviewed the evaluation,
and has referred the employee to the nearest Employee Health Services office for evaluation.
He/she will notify Integrated Leave Management of the employee’s return to work.
The period of mandatory time is the period of time medically determined to return the employee
to normal health. This period begins when the department director reviews the
medical/psychological evaluation and decides not to permit the employee to return to work,
and ends when the employee is released by his/her physician to return to full duty.
The employee may return to work only when it has been medically determined that the
employee has returned to normal health and is able to perform his/her jobs duties.
If an employee is deemed medically unable to work for a period of time of 4 days or more, the
absence may be designated as FMLA leave.
During the period of mandatory leave, at the discretion of the department director, the
employee must use any accrued leave or compensatory time available to him/her, or the
employee may take an unpaid leave of absence.
B. Infection Control Furlough
It is JHS policy to take whatever measures are necessary to protect patients, employees,
visitors and the public from communicable disease. This may include, but is not limited to,
preventing employees with a communicable disease or infection from working until their
condition is no longer a threat to others, requiring immunizations and health screening as a
condition of employment, and enforcing appropriate use of protective devices or equipment.
Please refer to JHS Policy No. 355 - Infectious and Communicable Diseases, Prevention and
Management of Exposures for more information.