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Time Off Programs

Family on the beach

St. Jude offers a variety of options to assist you in planning your time away from work. These benefits are available to employees who work 50% or greater of full-time. Note: Faculty, postdoctoral research associates and research scholars should review their respective handbooks for information about coverage. Employees covered under the bargaining unit agreement should review the current bargaining unit contract.

Vacation

Vacation days are accrued (or earned) based on your service. You have 15 vacation days per year. After five years of continuous employment, you have 20 vacation days per year. After 10 years of continuous employment, you have 25 vacation days per year. Newly hired employees accrue vacation time beginning on their date of hire.

Full-time employees
Years of Service Annual Accrual Biweekly Accrual
Years 1 through 4 15 days 4.62 hours
Years 5 through 9 20 days 6.16 hours
Beginning Year 10 25 days 7.70 hours
NOTE: Eligible part-time employees will accrue vacation time on a prorated basis based upon their designated percent of full-time.

Sick Time

Sick days are accrued based on your service. Newly hired employees accrue sick time beginning on their date of hire. St. Jude also offers family sick time off as part of the Paid Sick Leave policy. Family sick time off allows employees to use up to 40 hours each fiscal year to care for immediate family members, including the employee’s spouse; children (including legally adopted children, step-children and legal guardian such as grandchildren who are considered W-2 legal dependents); mother; father; step-parent; mother-in-law; father-in-law; brother; sister; grandparent; grandchild; brother-in-law; sister-in-law; daughter-in-law; son-in-law. 

Full-time employees
Years of Service Annual Accrual Biweekly Accrual
Less than 2 9 days 2.77 hours
2 to 4 10.5 days 3.24 hours
5 or more 12 days 3.70 hours
NOTE: Eligible part-time employees will accrue sick time on a prorated basis based upon their designated percent of full-time.

Leaves of Absence

Family and Medical Leave

In accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital grants leave to eligible employees for up to 12 work weeks in a 12-month period. FMLA leave is a guaranteed period of time in which an employee may be absent from work with job protection due to the following: an employee’s own serious health condition or to care for a child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition, care for a newborn child or newly adopted or newly placed foster care child. The time away from work under FMLA is unpaid after the employee has exhausted vacation and/or sick time. St. Jude offers six weeks of paid parental leave to eligible employees. See parental leave policy on St. Jude intranet for details.

Extended Medical Leave

St. Jude provides consecutive unpaid extended leave to employees who have exhausted their eligible FMLA time, as determined under the Americans with Disabilities Act policy. Extended Medical leave may be taken for the employee’s own serious health condition. Salary continuation may be available for eligible employees.

St. Jude provides up to 14 weeks of consecutive unpaid extended leave to employees who have completed one year of employment exhausted their eligible FMLA time, as determined under the Americans with Disabilities Act policy. Extended Medical leave may be taken for the employee’s own serious health condition. Salary continuation may be available for eligible employees.

Paid Parental Leave of Absence

St. Jude provides six weeks paid parental leave to eligible employees to assist and support parents bonding with their new child, adjusting to their new family situation and balancing their professional obligations, to run concurrent with FMLA.

Personal Leave of Absence

St. Jude provides an opportunity for eligible employees to take a leave of absence beyond that available under other leave or vacation policies. All employees are eligible to apply for a personal leave. Employees with less than one year of service are eligible for up to six weeks of leave. Employees with one or more years of service are eligible for up to 12 weeks of leave. Sick, vacation and personal days do not accrue during the personal leave period.

Military Service Leave

St. Jude provides Military Service Leave to employees who are members of the Armed Forces in accordance with the provisions of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.

Leave of Absence Request Form and Certification of Health Care Provider Form

Other Leave Types

St. Jude provides other leave types for situations that may not qualify for those mentioned above.

Leave Sharing Program

Periodically through the year, employees can donate accrued sick or vacation hours to a leave-sharing bank. Eligible employees on a continuous leave of absence who are suffering from catastrophic or life threatening illnesses or injuries and who have exhausted their own sick, vacation and personal leave balances can request donations from the bank. Employees requesting leave-sharing bank donations should complete a Request for Leave-Sharing form and submit a certification of health care provider form to Human Resources. For specific details on eligibility and how requests will be processed, please read HR Policy 400.120 - Leave Sharing Program, available on the HR intranet site.

Holidays

Holidays are available to employees who work 50% or greater of full-time on the day of the observed holiday. Observed holidays include:

  • New Year’s Day (January 1)
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
  • Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
  • Juneteenth (June 19)
  • Independence Day (July 4)
  • Labor Day (first Monday in September)
  • Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
  • Day After Thanksgiving (fourth Friday in November)
  • Christmas Day (December 25)

If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, St. Jude will observe the holiday on the same day as the state or federal government. Generally, a holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed the preceding Friday; a holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed the following Monday.

Personal Days

You also accrue 2 personal days on July 1 of each year. (Note: Eligible part-time employees accrue prorated personal days.)

 
 
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