Civil Service Handbook - B
Benefits
The Benefits Division of Human Resources located in Sherman Hall 105 administers group life, health, vision, and dental insurance; flexible spending accounts; tax-deferred annuities; and the State Universities Retirement System. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 298-1853.
Bereavement Leave
(BOT II,C.7.f.)
- Employees will be granted, upon request, leave of up to three scheduled work days to attend the funeral or memorial service and/or for travel and bereavement time, upon the death of a member of the employee's immediate family, household, in-laws, grandchildren, and/or grandparents; and up to one day to attend the funeral or memorial service of a relative other than the above who is not a member of the employee's household. The amount of leave provided is not intended to be guaranteed and is available only when there is a need. Bereavement leave shall be taken in not less than one-half day increments and may not be accumulated. Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement with different bereavement leave benefits will receive those benefits according to their agreement.
- Immediate family is defined as:father, mother, sister, brother, spouse, and children. Biological, adopted, foster, legal wards, or step family members are considered immediate family under this policy. In-laws are defined as: mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law.
- Other relative is defined as: aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin of the employee. Such relatives are regarded as members of the immediate family only if in residence in the employee's household at the time of death.
- Bereavement leave benefits are not granted in the event of the death of a member of the employee's spouse's family unless specifically stated. For example, grandparent refers to the grandparent of the employee. For purposes of application of bereavement leave, relationships existing due to marriage will terminate upon the divorce of the relative through whom the marriage relationship exists. Current marital status will be defined in accord with Illinois State Law.
- The employee's supervisor may grant additional leave to an employee who cannot, because of special circumstance, return to work at the completion of the allowable bereavement leave days. An employee may choose to take such leave without pay or may use accrued vacation or sick leave.
Blood Program
The Bloodmobile comes to campus five times a year. They are set up in the University Union for donations. This is made possible through the dedicated work of the McDonough County Chapter of American Red Cross; Alpha Phi Omega, service fraternity; and Sigma Lambda Sigma, service sorority, whose members publicize the visit of the Bloodmobile, recruit donors and assist the medical and canteen workers during blood drives.
Upon approval of their supervisors, employees may be granted up to two (2) hours time off without pay or up to two (2) hours sick or vacation leave to donate blood to the American Red Cross campus program when the Bloodmobile is present on campus.
Bonds
The purchase of Series EE Bonds is available to all University employees through payroll deduction. For detailed information concerning this payroll deduction, contact the Payroll Office, Sherman Hall 221 (298-1867).
Book Awards for Civil Service Employees
The Employee Education Award was established in 1982 and five recipients are chosen at random from Civil Service employees actively enrolled at WIU each semester. These awards are subsidized by the Civil Service Award Fund, a WIU foundation fund initiated and supported by employee contributions.
- Fifteen $50 book awards will be given to Civil Service employees each year. Each award is made payable directly to the employee.
- Each award goes to a Civil Service employee who is currently enrolled in a course(s) at WIU in Fall Semester, Spring Semester, or Summer Session (five $50 awards are offered each term).
- To be eligible for this award, the recipient must be a Civil Service employee at WIU who holds a status appointment.
- An employee may receive this award only once.
- Recipients of the book awards are selected by a random drawing from all "Request to Enroll in University Classes" forms by the Civil Service Awards Selection Committee. Selection and Fund Committee members are not eligible.
- Selection decisions are final and binding.
Contact Human Resources for more information (298-1971).
Breaks
Department heads and supervisors may authorize reasonable rest periods during the workday. A reasonable rest period is defined as a 15-minute "break" during each half-day of work.
Breaks should be taken at a time and in a manner which does not interfere with the operational needs of the work unit. Normally, at no time would all employees leave the work area at the same time.
A break is intended to be a recess, preceded and followed by an extended work period. It may not be used to cover a late arrival or early departure, nor may it be regarded as cumulative if not taken.
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Related Content
- Other Resources
- Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
- Provost's Office
- Diversity Programs at Western
- Western Illinois University Board of Trustees
- Western Illinois University Chapter - State Universities Annuitants Association
- State Universities Civil Service System - (includes information about Statutes & Rules, Class Specifications, Employee Data, Procedures Manuals, and more)
- SURS - State Universities Retirement System of Illinois
- McDonough County Senior Services Directory
- CMS Deferred Compensation Plan - supplemental retirement plan open to all full-time state employees
