The use of any leave may require make-up time for the purpose of Board eligibility which is determined by the specific policy for each Board specialty and should be discussed with each individual Program Director. Houseofficers remain responsible for meeting the applicable time and other requirement of their program.
Annual leave provides the Houseofficer with time for rest and restoration for an extended period in order to return to Residency with renewed vitality. This is beneficial for patient safety and Houseofficer well-being. All Houseofficers will receive 21 days of annual leave which will be based on a five day work week consisting of 15 week days and 6 weekend days during the academic year. Annual leave which is unused will not be carried forward to the new training year. No lump sum payment will be made for unused leave upon termination.
Annual leave must be requested in writing through the home Department on approved leave request forms in accordance with the home program’s established procedure. No annual leave will be scheduled and paid during the week at the beginning of the contract. Blocks of seven days are encouraged for Houseofficers to have a period of adequate rest. No rotations will be off limits to vacation and Programs need to be aware they must provide appropriate coverage to allow this. Houseofficers who have difficulties scheduling annual leave on a rotation should contact their Program Director for assistance. The GME Office can be an additional resource. Houseofficers have the responsibility to schedule leave in a timely manner. The later the request the more difficult it may be for it to be granted. Normal requests should receive notification of confirmation or denial within 10 days of initial request from the home Program Coordinator. Annual leave for contract periods of less than a full academic year will be calculated on a pro rata basis.
Program Directors Policy on Annual Leave for Houseofficers Program Directors should grant Houseofficers vacation in proportion to the number of Houseofficers that are received on that service. For example, if you have one Houseofficer per month for one year, you would have to grant 21 days of annual leave on your service. No rotation is off limits to vacation. Requests for vacation on services other than the Houseofficer’s home service should be received a minimum of sixty days in advance of the requested annual leave. Requests without the sixty day notice will be at the discretion of the service on which vacation is requested. Each program may have its own policies on the timetable for requesting vacation. Program Coordinators should communicate these timetables to off service coordinators whose Houseofficers may rotate on their service.
The request for vacation would be initiated with the Program Coordinator in the home service. The home Program Coordinator would verify the amount of annual leave remaining for that Houseofficer and obtain the proper signature and permission of the Program Director. The home Program Coordinator would communicate the vacation request by e-mail to the off service Program Coordinator. The communication cycle, discussion, and definitive approval or denial of the request should be concluded within ten days of the initial e-mail communication of the request. Approval or denial of the request should be communicated by e-mail to the initiating home Program Coordinator.
Steps for Requesting Annual Leave from Off Service Rotations
Houseofficers are granted three paid days per contract year for bereavement leave for immediate family members. Houseofficers do not have the option of carrying unused leave from one contract year to another.
Due to extenuating circumstances such as distance to be traveled, settling of the estate, the Houseofficer, upon request to the Houseofficer's Program Director, shall be able to use annual leave, if available, to extend bereavement leave beyond three (3) days or may be granted a leave of absence without pay.
A catastrophic illness and/or injury is defined as a medical or psychological event experienced by an employee, or an employee’s dependent (spouse, domestic partner, or child), which is likely to require the Houseofficer to be absent from training for a prolonged period of time. Catastrophic leave is to support those unusual or catastrophic illnesses or injuries that leave the Houseofficer without salary between the duration of their paid sick and annual leave and the qualifying period of the long-term disability coverage (90 days). Houseofficers do not have the option of carrying unused sick and annual leave from one contract year to another. Catastrophic leave must be requested in writing, through the Houseofficer’s Program Director to the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education. The Associate Dean for GME approves such leave. A request for catastrophic leave may require an attending physician statement. It is to be used only after the Houseofficer has exhausted all available sick leave and a minimum of 15 days of annual leave. Catastrophic leave cannot exceed sixty (60) days. Catastrophic leave is available as a one time event per duration of training. Any additional leave falls into the category of unpaid leave of absence. Make up time for purposes of board eligibility is determined by the specific policy of each specialty board and should be negotiated with the Program Director.
Educational activities such as: presenting papers, taking state and national examinations, or attending educational seminars may be allowed, with pay, with the advance approval of the Department Chairman, Program Director and the Chief of Service. GME recommends five days of Educational Leave per year. Houseofficers do not have the option of carrying unused leave from one contract year to another.
Houseofficers shall be entitled to seven holidays off per year with pay. The following
holidays will be considered holidays with pay: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Eve. Holidays falling on a
Saturday shall be observed on the preceding Friday. Holidays falling on a Sunday shall be
observed on the following Monday.
Houseofficers who are required to perform duty, or to be on-call, on a holiday shall be
granted either alternate time off commensurate with the amount of time worked up to a
maximum of eight (8) hours, or time-and-a-half pay up to a maximum of eight (8) hours
for the time worked.The Houseofficer's Program Director shall approve all requests for
alternate time off or additional pay, and determine which option is granted. The Program
Director shall not unreasonably deny the Houseofficer's preferred option.
In the event
the Houseofficer is granted time off, the time off must be taken within the Houseofficer's
training period and need not be granted in the same academic year in which the holiday falls.
The alternative leave arrangement may not be compounded. For example, a Houseofficer whose
shift requires them to work on both Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving will receive
eight (8) hours of alternative leave or additional pay, not sixteen (16) hours.
Since Houseofficers may participate in training at multiple institutions, The Office of
Graduate Medical Education strongly encourages alternative leave arrangements to be granted
by Program Directors in the same rotation in which it occurs. It is permissible for alternative
holiday leave to occur prior to the holiday if it is within the same rotation period.
The Program Director and the Chief of Service may grant leaves of absence, at their
discretion, for periods of short duration. Time for such activities as locum tenens, paid
consultation, personal courtroom appearances or personal business must be taken as leave
without pay or annual leave. In such instances, Houseofficers would be responsible for
paying the full cost of their health, vision, and dental premiums. Insurance premiums are
charged at full institutional cost to those working fewer than fifteen calendar days per
month.
Leave of absence without pay may, at the discretion of the Program Director, be
extended up to a maximum of three months. Make up time for purposes of board eligibility is
determined by the specific policy of each specialty board. Contact your Program Director
for specific requirements for your specialty. Houseofficers whose leave of absence extends
beyond twelve months will be required to reapply for admission to their UNM residency or
fellowship program should they wish to resume their GME training at UNM.
UNM Graduate Medical Education programs recognize the legitimacy of integrating child-bearing and adoption into the years of graduate medical training. Return to work after pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions is to be determined by the Houseofficer’s personal physician. Paid time off will not exceed the total of 21 days of sick leave plus available annual leave. Leave of absence without pay may be extended to bring time off (the sum of paid and unpaid leave) up to a maximum of four months.
The Office of Graduate Medical Education pays a portion of the health insurance premium as a benefit during this approved Family Leave. Make up time for purposes of board eligibility is determined by the specific policy of each specialty board and should be negotiated with the Program Director.
Paid military leave shall be granted upon presentation of official orders at a rate
of three (3) weeks per academic year, consisting of fifteen (15) week days and six (6)
weekend days per. Military leave is defined as leave for service into the United States Army,
Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Air National Guard, or reserve component thereof.
In the event a Houseofficer is called to active duty by the military as defined above, the
Houseofficer's position within his or her training program shall be held until the Houseofficer
can return to work duty at UNM HSC.
Professional leave is available to Houseofficers for the purpose of interviewing for employment, residency, or a fellowship. Houseofficers are allowed up to five days of such leave during the course of a residency or fellowship program. Leave for such purposes beyond the five days must be taken as annual leave or leave without compensation. No payment will be made for unused time.
All Houseofficers receive twenty one days of paid sick leave (which will be based on a
five day work week consisting of 15 week days and 6 weekend days) may be used
during the contract term for the purpose intended. Sick leave must be documented in
writing through the Department on approved leave request forms. The sick leave policy
is established in order to protect the Houseofficer from threats to their own health,
for bona-fide medical conditions, and to prevent patient exposure. Absence from work
to care for an ill or injured member of one's immediate family (spouse, domestic partner,
children, parents, and grandparents) may be charged to sick leave and should be done in
advance of the leave if possible. A Doctor's note may be required at the discretion of
the Program Director. Unused sick leave may not be carried forward to the next training
year nor will any payment be made for unused time.
Sick leave for contract periods of less than a full academic year will be calculated
on a pro rata basis. Use of sick leave may require make up time for purposes of Board
eligibility which is determined by the specific policy of each Board specialty and
should be discuss with the Program Director.
Houseofficers diagnosed with or suspected of having the following infectious diseases
should return to work through Employee Occupational Health Services about the need for
medical clearance before returning to work: acute viral conjunctivitis, acute diarrheal
disease and Salmonella infection, acute hepatitis A, vaccine-preventable viral diseases,
pertussis, scabies, Group A streptococcal infection, tuberculosis, herpetic whitlow,
varicella and shingles. Note: This list is not comprehensive. Certain diagnoses may
preclude working with immuno compromised patients. Houseofficers should contact Infection
Control at 272-0131 or pager 951-1067 with any questions. Special provisions may apply
to Houseofficers with acute or chronic Hepatitis B and HIV (see page HIV/Hepatitis
C/Hepatitis B). The University reserves the right to request a physician statement of
fitness to return to work.
