3.6.B. Paid Absences

1. Paid Sick Leave Law

Clinician Educators are eligible for paid sick leave consistent with California law.

2. Time Off with Pay

Clinician Educators are not eligible for vacation and do not accrue vacation time.  Benefits-eligible Clinician Educators are eligible for time off with pay from regularly scheduled service (not including time off due to holiday closure) that can be scheduled throughout the year with departmental approval based on clinical needs, clinical and/or teaching commitment and responsibilities.  Time off with pay may be granted up to 22 days per year, pro-rated for the Clinician Educator’s percent time of appointment and start date.  Time off with pay is available at the beginning of the calendar year and may not be carried forward from year to year.  Pay in lieu of time off is not possible, except in unusual circumstances justified by clinical needs of the department.  The department chair must approve such exceptions, in advance in writing.  Time off with pay has no cash value, and is not paid out in any fashion at the time that employment ends.  Departments are responsible for tracking time off with pay.

3. Paid Conference Leave

Benefits-eligible Clinician Educators are eligible for paid conference leave that may be taken for the purpose of attending professional development conferences or for participating in similar professional development opportunities.  

Paid conference leave is not automatic and must be applied for and approved by the department in advance.  Clinician Educators should work with their service chiefs and department chairs to assure adequate coverage of their clinical services while they are on paid conference leave.

4. Family Care and Medical Leaves

Clinician Educators are eligible for time off due to their own serious health condition (including pregnancy disability), the serious health condition of a family member, to bond with a new baby or in connection with military service. For information regarding types of leaves, criteria for each leave and duration, including those available under the Family Medical Leave Act, the California Family Rights Act and California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave law, see Administrative Guide Section 2.3.5.  Specific questions should be directed to University Human Resources, Disability and Leave Services

If a Clinician Educator is disabled, they are expected to file for short-term disability benefits. In connection with certain leaves, Clinician Educators may be eligible to receive a supplement in the form of reduced salary to coordinate with any disability benefits or Paid Family Leave benefits they receive and in order to maintain their regular salary for a portion of their leave.  For more information, the Clinician Educator should contact their department about the Salary Supplement Policy for Clinician Educators. Clinician Educators also may use any available sick leave or time off with pay to supplement disability benefits.   

5. Professional Development Leave Program

The Clinician Educator Professional Development Leave Program (“the Program”) was established on July 1, 2004.  Its purpose is to free Clinician Educators from their normal clinical and teaching duties, enabling them to pursue training and/or educational-related projects or opportunities that will enhance their patient care and teaching activities at Stanford.  Professional development leave should not be used for maternity-related leave.

Clinical Assistant Professors, Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors who are benefits eligible (that is, appointed at 50% full time effort (FTE) or more and for an appointment of six months or longer duration) are eligible for the Program.  

Professional development leave is with salary from Stanford University and benefits continue for a Clinician Educator on a professional development leave.  A Clinician Educator may not take a regular or administrative position at another hospital, clinic or academic institution during the leave.

Additional information about the Program is available on the Office of Academic Affairs’ Clinician Educator page, http://med.stanford.edu/academicaffairs/faculty/faculty-leaves/sabbatical-pdl.html.

6. Additional Assistance for Professional Development

Clinician Educators may have two categories of professional development assistance available to them, as follows:

STAP (Staff Training Assistance Program) funds of up to a certain amount per year may be used for job-related training.  For instance, they may be used to pay registration fees for conferences.

STRP (Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program) funds of up to a certain amount per year may be used for undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

These funds are pro-rated based on FTE.  Further information about these programs may be found on the Education Assistance Programs website.