Sick Leave Benefit

SASMI’s paid Sick Leave Benefit provides you with up to eight hours of pay (at your last reported pay rate) on those days when you can’t work because you’re sick, you have a medical appointment, or you need to take care of a family member. Simply complete the application on the member portal within 90 days of the date you took the time off.

The Sick Leave Benefit is good for up to five days per year, but only three of those days can be consecutive.

Eligibility

You become eligible for the SASMI Sick Leave Benefit starting in the period after the period in which you meet your initial SASMI eligibility requirements. But there are a few additional plan rules that may affect your eligibility for the Sick Leave Benefit:

• To receive payment, you must have worked the workday before and the workday after the day for which you are seeking Sick Leave Benefits, and you must maintain your SASMI eligibility through the date you receive payment.
• This benefit is subject to the 100% rule. This means that if you’ve already received benefits from SASMI equal to or more than the contributions paid by your employers, then you are not eligible for this benefit.

Is This Benefit a Deduct or Non-Deduct SASMI Benefit?

The amount you are paid for sick leave counts as an active benefit when determining your Severance and HCRA at retirement. Taking this benefit, however, does not affect your eligibility for Unemployment/Underemployment Benefits, because the hours for which you receive sick leave pay are not counted as employer (work) hours when it comes to determining the amount of your SASMI Unemployment/Underemployment Benefit.

For more information, refer to the Plan Document.

Applying for the Sick Leave Benefit

To apply for the Sick Leave Benefit, visit the member portal and complete the application form. This form can be submitted electronically through the portal. You’ll need to select a reason for absence, select a date, provide the name of your employer, verify or provide your bank information for direct deposit, and validate your home address.

You will receive an email confirming the application submission. Benefits can take up to 14 -21 days to be processed.

If Your Claim for the Sick Leave Benefit Is Denied

There are several reasons you may have been denied the Sick Leave Benefit:

• You already used your allotted five days for the calendar year,
• You applied for more than three consecutive days of sick leave,
• You completed the application more than 90 days after the date you took the day off,
• You didn’t work the workday before and the workday after the day(s) in which you are seeking Sick Leave Benefits,
• You are not eligible for SASMI benefits through the date of your application, or
• You already received benefits from SASMI equal to or more than the contributions paid by your employers (100% rule).