Serious Health Condition | Spalding University Policy Guide

3.3.4.1.3: Serious Health Condition

For purposes of this policy, a “serious health condition” means the illness, injury, or physical or mental condition that involves either:

  1. Inpatient care (i.e., an overnight stay) in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, including any period of incapacity (i.e., inability to work, attend school or perform other regular daily activities due to the serious health condition, treatment therefore, or recovery therefrom), or any subsequent treatment in connection with such inpatient care; or
  2. Continuing treatment by a health care provider which includes any period of incapacity (i.e., inability to work, attend school or perform other regular daily activities due to the serious health condition, treatment therefore, or recovery therefrom) due to:

    a.. A period of incapacity (i.e., inability to work, attend school or perform other regular daily activities due to the serious health condition, treatment therefore, or recovery therefrom) of more than three consecutive calendar days, and any subsequent treatment or period of incapacity relating to the same condition, that also involves:

    i) Treatment two or more times by a health care provider; or

    ii) Treatment by a health care provider on at least one occasion which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the health care provider;

    b. Pregnancy or pre-natal care;

    c. A chronic serious health condition which continues over an extended period of time, requires at least two visits to a health care provider annually, and may involve occasional episodes of incapacity (e.g., asthma, diabetes); or

    d. A permanent or long-term condition for which treatment may not be effective (e.g., Alzheimer’s, a severe stroke, terminal cancer). Only supervision by a health care provider is required, rather than active treatment; or

    e. Any absences to receive multiple treatments for restorative surgery or for a condition which would likely result in a period of incapacity of more than three days if not treated (e.g., chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer).

Requests for leave to care for other seriously ill family members or members of an employee’s household will be considered on a case-by-case basis. This policy is not intended to cover short-term conditions for which treatment and recovery are very brief, or would not result in a period of incapacity of more than three calendar days. Short-term conditions are normally covered under the Sick Leave policy.