Business & Work

Most full-time teachers in Illinois are entitled to a minimum of 10 paid sick days each school year. Any unused sick days can be accumulated up to at least 180 days. You are also entitled to 10 sick days if you are an employee who is eligible to participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund under the "600-Hour Standard." 

You can use sick days for:

• Personal illness,
• Mental or behavioral health complications,
• Quarantine at home,
• Serious illness or death in the immediate family or household,
• Birth,
• Adoption,
• Placement for adoption, and
• Acceptance of a child in need of foster care.

“Immediate family” includes parents, spouses, brothers, sisters, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and legal guardians.

If you are using sick leave time for adoption, placement for adoption, or acceptance of a child in need of foster care, your school can ask you for proof that the formal process is underway. 

If you take more than a 3-day long absence for sick leave, your school board is allowed to require you to present a certificate of proof from:

• A physician licensed in Illinois,
• A mental health professional licensed in Illinois who is currently treating you,
• A chiropractic physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987,
• A licensed advanced practice registered nurse,
• A licensed physician assistant, or
• A spiritual adviser or practitioner of your faith.

If your school asks you to turn in a certificate for a sick leave absence of less than 3 days, they must pay for the expenses you had to pay to get that certificate.

Teachers and other eligible employees are also entitled to use up to 30 days of paid sick leave because of the birth of a child. Medical certification is not required to use this leave, and the leave is not dependent on the need to recover from childbirth. The 30 days cannot be diminished because of non-working periods, school breaks, or holidays. This kind of sick leave can be used anytime within the 12-month period following the birth of the child.

If a teacher is transferred to a new or different school district because of redistricting or the creation of a new school district, their accumulated sick leave is transferred to the new district.

Also note that an employee of a school district, public university, or community college in Illinois can be eligible for family and medical leave similar to that provided under the federal FMLA. To be eligible, the person must have: 

• Been employed by the school for at least 12 months, and
• Worked at least 1,000 hours in the previous 12-month period.