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SCHOOL DAY REQUEST FOR TIME To ensure the smooth operation of our school, it is imperative that all staff members remain on campus during school hours. If a staff member must leave during the day, they must notify their immediate supervisor or the Principal and Human Resources. In addition, all absences must be processed through the HR System/BUK. Staff members must complete the “Request Absence” Process in BUK, which will automatically be sent to their direct supervisor for review. It is also necessary to notify your school Admin Assistant through the system for substitution purposes. Once the request is approved by the supervisor, it will be forwarded to the Human Resources Department for processing. The Time Off Committee is responsible for reviewing requests for special circumstances and determining whether they are approved or denied. By adhering to these procedures, we can ensure that our school operates efficiently and that all staff members are aware of their responsibilities. |
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A. HOLIDAY PAY Subject to annual approval, CNG recognizes all legal Colombian holidays that fall within the official school year calendar, in addition to observing U.S. Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day. Depending on the academic calendar year, CNG may also observe other breaks, including October Recess, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break. At the discretion of the school, employees may enjoy paid breaks, such as Winter Break, October Break, Thanksgiving Break, February Break, and Easter Break. These breaks are considered "Descanso Remunerado." |
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B. VACATION - Vacation for Administrative Staff: According to Colombian law, all full-time administrative employees are entitled to fifteen business days of vacation per year, which begins accruing on their first day of full-time employment. To schedule vacation time, employees must submit a completed Vacation Form to their supervisor and Human Resources at least two weeks prior to the requested leave, no later than the fifth day of each month prior to the vacation time. The employee must have sufficient accrued leave available to cover the dates requested. Requests will be approved based on a variety of factors, including departamental operations and staff requirements. Final approval must be granted by the Human Resources Department Office. Vacation pay is calculated at the employee’s base rate at the time the leave is taken and is not included in overtime pay calculations or any other additional form of compensation such as bonuses or stipends. If a holiday falls during the employee’s vacation, the day will be charged to holiday pay rather than to vacation pay. If an employee takes leave beyond their available vacation balance, it may be unpaid (licencia no remunerada) and must be approved by the immediate supervisor and HR Office. In the event of employment termination, any unused vacation leave accrued through the last day of active employment will be paid to the employee at their base rate of pay upon termination. |
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C. PERSONAL DAY
Staff members are allowed to take up to three (3) Personal Days each school year. Each day constitutes eight work hours. If a staff member needs to be absent for the whole day or partial, they must submit their request via BUK to their direct supervisor and HR, at least one week in advance and coordinate to ensure appropriate substitute coverage. Personal Days are excused absences, and staff members are not penalized in terms of pay. However, Personal Days must be used by May 15th, and they are not transferable to the following school year. Half days for voting are counted as part of the three Personal Days. In addition, if you are a juror, you may request one additional day and present proof of your appointment. Family days, such as Jornada Familiar, are also included in the three-day Personal Day allowance. Keep in mind that Thanksgiving Break is a family time for all faculty and staff members. If a staff member needs to be off campus during work hours, they must use a Personal Day to cover the corresponding hours. A maximum of two consecutive Personal Days are allowed. Personal Days cannot be requested before or after school vacation, holidays, or long weekends (puente) or during professional development days. For Parent-Teacher conferences, CNG parents can arrange appointments directly with the area Supervisor without a formal Time Off Request. However, for external schools, the staff member must use a Personal Day without restrictions (next to holidays or breaks, etc) and provide evidence of the appointment to HR. |
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D. PERSONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY – ‘LICENCIA NO REMUNERADA’
If an employee needs to take time off work without pay, they may request a personal leave of absence for no more than five (5) days per year, in addition to their Personal Days. Please note that pay will be deducted for the days absent. According to Colombian law, if an employee requests one absence day without pay during the week, the pay deduction will include that day plus Sunday. For instance, if an absence is equal to three days, the deduction would be for four (4) days (the three weekdays missed plus Sunday).
To request a personal leave, the employee must submit their request to their direct supervisor at least ten (10) days in advance, and the request will be presented to the Time Off's Committee for approval. Please note that personal leaves will only be given with prior authorization. Therefore, it is essential not to book tickets or vacation without going through the proper channels of authorization.
If the employee has already booked their trip before receiving approval from the Time Off’s Committee, they may need to make changes to their travel plans. Failure to do so may result in a reprimand letter being issued in the employee's file. |
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E. SICK DAY
All staff members are entitled to three (3) Sick Days per school year, which can be used for illness, medical appointments, medical tests for them or direct family members, that are only available during school hours. Whenever possible, employees should schedule medical appointments, exams, or lab tests after school hours or on Saturdays. Absence requests to the employee’s direct supervisor for medical appointments/exams/ lab tests should be made as soon as the employee schedules the appointment. This will ensure there is appropriate substitute coverage available. All absences must be entered in HR System/BUK. If an employee is too ill to go to work, they should inform their direct supervisor as soon as possible and put the absence in BUK. If the illness continues beyond one Sick Day, employees are requested to notify their direct supervisor by the end of the school day so that appropriate substitute coverage can be arranged and will have to send to HR the "Incapacidad." If an employee feels ill before or after school vacation, holidays, long weekends (puente) or during professional development days, sick days will not be allowed and a written doctor’s excuse (Incapacidad) for that day and/or subsequent days must be presented. Without a medical excuse, salary deductions are required by Colombian law. |
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F. SICK LEAVE ‘INCAPACIDAD’ Sick Leave (Incapacidad) is defined as an absence due to personal sickness certified by a doctor from your EPS or Health Private Insurance/Prepagada, and as per Colombian law, requires a medical certification (Incapacidad Medica) for any medical absences. It is the employee's responsibility to provide the necessary documentation to the Human Resources Department within three business (3) days after the Sick Leave period starts. Please be aware that seeking and providing this documentation is the sole responsibility of the employee. If the employee fails to provide this documentation to the Human Resources Department within three (3) days after the Incapacidad has started, CNG will invoke pay deduction for each day of absence.
For all sick leaves, all employees must present the original written doctor’s excuse (Incapacidad) issued by a certified doctor from the EPS or Health Private Insurance/Prepagada.
Beyond two (2) consecutive days of personal illness, the employee should also bring to HR the Clinical History (Historia Clínica) issued by the Hospital/Clinic/Doctor only to the Human Resources Department.
The “Incapacidad” document must have the following information:
Important note: Elective surgery, which can be planned and/ or postponed, is not considered Sick Leave. This type of surgery should be scheduled during vacation time or during any other time that does not affect student contact hours or professional learning. When possible, the employee should schedule medical appointments/exams/lab tests after school hours or on Saturday. CNG does not recognize either a medical excuse from a private doctor or from a doctor who does not have a contractual agreement with your EPS. |
G. MATERNITY LEAVE - ‘LICENCIA DE MATERNIDAD’
Maternity leave is defined as an absence from work due to pregnancy or adoption. According to Colombian law, every pregnant employee is entitled to a paid leave of eighteen (18) weeks or 126 calendar days from the time of delivery, based on the salary earned at the time the leave begins. As soon as pregnancy is confirmed and the due date is established, the employee must inform the Human Resources Department, clarifying the expected due date. The start date of the maternity leave should be at least one mandatory week before the due date, by Colombian law.
After the child is born, the employee must provide the necessary documentation to the HR Department for reimbursement from the EPS. The documentation includes:
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H. BREASTFEEDING - ‘LACTANCIA’For up to six months after the child’s birth, any employee who is breastfeeding is entitled to two breaks of half an hour per day. After this period, the employee is allowed one break of thirty minutes per day until the child turns two years old, as long as continuous breastfeeding is confirmed. It's important to note that this extended period applies exclusively to children born after July 31st, 2023. |
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I. PATERNITY LEAVE - ‘LEY MARÍA’ Paternity Leave is a right that the father or partner can take 14 calendar days. These days must be taken directly following the child’s birth. Failure to take them at this time will result in losing the right to Paternity Leave. The documentation that must be submitted to the Human Resources Department are the following:
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J. CALAMITY/BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
According to Colombian labor law, employees are entitled to up to five (5) days of paid Calamity/Bereavement Leave, also known as 'calamidad doméstica', in the event of an emergency health condition or the death of an immediate family member, including a spouse, child, parent, parent-in-law, sibling, grandchild, step-parent, step-sibling, step-child, or grandparent. The employee must obtain authorization from their direct supervisor and the Human Resources Department before taking the leave. If an employee requires additional time off, the Time Off Committee may approve it on a case-by-case basis. It is important to note that any extra days granted are at the discretion of the Committee and not guaranteed.
In cases where international travel is required, the employee may be granted up to two additional days of leave. It is essential that employees follow the proper procedures and obtain authorization before taking Calamity/Bereavement Leave to ensure that they are eligible for the paid time off. |
K. SCHOOL SPONSOR ACTIVITIES
Absences resulting from participation in student activities, school-approved trips, Classroom Without Walls excursions, and administrative meetings conducted off-campus will be considered excused absences, and no deduction will be made to the employee's pay. However, these absences must be pre-approved by the direct supervisor and Human Resources Department. |
L. OFFICIAL BUSINESS"Official business" applies to absences associated with participation in legal matters related to work at the school (such as legal cases in which one must represent the school or pension disputes). It also includes HR-required processes such as obtaining work visas or visas for participating in professional learning opportunities approved by the school. Additionally, absences related to overseas shipping arrival for incoming international staff also qualify as "official business". New international staff members are entitled to one (1) day off to move in and settle down when their shipment arrives. |
M. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING LEAVEAbsences due to participation in professional learning opportunities that are coordinated by CNG are considered as excused absence with no pay deduction. CNG limits the total number of available professional learning days for leaves. It's important to know that the HR and PL Committee will review any requests for leave due to participation in professional learning opportunities not required by CNG. The maximum number of days allowed for such leave is five paid days per year. All requests must be approved by the direct supervisor, PL Committee and Human Resources Department. |
N. SUBSTITUTIONTeachers are responsible for scheduling their own substitutes through the administrative assistant. Prior to the beginning of the school year, all teachers must complete a substitute folder and file it with the division office. Please include all vital information that your substitute will need to run your classroom in an organized and efficient manner such as lesson plans, seating charts, extra activities, and daily schedules. |
O. RECRUITMENT
- Recruitment Leave for Overseas Job Seekers: Teachers who intend NOT to return to the school and provide notification to the Director by the established date after completing their second year of initial contract are entitled to receive 4 paid recruitment leave days and 1 moving day*. This should be arranged and approved by their direct Supervisor and the Time Off Committee. Teachers must present supporting evidence of seeking overseas employment, such as attending international recruiting fairs, participating in an out-of-country interview process, and/or fulfilling visa requirements. It should be noted that recruitment leave should not be considered as an "extra" personal day.
- Recruitment Leave for Job Seekers within Colombia: After completing their second year of initial contract, teachers who intend NOT to return to the school and provide notification to the Director by the established date are entitled to receive 1 paid recruitment leave day (extended with 1 moving day*) which should be arranged and approved by their direct Supervisor and Time Off Committee. Teachers must present supporting evidence of seeking employment within Colombia, such as attending recruiting fairs, participating in an interview process, and/or fulfilling employment paperwork requirements.
*In their final year, departing faculty members may take one day of paid leave for moving and supervising the packing and removal of personal effects. Such leave will be granted at the discretion of the direct report and Human Resources. |
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P. OTHER
HR will review other requests on a case-by-case basis. Some examples of requests that may be considered as others include medical excuses for a child, nanny, or partner who is not employed by CNG, as well as requests related to the death of a pet. Each request will be evaluated individually based on its specific circumstances. Employees who are getting married are eligible for 2 consecutive days of paid time off. The employee must provide proof of marriage to HR. |