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HomeEducation CodeDiv. 7Pt. 51Ch. 3Art. 7§ 87786 Academic Employee Sick Leave

§ 87786 Academic Employee Sick Leave

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 87786 Academic Employee Sick Leave

Key Takeaways

  • •If a teacher or professor at a community college gets sick or hurt and misses work for 5 months or less, they can still get at least half of their normal pay.
  • •If they are sick for more than 5 months, or if they miss work for a reason other than sickness, the school can decide how much to cut their pay for that month.
  • •The school can make its own rules about sick leave or accident leave, as long as these rules don’t conflict with bigger state rules.
  • •These rules apply even if the teacher or professor is on an official leave of absence.

Example

A community college professor gets very sick and has to miss work for 4 months.

Because the professor was sick for less than 5 months, the school must pay them at least half of their normal salary during those 4 months. The school can’t use other rules to pay them less than that.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 87786 Academic Employee Sick Leave

Section 87780 shall not apply to any community college district which adopts and maintains in effect a rule that provides that when a person employed in an academic position is absent from their duties on account of illness or accident for a period of five school months or less whether or not the absence arises out of or in the course of the employment of the employee, the employee shall receive 50 percent or more of their regular salary during the period of the absence and nothing in Section 87780 shall be construed as preventing the governing board of any district from adopting any such rule. Notwithstanding the foregoing, when a person employed in an academic position is absent from their duties on account of illness for a period of more than five school months, or when a person is absent from their duties for a cause other than illness, the amount deducted from the salary due the employee for the month in which the absence occurs shall be determined according to the rules and regulations established by the governing board of the district. These rules and regulations shall not conflict with rules and regulations of the board of governors. Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to deprive any district, city, or city and county of the right to make any reasonable rule for the regulation of accident or sick leave or cumulative accident or sick leave without loss of salary for academic employees. This section shall be applicable whether or not the absence from duty is by reason of a leave of absence granted by the governing board of the employing district. (Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 129, Sec. 3. (AB 3374) Effective January 1, 2021.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

employmentregulationgovernorschooldutyaccidentemployeesalary

Related Statutes

  • § 87780 Academic Employee Illness Pay
  • § 87765 Academic Employee Sick Leave
  • § 87782 Employee Sick Leave Transfer
  • § 87784 Employee Personal Necessity Leave
  • § 47611.5 Charter School Employer Declaration

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 87786.
View Official Source