Can Employees Use Sick Leave for Jury Duty or Court Appearances in Austin, Texas?

Employees in Austin, Texas can take advantage of their sick leave for jury duty or court appearances. Accrual of sick leave starts on the first day of employment and ends on the last day of service in state employment. An employee who appears as a witness, as a state official or employee, in a judicial proceeding or legislative hearing to testify from their personal knowledge on matters related to the procedure or hearing may accept the usual witness fees for the appearance. Up to eight hours of sick leave each fiscal year can be used to attend school-sponsored educational activities for the employee's children from preschool to 12th grade.

Department heads responsible for remote locations can approve an emergency leave due to inclement weather and unforeseen facility closures. Commissioned police officers who suffer a traumatic event while performing their duties may be entitled to paid mental health leave without wage deduction. An employee receiving donated sick leave may only use donated sick leave as provided in Section b). Except for an employee returning from military leave under Section 20 (b), a full calendar month of unpaid leave (Section 1) does not count towards the requirement of six months of continuous service in the Texas state. An employee may be granted leave of absence to participate in mandatory training or to provide voluntary services for court-appointed special attorneys without deducting accumulated salary or vacation, overtime earned, or state compensatory time. The employee accumulates vacation and can transfer accumulated and unused vacation from one tax year to the next, according to the schedule.

Sick leave can also be used when an employee is needed to care for and help an immediate family member of the employee who is ill. Moreover, that month is not counted in the calculation of total state service, unless the employee returns from military leave under Section 20 (b). A veteran can be granted leave without wage deduction or loss of vacation, illness, overtime, or state compensatory leave to receive medical or mental health care managed by the Veterans Health Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, including physical rehabilitation.