Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Board of Trustees of the California State University, as one of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in California. Existing law requires the trustees to provide by rule for the government of their appointees and employees, and authorizes the trustees to grant a leave of absence without compensation to any nonacademic employee.

This bill would require the California State University to grant to any employee, upon a request that provides at least 30 days notice before commencement and, when possible, 30 days notice before the academic term, a leave of absence without loss of compensation, including retirement fund contributions, for the purpose of enabling the employee to serve as an elected officer of any California State University campus public employee organization or any statewide or national public employee organization with which the university campus organization is affiliated. The bill would require the university or campus of the university to be reimbursed by the employee organization for all compensation paid during the leave of absence. The bill would provide that the leave of absence without loss of compensation provided by these provisions would be in addition to the released time without loss of compensation granted to representatives of an exclusive representative for purposes of meeting and conferring or for the processing of grievances. The bill would provide that the employee, upon expiration of the leave of absence, is entitled to reinstatement in the position the employee held at the time leave was granted, if it still exists, or to a comparable existing position for which the employee is qualified.