§76-33 Sabbatical leave. Any employee who has been employed by the State or any county for seven consecutive years may upon application to and with the approval of the employee's department head be granted a sabbatical leave of absence by the appointing authority for not more than one year, provided that the two years of employment next preceding the application has been with the same department. The employee shall have the right to return to the employee's position at the expiration of the sabbatical leave of absence. The employee on sabbatical leave shall be paid an amount equal to one-half of the basic compensation which the employee was receiving at the commencement of the leave. The payments shall be made in regular monthly installments, the last two of which shall not be made until after the employee has returned to work with the jurisdiction which granted the employee the leave. The employee shall agree to return to work upon termination of sabbatical leave or any other leave which may be granted immediately following the sabbatical leave. If the employee fails to report for work upon termination of sabbatical and any other leave granted, the employee shall be considered to have resigned and shall refund all moneys received while on sabbatical leave. Upon return from sabbatical and any other leave, the employee shall agree to work in the appropriate department for a period of two continuous years. If the employee fails to do so, the employee shall refund all moneys received while on sabbatical leave. An employee on sabbatical leave shall not engage in any form of employment which interferes with the employee's professional education and training and as shall be approved by the employee's department head. An employee granted sabbatical leave shall not by reason thereof be deprived of any accumulated vacation allowance or sick leave but shall accrue no additional vacation allowance or sick leave during the period of the leave. Upon the employee's return from sabbatical leave the employee shall have the same salary rating that the employee had at the time of taking the leave and the employee's increment date shall be advanced equivalent to the duration of the leave. [L 1955, c 274, pt of §1; RL 1955, §3-21(n); HRS §76-33; am L 1976, c 34, §1; gen ch 1985]