Personal Leave of Absence

1.0 Policy

A leave of absence is a privilege, not a right, that is intended to accommodate employees who encounter unusual or unavoidable circumstances that necessitate an extended absence from the job. Generally there is a reasonable expectation that the employee will return and that it is in Ultra Tech's long-term best interest to retain the employee.

2.0 Scope

All full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) who have successfully completed at least one year of continuous service.

3.0 Guidelines

A leave of absence is a temporary suspension of employment, without pay, for an extended period of time (generally for a period of time greater than 30 days but less than six months). Any absence beyond 90 days will require a review by the Director of Human Resources and approval by the Office of the President.

Leaves of absence generally can be granted for reasons of health, education, child or elder care, or other personal reasons.

Approval of a leave of absence will be at the discretion of management and will include such factors as duration and purpose of the leave; availability of a qualified replacement and the workload of the affected department; impact to client relations; the overall work record of the employee prior to the request; and the probability that the employee will return.

A leave of absence, however, is not in itself a guarantee of continued employment. The Company reserves the right to fill the position vacated, as necessary. Return from leave status, therefore, is contingent upon availability of openings for which the employee is qualified.

While on leave, Company benefits generally are not continued, with the exception of life, medical, and dental coverage. These may be continued provided the employee pays the total cost of premiums, including Ultra Tech's portion, to the Human Resources Department.

During a leave of absence the employee's name remains on the payroll, and seniority and service accumulations remain intact for purposes of service-related benefit accruals, such as vesting for pension purposes.

Unused general leave accrued is paid at the commencement of the leave. General leave will not accrue while the employee is on a leave of absence, nor are employees eligible for holiday pay while on leave status.

The normal salary review dates of employees on leave will be postponed by the amount of leave time taken.

4.0 Exception

Exception to this policy will be made, as required by federal law (Uniformed Services Employment & Re-employment Act (USERRA), for extended or long-term military duty.

Individuals returning from an extended military tour of duty will be reinstated as required by law, provided the employee:

• Makes application for reinstatement within 90 days of release from service.
• Is physically able to perform the job.
• Provides documentation of satisfactory service or an honorable discharge.

If an employee's former job is not available, the Company will provide a job of like status and pay, so far as it is possible.

5.0 Procedure

The employee should make all requests in writing, specifying the purpose and duration of the leave, likelihood of return, and any additional comments that may affect consideration of his/her request. The request should be directed to the employee's immediate supervisor.

It is the responsibility of the immediate supervisor to determine whether the request and duration of leave will adversely affect operations, and whether a replacement will be readily available, if needed. Once a determination is made, the supervisor should make a recommendation, bearing in mind the employee's overall work record. The employee's request, analysis, and recommendation should be forwarded to the Human Resources Department.

The Human Resources Department will assess the request in terms of the employee's personnel file and overall company practice or precedent. Working with the supervisor, Human Resources will forward a recommendation to the next level in the management chain and ensure that all requests are handled in a fair and consistent manner.

The Human Resources Department will ensure that the employee is informed in writing as to the outcome of his/her request and given reasons bearing on a denial, if applicable. In addition, it is the responsibility of Human Resources to discuss the status of the employee's benefits while on leave and payment procedures that exist.

Within two weeks of the expected date of return, it is the employee's responsibility to contact Human Resources to determine whether a position is available upon his/her return. Failure to contact Human Resources by the expected date of return will be considered a voluntary resignation by the employee.

Should a suitable position not exist, the employee will voluntarily resign at the conclusion of the leave, and the employee will be advised regarding the impact to his/her benefits.