Procedure No. 864.1

Adopted: 10/22/19

Under the Volunteer Sick leave Donation Program, a full-time employee may donate sick leave directly to cover a benefit-eligible employee who may face financial hardship because they have exhausted all of their own paid leave options due to a medical emergency such as an extended catastrophic illness or injury to him/herself.

Employees must have completed a minimum of one year of continuous full-time employment to be eligible to donate and/or receive donated sick time.

Upon termination of the medical emergency or termination of employment (resignation/retirement etc.), all unused donated sick leave must be restored to the leave accounts of the donors on a pro-rated basis.

Donation of Sick Time

• The donation of sick time is strictly voluntary.
• Donated sick time will go into a leave bank for an eligible recipient.
• The donation of sick time is on a daily basis, without regard to the dollar value of the donated or used leave.
• The minimum number of sick days that an eligible employee may donate is one (1) day per fiscal year; the maximum is ten (10) days or no more than 10 percent of the employee's current balance per fiscal year and per donation.
• Employees cannot borrow against future sick time to donate.
• Employees who are currently on an approved leave of absence cannot donate sick time.
• A Volunteer Sick Leave Donation Request Form must be completed and submitted to Human Resources for approval.

Recipient

• Recipient must have exhausted all available paid leave including but not limited to sick; sick pool; personal; vacation; and comp time. This time must be used prior to any donated sick time. Donated sick time may only be used for time off related to the approved request.
• The recipient must not have been disciplined for excessive absenteeism, excessive lateness or abuse of leave within the one year period preceding the employee’s need for donated leave.
• The donated sick time will be paid to the recipient at the recipient’s base wage rate at the time of usage.
• Employees who receive donated sick time may receive no more than 260 days.
• While using donated sick time, the recipient shall continue to accrue sick, vacation and personal leave unless otherwise provided by law.
• Upon retirement, the leave recipient shall not be granted supplemental compensation for any unused sick days received through the sick leave donation.
• Nothing in this policy will be construed to limit or extend the maximum allowable absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The Volunteer Sick Leave Request Form can be acquired by the Human Resources Department.