Policy 04:135
Sick Leave Bank

The University has established a Sick Leave Bank as an employee benefit to provide eligible employees with an emergency pool of sick leave days to mitigate the impact of lost wages during a catastrophic illness or injury.  A catastrophic illness or injury is a severe condition or combination of conditions that (a) affect the physical or mental health of the employee and/or immediate family, (b) result in a life-threatening or life function altering condition, and (c) require an extended period of absence from work. 

Eligible employees are those employees who accrue sick leave, have completed one (1) year of continuous service to the University, and who have a minimum sick leave balance of forty (40) hours at the time of enrollment.  Part-time employees who are eligible to participate in the bank will do so at pro-rated contribution and benefit levels.

To receive benefits through the sick leave bank, employees must (1) be enrolled in the sick leave bank, (2) have made the required contributions to the bank, (3) and have exhausted any and all accrued sick and annual (vacation) leave. 

Sick leave bank benefits and Family Medical Leave will run concurrently.  Employees may not designate a particular employee to receive their deposited sick leave.  Sick leave hours deposited into the bank are irrevocable and will not be reinstated or transferred back to the participating employee for any reason, including for retirement purposes. 

The Sick Leave Bank Committee will administer all aspects of the sick leave bank and will be composed of both voting members and the Director of Human Resources and Risk Management, who will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member.  The voting members, to be appointed by the President, will include representatives from constituencies across campus.  The Committee will set guidelines for the administration and maintenance of the sick leave bank and will evaluate all applications for sick leave bank benefits and determine eligibility to receive benefits from the bank.  If an employee’s application for benefits from the bank is not approved, the employee may choose to appeal the Committee’s decision to the Vice President for Business Affairs/Treasurer, whose decision will be final. 

The Sick Leave Bank Committee is responsible for periodically reviewing and, when appropriate, recommending to the President any revisions of the Sick Leave Bank rules, regulations, procedures and forms as needed for effective operation of the Bank.

 

Approved 5/09