LEAVE ADMINISTRATION - Voluntary Shared Leave Program

DATED: May 1, 2003

Category: Benefits

Contact: Benefits Manager – ext. 2208

1. References

a. UNC Charlotte Policy Statement #97, Voluntary Shared Leave Program

b. State Personnel Manual, Section 5; Subject: Voluntary Shared Leave Program

c. State Personnel Manual, Section 5, Subject: Family Illness Leave

d. UNC Administrative Memorandum Number 342 dated February 22, 1994, Subject: Amendment of Board of Governors Policies on Leave for Certain EPA employees

2. General

a. This program provides an opportunity for employees to donate some of their vacation/annual/bonus leave to assist a fellow employee affected by a medical condition that requires absence from work for a prolonged period of time resulting in possible loss of income due to lack of accumulated leave.

b. A prolonged period of time is generally considered to be at least 20 consecutive workdays. If an employee has had previous random absences for the same condition that has caused excessive absences, or if the employee has had a previous, but different, prolonged medical condition within the last 12 months, an exception to the 20-day period may be made.

c. Leave transferred (donated) under this program will be available for use on a current basis or may be retroactive for up to 30 calendar days to substitute for leave without pay or advanced vacation/annual or sick leave already granted to the leave recipient.

d. Approval to grant donated leave shall be subject to the availability of funds.

e. This leave can overlay the unpaid portion, if any, of Family & Medical Leave or Family Illness Leave.

3. Recipient Requirements

a. Recipients must be employees working at least half-time (20 hours per week or more) in permanent, probationary, or trainee appointment status. (Limitations and leave balances will be pro-rated for part-time employees.)

b. Employees may apply to participate in the program by sending to the Benefits Office the HR Form #29.1 along with the required doctor's statement attached. Copies of this form are also available from the Benefits Office.

c. Employees may suggest a fellow employee for participation in the program by notifying the Benefits Manager of the employee's need.

d. Employees desiring to participate in the program as recipients of shared vacation/annual leave may indicate their confidentiality preference of the medical condition in the release agreement of the shared leave application.

e. Authority is delegated to the Director of Human Resources to approve requests or nominations that are supported by the appropriate department or office head.

f. Authority is delegated to the appropriate Vice Chancellor to take final action on requests/nominations for which the Director of Human Resources and/or the appropriate department or office head have recommended disapproval.

g. An employee must exhaust all accumulated vacation, bonus and sick leave in order to be eligible to use donated leave. If medical evidence is available to support the need for leave beyond the employee's accumulated balance, donations may be solicited before accumulated leave is exhausted.

4. Donor Requirements

a. Donors must be employees working at least half-time (20 hours per week or more) in permanent, probationary, or trainee status.

b. A non-family member may donate only vacation/annual or bonus leave.

c. A family member who is a state employee may donate vacation/annual or bonus leave to another immediate family member state employee in any agency or university. For transfer of vacation/annual or bonus leave, immediate family is defined as spouse, parents, children, brother, sister, grandparents, and grandchildren, including the step, half, and in-law relationships.

d. A family member who is a state employee may transfer sick leave to an immediate family member state employee in any agency or university if the family member is a spouse, parent, child (including step relationships), or other dependent living in the household.

e. An employee family member donating sick leave to a qualified family member may not reduce his or her sick leave balance below 40 hours. The maximum amount to be donated is 1040 hours.

f. The minimum amount of leave to be donated by an individual is four hours.

g. The maximum amount of vacation/annual leave to be donated is no more than the amount of the individual's annual accrual rate. However, the amount donated may not reduce the donor's leave balance below one-half the annual leave accrual rate.

h. Donors cannot receive remuneration for vacation/annual or bonus leave donated.

i. Employees may donate leave to an approved participant of the program by completing HR Form #29.2. Copies of this form are also available from the Benefits Office.