Compassionate Transfer of Leave

410.17.1 Purpose

The purpose of the Compassionate Transfer of Leave benefit is to provide eligible employees with additional paid leave for a specific period of time due to catastrophic illness or injury.

410.17.2 Eligibility to Receive Leave

Full-time, regular faculty and staff are eligible to receive compassionate transfer of leave.

Employees on Worker’s Compensation Leave are not eligible to receive compassionate transfer of leave, since they are receiving money through Worker’s Compensation.

410.17.3 Eligibility to Donate Leave

Full-time regular classified staff, professionals and administrators are eligible to donate vacation leave. 

Full-time regular classified staff, professionals, faculty and administrators are eligible to donate up to 24 hours of personal leave (charged to the employee’s sick balance) per calendar year.

410.17.4 Scope of Benefit

An employee may voluntarily transfer accrued vacation or personal leave to other employees who are unable to work due to catastrophic illness or injury. These leave transfers are available for the recovery of the employee or to care for the employee's immediate family, persons in their established household or in situations which place responsibility for care on the employee.

Contributions shall not exceed the anticipated period of disability or twelve weeks, whichever period is shorter.

410.17.5 Catastrophic Illness/injury

To be eligible to receive compassionate transfer of leave an employee must have a catastrophic illness/injury.  All of the below conditions must be met in order for an illness/injury to be considered catastrophic:

1. Seriously incapacitating, (in the case of the employee, the employee is unable to perform all the duties of the job held at the time of disability or is unable to perform available light duty work), and

2. extended, (i.e., the anticipated duration of the disability is at least 45 days which may be continuous or intermittent), and

3. confirmed in writing by a physician chosen by the employee, subject to reconfirmation by a physician chosen by the College.  The Human Resources Department may require periodic progress reports during the duration of the illness/injury.

410.17.6 Receipt of Leave

Prior to the awarding of compassionate transfer of leave to an eligible employee, that employee must meet the conditions below:

1. A recipient must have exhausted all forms of paid leave (e.g., vacation, sick leave, and compensatory time) prior to the leave transfer.

2. A recipient must have passed his/her initial probationary period.

410.17.7 Donation of Leave

The following conditions apply to the donation of leave:

1. Contributions must be voluntary.

2. A contributor must retain a minimum balance of 80 vacation hours after the leave transfer.

3. Leave transfers shall be accomplished on a direct hour-per-hour basis.

4. Leave is donated into a centralized pool to be used by eligible employees.

5. Vacation hours will not be returned to the donating employee.