Voluntary Shared Leave (Non-Exempt Staff, Exempt Staff, and Executives

I. DEFINITIONS

A. Voluntary Shared Leave - Voluntary shared leave (VSL) allows one employee to assist another employee in the case of a prolonged medical condition which exhausts the receiving employee's available leave. This is done by donating vacation leave to offset the sick leave of another employee. VSL also allows employees to contribute vacation days including those that would be lost because of the maximum vacation cut-off to be contributed to a general VSL pool without the designation of a specific recipient. VSL does not apply to incidental, normal, or short-term medical conditions.

B. Prolonged Medical Condition - A prolonged medical condition is one which is likely to require an employee's absence from duty for at least 20 workdays for self or as a necessary care-giver for the medical condition of an immediate family member.

C. Immediate Family - For the purpose of this policy, immediate family is defined as spouse, parent (where employee is a necessary care giver), son or step-son, daughter or step-daughter, and foster children under the legal care of the employee.

II. REFERENCES

PPM 3-21, Sick Leave (Non-exempt Staff, Exempt Staff and Executives)
PPM 3-26, Maternity Leave
PPM 3-27, Administrative Leave
PPM 3-28, Special Leave
PPM 3-29, Leaves of Absence Without Pay
PPM 3-29a, Family and Medical Leave

III. POLICY

A. Application Process

1. An application to receive or donate VSL to or from the general VSL pool is submitted to the Human Resource Department

2. Supervisory approval is required for an employee to be the recipient of VSL.

3. The supervisors of donor employees will be notified so each supervisor can be aware of the adjustment in vacation balances.

4. A physician's statement describing the specific nature of the medical treatment and an estimated recovery or treatment time must accompany an application to receive VSL.

5. If a donation is to a specific employee, the donating employee may use a simplified method by sending an e-mail to the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources with the amount to be donated and the name of the person to receive the donation. In this case, the Human Resource office will obtain the necessary approvals and respond to the e-mail.

B. Restrictions

1. Donors of VSL may not donate time that reduces their vacation balance below 40 hours.

2. An employee must have used all available leave, including annual or personal leave before receiving VSL.

3. Employees do not earn vacation or sick leave while receiving VSL.

4. The maximum number of hours per illness event that may be transferred to an individual is 520.

5. All provisions of Weber State University Policy 3-21 (Sick Leave for Non-exempt Staff, Exempt Staff, and Executives) apply.

6. Employees may not receive VSL for periods of time during which they are being paid from any other source related to work at Weber State University.

C. Administration

1. A standing committee appointed by the President and consisting of five members including at least two non-exempt staff and two exempt staff members will develop and administer the Voluntary Shared Leave pool of donated time that is not designated for a specific employee. They will develop guidelines which are fair and consistent and recognize University priorities. They will be assisted in their administration of the program by a representative of the Human Resource Department.

D. Appeals

1. Appeals to the administration of VSL will be handled according to the process in Weber State University Policy 3-31.