Catastrophic Leave

Eligibility

The Catastrophic Leave Donation Program (CLD) shall apply to all eligible employees temporary, probationary, and permanent academic and nonacademic employees, confidential employees, and management employees covered by the Management Personnel Plan.

Program

The Catastrophic Leave Donation (CLD) Program allows for the donation and receipt of vacation and sick leave credits between all eligible University employees.  Donated leave may be used by an employee who has a catastrophic illness or injury and has exhausted all leave credits normally available to cover the required absence from work.

The CLD program also applies to situation where an employee needs to be absent from work due to a catastrophic illness or injury of an immediate family member.  If an employee is eligible for Non-Industrial Disability (NDI), s/her must apply for NDI to be eligible to apply for the CLD.

The illness/ injury must be one that has totally incapacitated the employee from work.  Conditions which are short term in nature (for example: flu, measles, common illnesses, common injuries, etc.,) are not covered.  Chronic illnesses which result in intermittent absences from work may be considered (for example: cancer, AIDS, major surgery).  Generally speaking, such chronic illnesses or injuries must be considered both long term in nature and require long term recuperation periods.  The medical verification required should indicate a total incapacitation from work.

The illness or injury may also include an incapacitated member of the employee’s family if this results in the employee being required to take time off for an extended period of time in order to care for the family member and the employee has exhausted all of his/ her accrued vacation credits and all of his/her accrued sick leave credits which may be used for family care in accordance with the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Only donated vacation credits may be used for such family care leave.

Donated leave credits may be used to supplement payments from:

• Non-Industrial Disability Leave
• Temporary Disability Leave

Donated leave credits may be coordinated with the Family Medical Leave Act (as applicable).  The total amount of leave credits donated and used may not exceed an amount sufficient to ensure the continuance of the employee’s regular monthly rate of compensation.

The total donated leave credits shall normally not exceed three (3) calendar months calculated from the first day of catastrophic leave.  In exceptional cases, an additional three (3) month period may be approved.

Employees may donate leave credits to a specific individual by obtaining and completing the CLD Form from the Payroll Office or by going to the payroll website and downloading the Catastrophic Leave Donation form.  The completed form must be submitted to the Payroll Services.  For additional information contact the Human Resources Office at 510-885-3634.