Human Resources and Equal Opportunity
[CSUSM Home]
[CSUSM Search]
[Help for this Site]
Page Last Revised on
09/10/2004
The catastrophic leave donation program permits CSEA employees who accrue sick leave and/or vacation to voluntarily donate 1- 32 hours of their leave credits per fiscal year, all other employees may voluntarily donate 1 - 16 hours of their leave credits per fiscal year, to other employees who have experienced a catastrophic illness or injury, have exhausted their own accrued leave credits and are totally incapacitated from work. Any employee who accrues vacation and/or sick leave credits may receive donations if he/she has a catastrophic illness or injury and has exhausted all CTO, vacation, and sick leave available for use during the absence.
Catastrophic illness or injury is defined as one which has totally incapacitated an employee from work. Conditions which are short-term in nature (i.e. flu, measles, common illnesses, common injuries, etc.) are not deemed catastrophic. Chronic illnesses or injuries which result in intermittent absences from work may be considered catastrophic (i.e. cancer, AIDS, major surgery).
The same definition applies to a catastrophic illness or injury of an incapacitated member of the employee's immediate family if it results in the employee being required to take time off for an extended period in order to care for the family member and the employee has exhausted all of his/her available vacation credits and sick leave credits which may be used for family care in accordance with the appropriate bargaining agreement. Only donated vacation credits may be used for family care catastrophic leave. Immediate family member is defined in the sick leave provisions of the collective bargaining agreement covering the employee. For non-represented employees, the University shall define "immediate" family.
Employees on Industrial Disability Leave (IDL), Nonindustrial Disability Leave (NDI), or Temporary Disability (TD) may only use donated leave credits to supplement their benefits. Supplementation allows employees to use donated leave credits to ensure continuance of their regular monthly rate of compensation.
Solicitation for donated leave credits will be done through e-mail to
the campus
Benefits Manager. Employees
who wish to donate leave will need to complete the
Donation
of Leave Credit for Catastrophic Illness Form (MSWord
doc) and submit it to HREO. Once the
solicitation is complete, an e-mail message will be sent out to the campus indicating that
sufficient hours have been donated. The donation forms will be given to the Payroll Office
for verification of available leave credits and transferring of amounts. Payroll will
notify the donors of the amount of time used and the pay period against which it was
charged. Once an employee has donated leave credits, those donations are irrevocable.
Leave pledged but not used will not be forfeited by the donor. Donated leave shall be used
in the order donation forms are received in Payroll Services.
HOW TO APPLY
To participate in CLD, you, your Union representative, an employee authorized to represent you, a family member, or a legal representative will need to submit a written request for participation to HREO and to the Dean/Director of your department. HREO is responsible for determining eligibility and for coordinating the solicitation of donated leave credits. You will also need to provide medical verification and complete a release information form. Solicitation may not be conducted without all three documents. Employees or their representatives refusing to complete and submit these documents will not be authorized to receive catastrophic leave credit donations.
The Benefits Coordinator, in conjunction with you or your designated
representative and the Payroll Office, will project the approximate number of hours needed
beyond your own leave credits for the duration of the catastrophic leave and will use that
projection as the basis for solicitation on campus. You are required to exhaust ALL
of your available leave credits (personal holiday, sick leave, vacation, holiday credit,
CTO) prior to receiving donated leave credits. Employees do not receive additional sick
leave or vacation credits while receiving donated time unless the cause of the absence is
related to an industrial injury or accident.
The purpose of this summary is to provide a general orientation to Catastrophic Leave Donation program. Benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of specific policies and/or applicable legal agreements.
Human Resources and Equal Opportunity