Catastrophic Leave

The CSU Catastrophic Leave Donation Program allows employees to voluntarily donate sick and/or vacation leave credits to employees that are totally incapacitated due to a catastrophic illness or injury, and have exhausted all leave credits, including any sick, vacation, personal holiday or CTO credits. Family illnesses that are deemed catastrophic, requiring an employee to be absent to care for an immediate family member, are also eligible for the program.

To Receive Catastrophic Leave Credits

• You must have exhausted all accrued leave credits (sick, vacation, compensatory time off, etc.) due to a catastrophic illness or injury that has incapacitated you from work.
• A doctor's note must accompany the request form and indicate any special circumstances that cause the illness or injury to be catastrophic. (Not all illnesses or injuries that disable an employee form working qualify as catastrophic.)
• The total donated leave credits you may receive cannot exceed three calendar months from the first day of catastrophic leave. In exceptional cases, an additional three calendar month period may be approved.

To Donate Catastrophic Leave Credits

• You may donate up to 40 hours of your accrued vacation or sick leave credits per fiscal year (refer to Catastrophic Leave Chart).
• Donated leave credits may not necessarily be deducted in the same calendar or fiscal year that the form is signed.
• Leave credits are transferred in the order pledged on the Catastrophic Donation Form and are not deemed donated until transferred by Payroll to the recipient.

For more information regarding the CSUSM Catastrophic Leave Program, please refer to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement and/or your HR Analyst.