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Catastrophic Leave

The CSU Catastrophic Leave Donation Program (CAT Leave) 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.

Employees seeking to apply for participation in the catastrophic leave donation program as recipients of donated hours will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the HR Leaves Analyst upon requesting a medical leave of absence. Review the information below under Employees Seeking to be a Recipient to learn more.

Employees seeking to donate leave credits to those currently authorized to receive donations, review the information below under Employees Seeking to Donate to learn more.

• Eligibility

  Any employee that accrues sick leave and/or vacation credits is eligible to either receive catastrophic leave donations or make donations.  Employees in classifications that do not accrue sick and/or vacation are not eligible to participate in this program.

• Employees Seeking to be a Recipient

  A catastrophic illness/injury is one which totally incapacitates the employee from work, the nature of the illness/injury must be catastrophic. Chronic conditions such as cancer, AIDS, and residual effects of a stroke may also be considered catastrophic even if the condition results in only intermittent absences.

  Conditions that are short-term in nature, such as colds, flu, or minor injuries, are generally not deemed catastrophic.

  This program also includes incapacitating conditions of immediate family members when the employee must take an extended period of time off work to care for the family member.

  Requests for participation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

  To participate in this program as a recipient:

  • The illness or injury must be totally incapacitating and expected to last more than fifteen (15) calendar days.
  • You must be on an approved Leave of Absence.
  • 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.
  • If you are eligible, you must apply for Nonindustrial Disability Insurance (NDI), Industrial Disability Insurance (IDL) or Temporary Disability (TD) benefits. The donated hours will supplement these programs. CAT Leave may not be received in lieu of benefits through a disability program.

  To apply for participation in the Catastrophic Leave Donation Program, please contact the HR Leaves Analyst. You must be on an approved Leave of Absence prior to applying for this program.

  The total donated leave credits you receive may not exceed three calendar months from the first day of catastrophic leave. In exceptional cases, an additional three calendar month period may be approved.

• Employees Seeking to Donate

  Any CSU employee who accrues vacation and/or sick leave credits may voluntarily donate either of those credits to any other CSU employee on the same campus, if the recipient employee has exhausted all accrued leave credits due to a catastrophic illness or injury, is on an approved leave of absence and is an authorized recipient.  

  Employees wishing to donate will need to complete the Catastrophic Leave Donation Form:
  

  • Submit completed CAT Leave Donation form to Payroll Services via AdobeSign

  Credits may be donated in one-hour increments and the maximum number of hours allowed to be donated, per fiscal year, is determined by the collective bargaining agreement.

  Refer to Catastrophic Leave Chart:
  CAT Leave Chart

  • Leave credits are transferred in the order pledged and are not deemed donated until transferred by Payroll to the recipient.
  • The leave you donate remains in your account until it is transferred to an eligible employee.
  • When your leave credits are transferred to an eligible employee; your leave balance will indicate the reduction online in PeopleSoft Absence Management.
  • Donations are irrevocable once posted to the recipient鈥檚 leave record.
• Solicitation Process

  With the employee鈥檚 approval, the Office of Human Resources will notify the campus community of the employees need for donations by:

  • Posting the employee鈥檚 name in the weekly campus announcement
  • Posting the employee鈥檚 name in PeopleSoft 鈥� HR Resources

  In addition, the employee may authorize a representative to solicit leave credit donations from campus employees on their behalf.  This may include a colleague, union representative, friend, and/or family member.

• Eligible Donation Credits

  Sick and/or vacation credits may be donated if the leave is for the employee鈥檚 own catastrophic illness/injury.

  If the employee鈥檚 catastrophic leave is for family care, only vacation credits may be donated.
  
  Credits may be donated in one-hour increments and the maximum number of hours allowed to be donated per fiscal year is determined by the collective bargaining agreement.

  Refer to Catastrophic Leave Chart
  CAT Leave Chart

  Donations are irrevocable once posted to the recipient's leave record.

• Use of Catastrophic Leave Donations for Family Care

  Catastrophic illness or injury leave may be used when an employee鈥檚 鈥渋mmediate family member鈥� has a catastrophic illness or injury and results in the employee being required to take time off for an extended period of time to care for the family member.

  • An 鈥渋mmediate family member鈥� shall be defined in accordance with the definition contained in the sick leave provisions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement or policy covering the recipient employee.
  • The employee must have exhausted all his/her accrued leave credits.
  • The employee must be on an approved Leave of Absence.

Natural Disaster/State of Emergency

The CSU recognizes that employees may be affected by a natural disaster, resulting in a need for additional time off which exceeds their available vacation and sick leave. To address this need, eligible employees will be allowed to donate accrued vacation and sick leave hours from their unused balances, at the time of a natural disaster, to their coworkers in need of additional paid time off, in accordance with the provisions outlined in the appropriate CBA. Participation in this program is voluntary.

All employees who accrue and who are eligible to use accrued vacation and sick leave credits may participate in the Catastrophic Leave Donation Program - Natural Disaster/State of Emergency. There is no minimum service requirement for eligibility.

• Eligibility

  An employee becomes eligible when the following conditions exist: (a) their principal residence is located in a county where a state of emergency has been declared by the Governor; (b) they are unable to work due to the effect of the natural disaster/state of emergency on the recipient employee鈥檚 principal residence; (c) they need time away from work but face financial hardship due to having exhausted all accrued personal holiday (PH) credits and compensating time off (CTO) and having a balance of forty (40) hours or less in each accrued vacation and sick leave credits.

• Donations

  There is no maximum number of hours that an employee can donate as long as the employee has a balance of forty (40) hours of vacation leave credits and forty (40) hours of sick leave credits after the donation is deducted from their leave balances. However, leave donated may not exceed the maximum amount of leave that the employee normally accrues during that year.

  • Donations can only be made in response to a natural disaster that results in the Governor declaring a state of emergency.
  • Donations may not be collected and banked year-round.
  • Employees who are eligible to accrue leave credits may donate vacation and/or sick leave credits to employees, but PH and CTO credits may not be donated.
  • There is no maximum number of hours that an employee can donate as long as the employee has a balance of forty (40) hours of vacation leave credits and forty (40) hours of sick leave credits after the donation is deducted from their leave balances.
  • Donations may only be made in full hour increments.
  • Employees who are currently on an approved leave of absence cannot donate sick and vacation accrued leave credits. (Exception: Faculty-related leaves such as sabbaticals and difference in pay leave.)
• Length of Leave
  • The total amount of leave credits donated and used may not exceed an amount sufficient to ensure the continuance of the employee鈥檚 regular monthly rate of compensation.
  • Maximum of up to three months with a possible extension up to another three months upon approval.
  • Leave may be taken on an intermittent basis, in hour increments, depending on need and must be approved by the appropriate administrator.

Tanya Obermark/HR Leaves Analyst
Email: hrbenefits@csusm.edu
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