FAQs

Catastrophic Leave is a program that allows donated leave credits to be used to cover an employee’s absence due to a catastrophic illness/injury or to care for an immediate family member who has suffered a catastrophic illness/injury. The participant must have exhausted all leave credits, including any sick, vacation, personal holiday or CTO credits.

What is a catastrophic illness/injury?

A catastrophic illness/injury is one which totally incapacitates the employee from work and 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.

Who is eligible to receive catastrophic leave donations?

Any University employee who accrues vacation and/or sick leave credits may receive donations if the following requirements are met:

• The employee has exhausted all CTO, vacation, the personal holiday and sick leave available for use during the absence.
• The illness or injury must totally incapacitate the employee from work, unless the leave is for an immediate family.
• The employee must be on an approved Leave of Absence.
• The employee, if eligible for a disability benefit such as Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI), Industrial Disability Leave (IDL) or Temporary Disability (TD) benefits, may not at his/her option waive such benefit and still apply for catastrophic leave donations. Catastrophic Leave is intended to supplement disability benefits for which you are eligible.

Who may donate sick/vacation leave time?

Any employee who accrues sick leave and/or vacation may donate leave credits to other employees on the same campus regardless of bargaining unit. Donation forms are available through the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms portal. Visit the portal and search for the form.

Leave donation maximums are subject to provisions set by bargaining unit. The following is a list of maximum number of hours an employee may donate per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) regardless of the bargaining unit of the recipient(s):

Bargaining/Administrative Unit

Maximum Hours

Unit 1 (Physicians)

Units 2 , 5, 7 & 9 (CSUEU)

Unit 4 (Academic Support Unit)

Unit 6 (Skilled Trades)

Unit 8 (Public Safety Officers

Confidential Employees (C99)

Management Personnel Plan-MPP (M80)

Executive Management (M98)

Excluded (E99 including TAs)

Unit 11 (Teaching Assistants only)

Unit 11 (Graduate Assistants and ISAs)

*FERP participants who have a leave balance are eligible to donate credits at any time. FERP participants may receive and use donations only during scheduled work periods.

How are Catastrophic Leave donations credited and tracked?

• The number of hours that can be donated per fiscal year is determined by the collective bargaining agreement.
• Credits may be donated in one-hour increments.
• Sick leave and vacation credits may be donated in the case of an employee’s catastrophic illness/injury.
• Only vacation credits may be donated in the case of catastrophic leave for family care.
• The leave donation should not be deemed donated until actually transferred by Payroll to the record of the employee receiving the leave credits.
• Transfer of credits shall be made at the end of a pay period.
• Credits shall be transferred in the order of the dates actually pledged.
• Donations are irrevocable once posted to the recipient’s leave record.
• Leave credits donated but not used by the ill/injured employee will be credited back to the donor.

Under what circumstances may I use Catastrophic Leave donations to care for a family member?

• Catastrophic illness or injury leave may be used when an employee’s “immediate family member” 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.
• The employee must have exhausted all of his/her accrued leave credits. (Only vacation credits may be donated for family care catastrophic leave.)
• The employee must be on an approved Leave of Absence.
• A certification of the Health Care Provider must be completed by the family member’s physician and be on file.

Who qualifies as an “immediate family member?”

An “immediate family member” shall be defined in accordance with the definition contained in the sick leave provisions of the collective bargaining agreement covering the recipient employee.

What are the limits for use of Catastrophic Leave?

• Donated leave shall normally not exceed the amount necessary to continue pay for three months, calculated from the first day of catastrophic leave use.
• Donated time may not be used beyond the employee’s appointment expiration date in effect at the beginning of the disability.
• Leave credits donated but not used by the ill/injured employee will be credited back to the donor.

How long is an employee eligible to participate in the Catastrophic Leave program?

An employee is eligible for catastrophic leave donations for up to three calendar months, calculated from the first day of catastrophic leave. An additional three month extension may be approved on a case by case basis.

What type of leave credits can be donated to an employee who is on catastrophic leave of absence to care for an immediate family member?

Only donated vacation credits may be used for a family care catastrophic leave.

What type of leave credits can be donated to an employee who is on a catastrophic leave of absence for his/her own illness/injury?

The employee is eligible to receive sick and/or vacation leave credit donations.

How does being on Catastrophic Leave benefits affect service credit?

Retirement service credit and service credit toward miscellaneous salary increases are calculated for qualifying pay periods while an employee is on a catastrophic leave of absence. Catastrophic leave pay is treated in the same manner as though the employee were receiving regular pay. Donated time counts toward seniority points just as the use of regularly accrued leave. Employees continue to accrue sick leave and vacation at the normal rate. Each month the employee continues receiving catastrophic leave benefits, the accrued sick leave and vacation will be used before donated leave. If the period covered by catastrophic leave is thirty (30) days or more during an employee's probationary period, the probationary period will be extended by that length of time. In addition, donated time may not be used beyond a temporary employee's appointment expiration date in effect at the beginning of the disability period.

How are requests for catastrophic leave donations solicited on campus?

There are various ways requests for donations are solicited on campus.

1. An employee may solicit for donations on his/her own behalf.
2. For represented employees, a campus wide email is sent out via the employee’s applicable union representative.
3. For non-represented employees, a campus wide email is sent out by Human Resources.

How do I apply for catastrophic leave?

To request Catastrophic Leave, complete the Catastrophic Leave form and the Request for Formal Leave of Absence form and submit them to Human Resources for approval. The Catastrophic Leave form is available through the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms portal. Visit the portal and search for the form. The Request for Formal Leave of Absence form is available on the HRDI Forms webpage.

How do I donate leave credits to another employee?

Complete the Catastrophic Leave Donation form. The form is available through the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Forms portal. Visit the portal and search for the form.