To be eligible for use of Sick Leave Bank time, an employee must:

• Be a part of the bargaining unit represented by UVM Staff United*; 

• Need to use the time for a medical emergency (see “Definitions of a Medical Emergency,” below);

• Have completed probation in their current position;

• Anticipate exhausting all available paid leave time (sick, PTO, etc.) at the time of application;

• Exhaust all available paid leave time (sick, PTO, etc.) prior to using any Sick Leave Bank awarded time;

• Have a qualifying reason for leave. Employees may be required to provide supporting documentation to UVM Human Resource Services. See relevant contract articles governing leave, especially Article 29: Sick Leave and Medical Leaves, which outlines your rights and relevant timelines and procedures for Extended Medical Leaves.

*The bargaining unit comprises all full-time and regular part-time employees of the University of Vermont, who are not supervisors, managers, temporary or confidential employees, who fall into the Professional, Administrative Support or Clerical, Technical, and Specialized Job Families in the University of Vermont classification system. For details, see Article 1: Recognition and Appendix A: Job Classifications of the UVM Staff United Collective Bargaining Agreement.

A medical emergency shall be defined as a medical condition of the employee or a family member of the employee that will require the absence of the employee from duty, on either a prolonged or intermittent basis, and will result in a substantial loss of income to the employee because the employee will have exhausted all paid leave available apart from the Sick Leave Bank.

The definition of family member covers a wide range of relationships, including but not limited to spouse; parents; parents-in-law; children; siblings; grandparents; grandchildren; stepparents; stepchildren; step-siblings; foster parents; foster children; guardianship relationships; domestic partners; individuals living in the employee’s household; and spouses or domestic partners of the aforementioned, as applicable.

• Sick Leave Bank time may only be applied to qualifying leaves. Qualifying leaves include any leave for which accrued sick time may also be used. These include FMLA and extended medical leave. Employees are limited to 450 hours of Sick Leave Bank time (12 work weeks/60 days based on the 37.5 hour work week) in a calendar year (January to December).

• Once an applicant has been approved for use of Sick Leave Bank time, the donated time will be available for use during the next possible pay period, provided all other available paid leave will be exhausted.

1. Submit the online form to apply to use time from the Sick Leave Bank. You must anticipate exhausting all forms of paid leave at the time of your application. If the employee is not capable of making a written application, a personal representative may make the application on behalf of the employee.

2. At the time of submission, you will receive email notice that your application has been received. The Sick Leave Bank Committee will endeavor to review your application within 7 business days of your submission, or to communicate with you should there be reasons that timeline must be extended, with an updated date for review. You may request an update on the status of your application at any time.

3. A member of the Sick Leave Bank Committee will notify you in writing of the approval or denial of your application. If denied, the reason(s) for denial will be provided in writing. You may re-apply at any time without prejudice.

4. If approved, the Sick Leave Bank Committee will communicate the approval for use of time to UVM Human Resource Services. The donated time will be available for use during the next possible pay period, provided all other available paid leave has since been exhausted.

5. Should you need more time than you are initially allotted due to a change in your circumstances, you may reapply when you once again anticipate exhausting all forms of paid leave, including the sick bank time you were initially allotted. Please note that you are limited to 450 hours of Sick Leave Bank time in a calendar year (January to December).

• Per our UVMSU Collective Bargaining Agreement, we are able to donate accumulated PTO and Sick Leave to our sick bank during benefits open enrollment or during the month of June.  

• Employees may only donate up to fifty (50) hours of sick leave per calendar year and as many PTO days as desired so long as they have a balance of 20 hours in each bank after donation.

• Leave may only be donated in full hour increments.

• The University will send an email notification to all bargaining unit members informing them of this program, and of their ability to donate time.

• Employees who donate time must complete and submit the University-designated form for that purpose. The University-designated form will be included in the UVM HR invitation email to donate.

*You are not able to donate PTO/sick time when you leave the university outside of the donation window