1. Purpose

The purpose of the vacation donation policy is to allow an employee to donate vacation leave to an individual under certain conditions. Employees who have a need for additional paid leave because they have exhausted all paid leave and have a serious medical hardship or catastrophic illness or injury, such as cancer, major surgery, AIDS, a serious accident, heart attack, etc., that poses a threat to life and/or requires inpatient, hospice, or residential health care are eligible. The employee's need may arise from their own serious medical hardship or catastrophic illness or from their need to care for a family member. Family members include spouse or cohabitor, children (including foster children and step-children), parents or parents in law of the employee and registered same sex domestic partner, children of the registered same sex domestic partner, or parents of the registered same sex domestic partner, who has a serious medical condition or catastrophic illness. This policy is not intended to cover an employee who is experiencing a normal pregnancy, has a common illness or injury covered by an Employer paid long term disability policy or worker's compensation, or has incurred an injury during the course of committing a felony.

2. Eligible Donors

To be eligible to donate an employee must:

1. be eligible to accrue vacation leave.
2. have passed their initial probationary period.
3. have leave available.
4. not deplete their own bank.

3. Donations

All donations are voluntary and are made to an individual. An employee may donate no less than eight hours, but not more than forty hours of vacation each year, prorated according to their percentage appointment. The donated paid time will be calculated on the hourly rate and fringe benefit rate of the employee donating the time.

Department Heads, in discussion with Human Resources and Union representatives may limit the number of donations when donations will result in a budget deficit.

Employees who are prohibited by grant regulations from donating vacation may not donate vacation.

4. Eligibility To Receive Donated Vacation

To be eligible an employee must:

1. be eligible to accrue vacation and sick leave under the applicable labor agreement;
2. have exhausted all forms of paid leave (vacation, sick, compensatory time, paid holidays, etc.).
3. have passed their initial probationary period.
4. suffer from a serious medical hardship, catastrophic illness or injury to either themselves or a family member as described in Section 1 above.
5. employees are ineligible to use this bank during any investigatory suspension or if they are receiving or have applied for Worker's Compensation benefits. Employees are also ineligible if they have discipline for sick leave abuse in their personnel file.

5. Application For Leave

1. Eligible employees, who must meet the criteria in number 4, may apply by completing an application and a release for medical information form from their supervisor. In the event an employee is physically or mentally unable to initiate a request, the request may be initiated by a member of the employee's family, or by their department.
2. An employee may be asked to provide additional medical information
3. Employees can apply for up to 65 days maximum per year of leave from the bank and may make an application once every calendar year.
4. Any awarded days will be prorated based on the employee's percentage appointment.
5. Application does not constitute approval of the request.
6. All, or a portion of the time requested may be granted.
7. Application may be made prior to the depletion of an employee's leave, as soon as the need for leave is known.
8. If approved, the granted leave is meant to cover only the duration of the illness/injury for which it was granted. If the situation ceases or the recipient retires or terminates, any unused portion of the leave will be returned to the donor.
9. Leave time need not be used continuously.

6. Administration

The U of M Central Human Resources Department is responsible for administering this program in conformance with the guidelines in this MOU. The decisions on eligibility to participate and distribution of donated leave time rests with Human Resources and shall not be subject to the grievance procedure.

The Employer agrees to meet with two representatives from the Union consistent with the paid time off provisions of Article 31, to discuss questions which arise.

If other campuses choose to have campus-wide vacation donation programs, they will be responsible for the administration of the program.