Text Size: Default Text Size Text Size Medium Text Size Large
Block M. Skip to Main Content
University of Minnesota

What's Inside

OHR Quick Links



Vacation Donation Program for Civil Service and Union-Represented Staff

Effective: October 1992
Last Updated: May 2008

Responsible University Officer:

  • Vice President for Human Resources

Policy Owner:

  • Director, Employee Relations and Compensation

Policy Contact:

Policy Statement

The University of Minnesota (University) provides opportunity for eligible civil service and union-represented staff employees who have a medically-related need for additional paid leave time as defined in this policy to donate and receive earned paid vacation leave. Donated leave is permitted to cover a serious medical hardship or catastrophic illness or injury under the following circumstances. The employee:

  1. Is personally experiencing a medical condition that poses a threat to life;
  2. Requires inpatient, hospice, or residential health care; or
  3. Needs to care for an immediate family member.

Employees can apply for up to 65 days maximum per year. Any awarded days will be prorated based on the employee's percentage of appointment. An employee can only make an application once every calendar year.

Provisions and Terms

Scope

This policy governs the opportunity provided to eligible civil service and union-represented staff employees to donate earned paid vacation days and for eligible civil service and union-represented AFSCME (clerical, technical, or health care) and Teamster staff employees to receive donated vacation leave. This policy is not intended to cover an employee who is experiencing a normal pregnancy, has a common illness, has an illness or injury covered by an employer-paid long term disability policy or worker's compensation, or has incurred injury during the course of committing a felony. Similarly, this policy is not intended to provide leave to any employee who has previously abused any paid leave.

Eligibility to Receive Vacation Donation Leave

To be eligible to receive donated paid vacation leave days, an employee must:

  1. Be covered under Civil Service Rules or AFSCME (clerical, technical, or health care) or Teamster collective bargaining agreements;
  2. Be eligible to earn vacation leave;
  3. Have exhausted all forms of paid leave; e.g., vacation, sick, compensatory time, personal holiday;
  4. Have passed their initial probationary period; and
  5. Suffer from a serious medical hardship or catastrophic illness or injury which requires inpatient, hospice or residential health care, or need to care for an immediate family suffering from similar circumstances.

Otherwise eligible employees are ineligible to receive donated vacation during any disciplinary suspensions or if they are receiving, or have applied to receive workers' compensation benefits.

Eligibility to Donate Earned Vacation Leave

To be eligible to donate earned vacation leave days, an employee:

  1. Must be an employee either covered under Civil Service Rules or AFSCME (clerical, technical, or healthcare) or Teamster collective bargaining agreements; and
  2. Must be eligible to earn vacation leave and have accrued days available to donate.

Donated Vacation Leave

Donations of vacation leave are limited to a maximum of 40 hours of paid time per calendar year and must be donated in 8-hour increments. 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 the Office of Human Resources and the Civil Service Committee may limit the number of donations when such donations will result in a budget deficit.

Employees who are paid from federally sponsored research funds or ISO funds may not donate vacation, but are eligible to receive vacation donations. Costs must be incurred against non-federal accounts. Other non-federal funds may also have similar restrictions. The employee's department will determine if the funding source will allow a donation.

Reason for Policy

This policy implements the Board of Regents policy: Employee Work-Life and Personal Leaves. The Vacation Donation Program is offered by the University in support of civil service or union-represented staff employees who have a medically-related need for additional paid leave as described in this policy and who are experiencing financial need because they have exhausted all paid leave to which they have access.

Procedures

Forms/Instructions

Additional Contacts

Subject Contact Phone Fax/E-mail
General Information or Procedural Assistance
  • Primary: Responsible administrator/supervisor
  • Secondary: Local campus, college, or administrative unit HR administrator
  • Other (as needed): Office of Human Resources specialist or consultant
 Office of Human Resources Specialist and Consultant List Office of Human Resources Specialist and Consultant List
Document Processing
  • HRMS Key Contact
  • Office of Human Resources Call Center
 HRMS Key Contact List (pdf)

Definitions

Immediate Family Member
The definition as specified in the Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining unit contract.
Medical Hardship or Catastrophic Illness or Injury
Situations such as cancer, major surgery, AIDS, a serious accident, heart attack, etc. that poses a threat to life.

Responsibilities

Office of Human Resources
  • Consult with employee and/or employee's department regarding eligibility to receive donated paid vacation.
  • Review applications, authorize eligibility for the program, inform Employee Benefits of approved applications, and coordinate donations.
  • Inform responsible administrators/supervisors and impacted employees of the policy and procedures.
Employee, Immediate Family Member, or Employee's Department
  • Complete the Vacation Donation Program application.
  • Secure a Vacation Donation Physician's Statement.
Employee's Department
  • See that the application is moved through the process.
  • Assist employee as needed.
Donor and Donor Department
  • Complete the Vacation Contribution Form.
  • Follow through with the financial administration of the process on the donor side.

Appendices

There are no Appendices associated with this policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are no Frequently Asked Questions associated with this policy.

Related Information

History

Amended:
May 2008 - Policy converted to the new University-wide format for administrative policies.
Effective:
October 1992

Effective: October 1992

To obtain a copy of a historical policy, e-mail the U Policy Librarian at policy@umn.edu or call 612-624-4372.

Office of Human Resources