SECTION 6.87 DONATED LEAVE FOR IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS
Last Update:
10/12
I. Policy
Noncontract covered employees, as
well as employees covered by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), United Electrical/Iowa United Professionals
(UE/IUP), and State Police Officers Council (SPOC) collective bargaining agreements, are
eligible to receive donated leave (vacation, compensatory leave, holiday compensatory leave and
banked holiday) hours for an immediate family members catastrophic illness. These employees
may
also donate accrued leave (vacation) hours to another State employee.
Employees covered by the AFSCME collective bargaining agreement are also eligible to donate compensatory leave, holiday compensatory leave and banked holiday time to any State employee.
This policy includes Board of Regents and Community Based Corrections employees who are
covered by one of the above-referenced collective bargaining agreements.
II. Definitions
A. Employer means the executive branch of the State of Iowa, or one of
the
executive
branch agencies. When applicable, it also means an appointed or
elected chief administrative head of a department, commission, board, independent agency, or statutory office or that person's designee.
B. Employee means a full-time or part-time executive branch employee who is
eligible to
accrue vacation.
C. Immediate Family Member means the employees spouse, parent, son, or daughter, as
defined in the Family and Medical Leave Act of
1993.
D. Catastrophic Illness means a physical or mental illness or injury of an immediate family member, as certified by a licensed physician, that will result in the inability of the
employee to report to work for more than 30 work
days due to the need to attend to the
immediate family member as defined in Part II-C on a consecutive or intermittent basis.
E. Donated Leave means vacation leave, compensatory time, and holiday compensatory time (hours) donated to employees.. Recipients will not accrue vacation or sick leave
benefits based on donated leave hours. Donated leave is
not
considered to be pay that the employee earned through the performance of
a service. It is payment of
a monetary benefit only.
III. Program Eligibility
A. In order to receive donated leave for the catastrophic illness of an immediate family
member, the immediate family member must have a catastrophic illness as defined in II- D above.
B. The employee must:
1. have exhausted all paid leave for which eligible; and
2. be approved for and using or have exhausted Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA) leave hours if eligible; and
3. be on approved leave without pay for
the medical reasons of an immediate family member during any hours for which he or she will receive donated leave.
C. The physicians statement on the Donated Leave for Catastrophic Illness of an Immediate Family Member Application (CFN 552-0639) form is
the
basis for determining if the
requirements of the catastrophic illness definition have been met. The employer will
determine if the employee meets the remaining eligibility requirements in Part II C.
D. Employers may, at their departments initiative and expense, seek second opinions or updates from physicians regarding the status of the employees immediate family members illness or injury. If the employee is
receiving FMLA leave, the second opinion must be obtained from a physician who is not employed by the State.
IV. Program Requirements
A. Hours shall be donated in whole-hour increments and designated as donated leave.
However, donations may be credited to the recipient in other than whole hour increments.
All of the recipients accrued leave for which he or she is eligible must be used before donations will be credited to the recipient. Hours will be credited in increments not to
exceed the employees regularly scheduled work hours on a pay period-by-pay period basis. Recipients will not accrue vacation or sick
leave on donated leave hours.
B. Information regarding recipients, donors, and the number of leave hours donated is
confidential and will be treated as such by each agency involved. Donors also should treat information regarding the recipients, and the number of leave hours as confidential, but they are not prohibited from telling the recipient if they choose to do so,
C. Donated leave hours are not tax-deductible.
D. Approval for use of donated leave shall be for a period not to exceed one year either on an
intermittent or continuous basis for each occurrence.
E. Donated leave shall be irrevocable after it is
credited to the recipient. Donated leave
hours not credited to the recipient will not be deducted from the donors leave balance.
F. Donations shall be credited on a
first-in/first-out basis according to the date and time on
the Donated Leave for Catastrophic Illness of an Immediate Family Member
Contributions (CFN 552-0640) form.
G. Donated leave for catastrophic illness of an immediate family member will not restrict the
right to terminate probationary employees. The pay increase eligibility date will be extended by the amount of time the employee received donated leave
if
the leave is 30 days or longer.
H. The employer shall post a Donated Leave for a Catastrophic Illness Immediate Family
Member Request (CFN 552-0641) form
indicating that the employee is
eligible to receive donated leave and the name of the person to contact for the donation forms. The
employer is not required to post the request in other departments; however, donated
leave hours can be received from executive branch employees outside of the employing
department.
I. Leave without pay provisions shall apply to the following benefits: health, dental, life, and
long-term disability insurances; pre-tax; deferred compensation; flexible spending
accounts (FSA); tax-sheltered annuity; holiday pay; sick
leave accrual; vacation leave accrual; shift differential pay; longevity pay and cash payments. In addition, employees receiving donated leave for catastrophic illness of an immediate family member will not
be eligible for leadworker pay, extraordinary duty pay or special duty pay. When FMLA
leave and donated leave for a catastrophic illness are used concurrently, the State is obligated to pay its share of
health and dental insurance premiums. The State also maintains an employees basic life and long-term disability insurances during periods of FMLA leave.
J. Employees may choose to continue or terminate miscellaneous insurance, One Gift, or credit union deductions while using donated leave hours. Mandatory deductions are
taken from
gross pay first, then optional deductions as funds are available and as
authorized by the employee. Union dues deductions will continue as
long as the employee has sufficient earnings to cover the dollar amount certified to the employer
after
deductions for social security, federal taxes, state taxes, retirement,
garnishments/wage assignments, health, dental and supplemental life insurance
premiums, and deductions for flexible spending accounts.
K. Contributions to the employees dependent care account will not be allowed during a period of leave without pay. Claims will not be paid for dependent care while an employee is on leave without pay.
V. Recordkeeping
A. The employing agency must maintain records pertaining to donated leave and must make these records accessible to State Auditors upon request.
B. Records and documents relating to donated leave must be treated as confidential and maintained in the employees confidential medical file. Supervisors, managers, first aid and safety personnel may be provided relevant information on a need-to-know basis.