Employee Matters

This column is prepared by staff of the Employee Compensation and Benefits Services office. E-mail the office at employee@bussvc.wisc.edu, or call 263-7556 or 262-5650. For more information, visit http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/ecbs.html.

What is catastrophic leave?

Catastrophic leave allows university employees to voluntarily donate unused vacation, banked sabbatical or annual leave, personal holidays or floating holidays to colleagues within their employment group who are on unpaid leaves of absence due to a catastrophic need. Leave may not be exchanged between classified and unclassified employees. Sick leave and compensatory time may not be donated.

Wisconsin Statute 203.35(2r) allows the Department of Employment Relations to establish a catastrophic leave program for classified state and university employees. Administrative policies for classified employees are contained in s. ER 18.15 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. They should also check their union contract. Unclassified employees may refer to Unclassified Personnel Guideline UPG No. 9.

What constitutes a catastrophic leave?

Catastrophic need is defined as an illness or injury that incapacitates the employee or his/her immediate family member and requires the employee to be off work for an extended period of time.

Who is eligible to receive donations?

• Employees on an approved unpaid leave of absence that meet the catastrophic need definition. For classified employees, this leave must be at least 160 hours in duration and can be prorated for part-time employees.
• Employees who have exhausted all sick leave benefits. Unclassified employees must have exhausted all leave benefits, and classified employees must have a leave balance of no more than 16 hours of combined accrued leave, including sabbatical/termination leave and personal/ legal holiday leave.
• Employees not receiving benefits from another state-sponsored income replacement program such as income continuation insurance or worker’s compensation.
• Classified employees who have completed the first six months of original probation period in a permanent position or six months in a project position and have been state employees for at least one year.
• An unclassified employee who has provided sufficient written proof or certification to the chancellor. Classified employees must provide employer- or union-written proof that indicates a catastrophic illness or medical condition exists.
• Employees who have completed the appropriate catastrophic leave application/paperwork.

Who is eligible to donate?

• Employees in the same employment category as the recipient.
• Classified employees who have completed six months of original probation in a permanent position or six months in a project position and have been a state employee for at least one year.
• Employees who have completed the appropriate paperwork.

Are there other considerations?

Classified employees cannot donate more than 24 hours, and recipients may not receive more than 640 hours in a calendar year. Leave is donated on an hour-by-hour basis. Unused credits will be returned.

Unclassified employees must donate in full-day increments. Once leave is donated it is retained by the recipient even if unused. There are no limitations to the frequency or amount of donation.