Medical Leave Assistance Program

The District recognizes the existence of circumstances under which non-job related, seriously incapacitating, and extended illnesses and injury may exhaust accrued leave of District employees. To provide some measure of relief in such situations, a limited mechanism, based upon voluntary transfer of accrued leave, is established. The mechanism is a Medical Leave Assistance Program. This program allows full-time employees (30 + hours weekly) to request donations of accrued General Leave time from colleagues, peers, and other employees to assist during this critical time period. The donated time is limited to thirty (30) days of assistance in any school year. It is considered of benefit to the District to establish this mechanism to reduce the annual accrued sick leave and promote efficiency by ensuring constant service.

Who is eligible to receive Medical Leave Assistance?

·  Full time (30 plus hours per week) administrative, professional and support staff employees who have been employed by the District for at least one year are eligible to enroll and participate in the sick leave bank program. Part-time, substitute or temporary workers are not eligible to enroll or participate in the bank.

·  An application can be obtained from the Human Resource / Payroll Department and must be submitted to the District Office for approval and verification by the Director of Human Resources.

·  Once approved, the applicant may solicit but may not coerce colleagues, peers, and other full-time employees for donations of General Leave.

Who can donate?

·  Full time (30 plus hours per week) administrative, professional and support staff employees who are employed by the District.

·  An employee may designate donated accrued General Leave days to a specific employee who has been an approved applicant.

Limitations:

·  Employees may contribute one to ten (1-10) non-refundable accrued days to the approved applicant.

·  Each approved applicant is limited to thirty (30) consecutive days in any school year. May not be utilized for intermittent absences.

·  For purpose of this program, a day donated equals a day requested. Days of leave, not the actual wage of the donor employee, will be donated.

·  Contributions to the approved applicant must be from the donor’s earned/accrued general leave.

·  Additional leave will not be earned/accrued by the approved applicant during use of approved leave time.

·  Donating General Leave may reduce the Retirement Incentive (accumulated sick leave payoff) at the time of retirement from FUSD.

·  Donations are not permitted for work-related injury.

·  Must not be eligible for any disability benefits, including but not limited to Social Security, provided at the Districts expense. Therefore, donations cannot be used for periods of short- or long-term disability that is paid by those carriers.

·  Employees are not permitted to donate to the immediate supervisor.

·  Excess donations will be returned to the donor.

·  Each employee contributing leave to an approved applicant must acknowledge an uncoerced, voluntary release of the leave they have donated.

·  Employee must have exhausted all paid leave before utilizing the Medical Leave Assistance Program.

·  May not to be utilized for intermittent absences.

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A application to utilize the Medical Leave Assistance Program must be completed and returned to the Human Resource office for consideration of approval and verification by the Director of Human Resources.

If you wish to donate, complete the Medical Leave Assistance Donation Form and fax to Tony Jimenez, Assistant to the Superintendent, at (520) 868-2302.