Employment
Shared Benefits Program
UIS has a Shared Benefits Program (SBP) sick leave pool. The SBP provides eligible employees who have exhausted all accumulated sick leave and, as applicable, vacation time, with the opportunity to receive additional leave days when experiencing a catastrophic illness or injury, or when a disability claim is pending before the State Universities Retirement System (SURS).
Catastrophic injury or illness is defined as a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the mental or physical health of the employee which forces the employee to exhaust all leave time earned and to lose compensation. The catastrophic illness or injury must require the service of a physician.
Donation Eligibility
Staff members (academic and civil service employees) earning sick and vacation leave may be eligible to participate in the SBP by donating a minimum of one leave day to the SBP pool. The donating employee must have a minimum of 11 days of accrued sick leave, or 11 days of accrued sick and vacation leave combined, or 11 days of accrued vacation to be eligible for the program. Eligible employees wishing to donate leave days can do so by completing the Shared Benefits Program Donation form on NESSIE. There are very specific guidelines for participation in this program, and it is important to consult Human Resources (6-7078) or NESSIE.
Withdrawal Conditions
The amount of leave approved cannot exceed one-third of the balance in the pool or 45 working days, whichever is less. If only sick leave is donated, application to withdraw leave from the pool must be made within five days of exhausting all compensable and non-compensable sick leave. If a combination of sick and vacation leave, or vacation leave only, was used for participation in the pool, the application must be made within five days of exhausting all sick leave and vacation. To initiate the withdrawal process, contact Human Resources (6-7143).
A staff member can apply for leave from the pool once per academic appointment year. A written physician's statement containing the beginning date of the condition, a description of the illness or injury, and a prognosis in justification of the request is required to complete the request. Information regarding any pending disability claim must also be forwarded. A decision will be rendered within five working days after receipt of the completed request.
Appeal Process
If an application for sick leave from the pool is denied, the applicant can send a written appeal within 10 working days to the SBP coordinator in Human Resources, who will refer the appeal to a committee. For academic employees, the Appeals Committee will be comprised of the assistant vice president for Human Resources or his/her designee, the Academic Professional Advisory Committee Chair or his/her designee, and the Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee or his/her designee. A decision will be rendered by the Appeals Committee within five working days from the date of the appeal and will be considered final and binding.
The Appeals Committee shall provide an annual report each January on the number of exceptions made each year. This report is provided to the Academic Professional Advisory Committee, the Staff Advisory Council, and the assistant vice president for Human Resources. The Appeals Committee will maintain the confidentiality and the privacy of those employees who have made appeals.
See also:
Sick Leave (under Leaves of Absence) in this section of this handbook
