Voluntary Sick Day Bank still open to donations, withdrawals

The Temporary Voluntary Sick Day Bank that was created in April 2020 as the pandemic hit full force is still active, but donations have dwindled some this year.

Staff members who have more than 45 days of accrued sick time are allowed to make a one-time donation to the sick day bank, to help out other staff members who are in need of sick time to cover illness. But the donations cannot reduce their accrued days to below 45.

The sick day bank is something that Staff Council has long sought, and it was an issue raised during the Shaping the Workplace conversations in early 2020. There’s no word on how long the sick bank will continue.

Here are the latest statistics from Human Resources on the sick bank:

  • Total hours donated: 18,175.5

  • Total hours withdrawn: 1,830.5

  • Total people making donations: 225

  • Total people making withdrawals: 49

Employees requesting withdrawals must have five days or less of sick time already accrued and must have applied for FMLA and be on an approved leave of absence to qualify.  

Donated sick days are not refundable. However, if they meet the eligibility requirements, individuals who donate will be eligible to draw from the bank should the need arise.

Find more details on the policy and procedures on the HR website

— Susan Jones

 

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