Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Program
Effective December 1, 2020

1. Policy Statement: Converse recognizes that employees may experience a catastrophic illness/injury or medical emergency resulting in prolonged, unpaid leave for unplanned absences. In response to such an illness or injury, eligible employees will be allowed to voluntarily donate accrued sick leave from their unused balance to their co-workers or to the Converse sick leave pool, in accordance with the policy outlined below.  
   
2. Purpose: To provide more flexibility with employee sick leave practices due to the current pandemic and other catastrophic illnesses/injuries, Converse has determined that the Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Program is vital to supporting employees’ overall well-being.
   
3. Donor Eligibility: Full-time and benefit-eligible part-time employees who have been employed with Converse for a minimum of one year, and who have not had any disciplinary warnings or other disciplinary actions in the previous year, are eligible to donate sick leave.
   
4. Donation Requirements: Employees who would like to donate sick leave are required to complete a Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Form  and submit to hr@converse.edu. If the donation is approved, the donor's sick leave balance will be decreased by the specified amount. Notification of this action will be provided to the employee donating leave and to their department head/supervisor that approves the electronic timecard. If a donation is denied, the employee and the department will also be notified. Employees who opt into the Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Program  are required to meet the following the criteria:
   

1. Donors can specify whether their donated sick leave will go into a general leave pool for use by any eligible recipient, or under approved situations, to a specific employee.  Conditions apply when donating to a specific employee.  
   
2. Employees will be given the opportunity to donate to the general Voluntary Sick Leave Pool program annually during benefits open enrollment. The donated sick leave will be transferred from the donor to the leave pool on October 1st.

3. Converse may opt to initiate an additional monthly donation period to accept off-cycle donations to the general pool if the donation balance is reaching depletion.
   
4. Throughout the year, additional opportunities to donate to a specific employee may arise as necessitated by a qualifying situation at a recipient's request.  A Donor may donate up to 40 hours per fiscal year to a specific co-worker. Sick leave donations will not be transferred from the donor to the recipient until all of the recipient's existing sick leave hours have been exhausted.
   
5. The donation of sick leave is on an hourly basis, without regard to the dollar value of the donated or used leave.
   
6. Eligible employees may donate their accrued sick leave in 4-hour increments up to a maximum of 40 hours per fiscal year. Sick leave not yet accrued may not be donated.
   
7. The maximum amount of sick leave donated may not be more than the donor’s annual accrual rate, and may not reduce the donor’s sick leave balance below 40 hours (prorated for part-time employees).
   
8. Human Resources will coordinate with the Payroll Manager to ensure proper recording of reduction in accrued sick leave balances and payment to the recipient.
   
9. Employees who are currently on an approved leave of absence cannot donate sick leave.
   
10. Once sick leave is donated, the decision is irrevocable.
    
11. Donors will have the option to keep their donations confidential.
    

5. Recipient Eligibility: Full-time and benefit-eligible part-time employees who have been employed with Converse for a minimum of one year, and who have not had any disciplinary warnings or other disciplinary actions in the previous year, are eligible to apply to receive sick leave.
   
6. Recipient Requirements: Employees who would like to request donated sick leave are required to complete a Voluntary Sick Leave Request  Form and submit it to Human Resources, hr@converse.edu. If the request is approved, the leave recipient's sick leave balance will be increased by the available/specified amount. Notification of this action will be provided to the employee receiving leave and to their department head/supervisor that approves the electronic timecard. If a request is denied in whole or in part, the employee and the department head/supervisor will also be notified. Employees who are eligible to receive the Voluntary Sick Leave Donation are required to follow the criteria listed below:
   

1. All requests for sick leave donations, as well as medical information, are confidential and are not included in the employee's personnel file.
   
2. Recipients who receive donated leave from the general pool shall remain anonymous unless when otherwise permitted by the recipient.
   
3. A recipient can request solicitation of donated leave be shared/communicated to the Converse community by the Human Resources department by selecting the release agreement on the Voluntary Sick Leave Request Form.  With this election, it is understood that anonymity is void.
   
4. The donated sick leave hours are paid at the recipient's regular rate of pay and from the recipient's account code(s).
   
5. The need for donation must be due to a qualifying event (as defined below) that requires the employee to be out of work for at least two weeks.
   
6. Certification of a qualifying medical condition is required from an eligible health care provider where applicable. Voluntary sick leave donations are limited to the timeframe certified by the health care provider. This information should be submitted to Human Resources at hr@converse.edu prior to completing the Voluntary Sick Leave Request Form.
   
7. Unused donated sick leave hours will expire at the end of the noted leave period.   Any donated but unused sick leave hours will roll over into the general leave pool and not be returned to the Donor nor used by the recipient. 
   
8. Recipients are only eligible to use donated hours after their accrued sick leave has been exhausted.
   
9. The amount of leave a recipient may receive in a fiscal year is 480 hours (prorated for part-time employees), either continuously or, if for the same condition, on a recurring basis.
   
10. Donated sick leave may only be used for the time off related to the approved request.  
    
11. The donation is paid per the normal payroll schedule. Off-cycle manual checks will NOT be processed.
    
12. Converse will continue to cover the employer contributions towards the cost of the health benefit programs provided the employee continues their portion of premiums where applicable.
    
13. If a recipient separates employment with Converse due to resignation, death, or retirement, participation in the program ends and any unused donated sick leave hours will roll over into the general leave pool and not be returned to the Donor nor used by the recipient.  This benefit is ineligible for payout at separation of employment and does not count toward years of service for purposes of retirement as stated in the Summary of  Leave Benefits Policy.
    

7. Qualifying Events for Recipients: Eligible employees must be in a situation that meets one of the following criteria:
   

1. Medical emergency, defined as a medical condition of the employee or a family member that will require the employee to be the primary caregiver for a prolonged or extended period. The unexpected absence will result in a substantial loss of income to the employee due to the exhaustion of all paid leave available.
   
2. Catastrophic Event, defined as an extreme medical misfortune of the employee or a family member of the employee that will require a prolonged absence from work and will result in substantial loss of income due to the exhaustion of all paid leave available, apart from the voluntary donation program.
   
3. Maternal/Paternal Leave, defined as a need by the employee in connection with the birth of the employee’s child and to bond with the child; or for placement through adoption or foster care and to bond with the newly-placed child. Parental leave must be concluded no later than 12 months after the birth or placement of the child with the employee.
   

8. Definitions:

1. “Family Member” is defined as the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent (not a parent-in-law);
2. “Son or daughter” means a biological, adopted, or foster child; a stepchild; a legal ward; or a child of a person standing in loco parentis who is either under age 18 or age 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.
3. A “parent” is defined as a biological, adoptive, step, or foster father or mother, or any other individual who stood in loco parentis to the employee when he or she was a minor.
4. “Fiscal Year” for Converse is July 1 through June 30.  

IX.        Confidentiality: Voluntary sick leave donations are classified as medical information and shall be kept confidential in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974.  Only individual employees may reveal their general sick bank donation or receipt of sick leave through a signed release to allow the status to be known.  Employees desiring to participate in the program may indicate their confidentiality preference on the Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Program form.

9. Authorization: The Director of Human Resources is authorized to approve requests for donated sick leave after receiving the Voluntary Sick Leave Request Form based on total leave pool balances, other qualifying requests, and additional extenuating factors and in with concurrence of the appropriate department head/supervisor  The Vice President for Finance will be responsible for final action on requests for participation in the Program for which the Director of Human Resources and/or the appropriate department or office head have recommended disapproval.
   
10. Intimidation or Coercion Prohibited: An employee may not intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other employee for the purpose of interfering with any right which such employee may have with respect to donating, receiving, or using leave under this program. Such action shall be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal on the basis of personal conduct.
    
11. Coordination With Leaves of Absence: The employee's participation in the Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Program does not extend or substitute, but rather should run concurrently with any other approved leave of absence, nor does it provide a guarantee that the employee will be returned to the same or equivalent position held prior to the leave or of continuing employment, except as provided under applicable law (such as the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or South Carolina Workers' Compensation Act).

Nothing in this policy will be construed to limit or extend the maximum allowable absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act.