Shared Leave The purpose of the leave sharing program is to permit state employees, to donate leave to come to the aid of another state employee who has been called to service in the uniformed services, who is responding to a state of emergency anywhere within the United States declared by the federal or state government, who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or who is suffering from or has a relative or household member suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition, which has caused or is likely to cause the employee to take leave without pay or terminate their employment. For purposes of the leave sharing program, the following definitions apply:
Leave Donation An employee may donate vacation leave, sick leave, or personal holiday to another employee for purposes of the leave sharing program under the following conditions:
A. The Employer approves the employee’s request to donate a specified amount of vacation leave to an employee authorized to receive shared leave; and
1. The full-time employee’s request to donate leave will not cause their vacation leave balance to fall below eighty (80) hours. For part-time employees, requirements for vacation leave balances will be prorated; and
2. Employees may not donate excess vacation leave that they would not be able to take due to an approaching anniversary date; except when the request for vacation leave was denied and the vacation leave was deferred.
B. The Employer approves the employee’s request to donate a specified amount of sick leave to an employee authorized to receive shared leave. The employee’s request to donate leave will not cause their sick leave balance to fall below one hundred seventy-six (176) hours after the transfer.
C. The Employer approves the employee’s request to donate all or part of their personal holiday to an employee authorized to receive shared leave.
1. That portion of a personal holiday that is accrued, donated as shared leave, and then returned during the same calendar year to the donating employee, may be taken by the donating employee.
2. An employee will be allowed to split the personal holiday only when donating a portion of the personal holiday to the shared leave program.
D. No employee may be intimidated, threatened, or coerced into donating leave for purposes of this program.
Sick Leave Donation 10.3.1 A worker may donate days of sick leave to individual District workers who, due to a serious health condition, have exhausted all accumulated sick leave. Donating workers must retain a sixty (60) day balance of sick leave after their donation. No worker may receive more than 40 days of donated leave per year.
10.3.1.1 A “serious health condition” is defined as an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition which involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential health care facility, or continuing treatment or continuing supervision by a health care provider as defined in 29 USC 825.114(a) and as certified by a worker’s physician or other qualified medical practitioner.
10.3.1.2 The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and the Chief Stewards by mutual agreement will verify the certification for eligibility. If the certification from the worker’s physician is insufficient, a certification by a physician of the District’s choosing may be required, at District expense. The District may require additional medical opinions.
10.3.2 Donated leave must be in one-day increments (no less than 8 hours). Recipients of donated sick leave shall be solely responsible for any state and federal taxes on the donated time. Such taxes shall be withheld at the normal rate for the recipient worker. In the event that the state or federal governments rule that tax liability is due other than as taxed, the recipient shall be solely liable for such liabilities.
10.3.2.1 The donated sick leave may be used only when the worker has exhausted accumulated sick leave and either is not eligible for long- term disability or is eligible but has not begun to receive the long-term coverage.
10.3.2.2 The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources shall be notified of solicitation of donations. Solicitations of donations may be made by the individual or his/her representative(s).
10.3.2.3 Donation of sick leave shall be authorized by a signed pledge form prepared by and filed with the District Office of Human Resources. In the event several workers donate sick leave, the sick leave shall be used in the order in which the signed pledge forms are filed with Human Resources.
10.3.2.4 If the worker does not use all donated sick leave, the sick leave shall be returned to the donating worker(s).
BEREAVEMENT/TANGIHANGA LEAVE 15.1 The employer shall approve special bereavement leave on pay for an employee to discharge any obligation and/or to pay respects to a deceased person with whom the employee has had a close association. Such obligations may exist because of blood or family ties or because of particular cultural requirements such as attendance at all or part of a Tangihanga (or its equivalent). The length of time off shall be at the discretion of the employer.
15.2 If bereavement occurs while an employee is absent on annual leave, sick leave on pay, or other special leave on pay, such leave may be interrupted and bereavement leave granted in terms of 15.1 above. This provision will not apply if the employee is on leave without pay.
15.3 In granting time off therefore, and for how long, the employer must administer these provisions in a culturally sensitive manner.
Intermittent Leave If medically necessary due to the serious medical condition of the employee, or that of the employee's spouse, child, parent, registered domestic partner within the meaning of Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Chapter 142, or other dependents and/or members of their households who have a serious medical condition, leave may be taken on an intermittent schedule. In cases of the birth, adoption or ▇▇▇▇▇▇ placement of a child, family and medical leave may be taken intermittently only when expressly approved by the Employer.