Sick Leave Banks

The AFSCME Sick Leave Bank (SLB) can provide income security to AFSCME Unit A SLB members who are on an approved leave of absence due to a non-work-related personal illness or injury.

Membership: AFSCME employees may enroll in the SLB during the month of October open enrollment for membership effective the following January 1. AFSCME employees who wish to become a member of the SLB should submit an SLB enrollment form to Human Resources during open enrollment. SLB members also have the opportunity to "cash in" a portion of unused sick time during open enrollment.

Application for SLB benefits: Prior to drawing from the SLB, a member must be out of work for 10 work days and exhaust all accrued sick and personal time and all but 10 days of accrued vacation time. The SLB Committee considers applications for income replacement based on information provided by the employee and their physician(s). In order for your SLB application to be considered by the Committee after securing an approved leave from your department, please:

1. Complete Section 1 of the application.
2. Have your physician complete Section 2 of the application.
3. Have your department's HR representative or personnel coordinator complete Section 3 of the application.*
4. You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

* If you work in one of the following areas, your department's HR representative coordinating the leave process is:

• Auxiliary Enterprises Human Resources: Katty Calderon, 918 Campus Center
• Facilities & Campus Services Human Resources: Ozgun Sulekoglu or Kris Moriarty, Physical Plant Building

SLB members do not accrue sick or vacation time while drawing from the SLB. Employees in a position covered by the AFSCME bargaining agreement may elect membership in the SLB during the month of October any year by submitting an enrollment form at the Employee Service Center. SLB membership continues until the member proactively disenrolls or is no longer employed in a position covered under the AFSCME bargaining agreement.

The IBPO Sick Leave Bank (SLB) can provide income security to SLB employees who are on an approved leave of absence due to a non-work-related illness or injury, who have exhausted all accrued paid leave, and who have a medical expectation of being able to return to perform essential functions of their job.

Membership: IBPO SLB membership is voluntary. IBPO employees may become a member of the SLB by submitting a completed membership enrollment form to Human Resources during July open enrollment. Members donate 1 day of sick leave upon enrollment, and membership is effective in August following open enrollment. During open enrollment, SLB members may also elect to donate additional sick days to the SLB or to discontinue SLB membership.

Application for SLB benefits: To request income replacement from the IBPO Sick Leave Bank, please provide the following to the SLB Committee (care of the Human Resources Employee Service Center) by mail or fax (413-545-0483) or in person:

• a written request to draw from the SLB identifying (1) the dates for which income security is requested, (2) the date you intend and are medically expected to return to work, and (3) your approved work schedule if you are on an approved intermittent leave
• a copy of the Certification of Health-Care Provider for an Employee's Serious Health Condition form that was submitted to the employee's leave administrator as part of their leave application

You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

Prior to drawing from the Sick Leave Bank, a member must use all accrued sick and personal leave, compensatory time, and all but 10 days of accrued vacation leave. Once a member has used up leave in accordance with this section and the Committee has approved the SLB application, the member shall immediately be eligible to draw days from the Sick Leave Bank. Any vacation, sick, or personal leave accruing to a member who is drawing upon the SLB accrues to the SLB.

The MSP Sick Leave Bank (SLB) Committee may approve continued salary payments for MSP members who have insufficient accrued sick leave to secure income while on an approved leave due to:

• their own medical inability to perform the essential functions of their job with or without accommodations
• the need to care for a qualified family member with a serious health condition (i.e., the spouse, child, foster child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of either the MSP member or their spouse; a person for whom the MSP member is a legal guardian; or a person living in the MSP member's immediate household)
• a parental leave approved under Section 27.3.5 of the MSP collective bargaining agreement
• the use of more than 5 days of accrued sick leave in order to care for a family member with a serious health condition

Membership: Employees in a position covered by the MSP collective bargaining agreement may become a member of the SLB at any time by submitting their request to Human Resources via AskHR.

MSP SLB Parental Leave Application Process

Upon request, the following MSP-represented employees are eligible to receive 1 semester (for librarians, 24 weeks) of paid parental leave to prepare or care for a newborn or adopted child under age 5:

• full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members
• non-tenure-track faculty members who are state funded, have at least 3 years of full-time service, and have appointments that make it possible to fulfill a 1-year return obligation
• librarians with at least 4 months of service

Please refer to the Provost's Office Leaves of Absence website for information about the application process and additional details.

Process for All Other MSP SLB Requests

To file an application to the MSP Sick Leave Bank, please submit:

• a written request addressing (1) the dates for which you are requesting income and the date you currently anticipate returning to your University position, (2) the reason for the leave, and (3) if you will be working part-time, the work schedule you have agreed upon with your department and your physician
• supporting documentation

If the request is due to the MSP member's own health condition, the required supporting document is the Certification of Health Care Provider Form for an Employee's Serious Health Condition. If the request is due to the MSP member's need to care for a family member, the required supporting document is the Certification of Health Care Provider Form for a Family Member's Serious Health Condition.

You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

The NEPBA Sick Leave Bank (SLB) can provide income security to SLB members who are on an approved leave of absence due to a non-work-related illness or injury, have exhausted all accrued paid leave, and have a medical expectation of being able to return to perform essential functions of their job.

Membership: NEPBA SLB membership is voluntary. NEPBA employees may become a member of the SLB by by submitting a completed membership enrollment form to Human Resources during July open enrollment. Members donate 1 day of sick leave upon enrollment, and membership is effective in August following open enrollment. During open enrollment, SLB members may also elect to donate additional sick days to the SLB or to discontinue SLB membership.

Application for SLB benefits: To request income replacement from the NEPBA Sick Leave Bank, please provide the following to the SLB Committee (care of the Human Resources Employee Service Center) by mail or fax (413-545-0483) or in person:

• a written request to draw from the SLB identifying (1) the dates for which income security is requested, (2) the date you intend and are medically expected to return to work, and (3) your approved work schedule if you are on an approved intermittent leave
• a copy of the Certification of Health Care Provider for an Employee's Serious Health Condition form that was submitted to the employee's leave administrator as part of their leave application

You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

Prior to drawing from the Sick Leave Bank, a member must use all accrued sick and personal leave, compensatory time, and all but 10 days of accrued vacation leave. Once a member has used up leave in accordance with this section and the Committee has approved the Sick Leave Bank application, the member shall immediately be eligible to draw days from the Sick Leave Bank. Any vacation, sick, or personal leave accruing to a member who is drawing upon the SLB accrues to the SLB.

The Non-Unit Sick Leave Bank (SLB) can provide income security to a benefited non-unit staff member who is on an approved leave of absence due to a serious health condition that disables them from performing the essential functions of their job when the disabling illness or injury is not work related and there is a reasonable expectation of the employee returning to perform the essential functions of the job from which they became disabled.

Membership: All benefited non-unit employees are members of the SLB.

Application for SLB benefits: To request income replacement from the Non-Unit Sick Leave Bank, please provide the following to the SLB Committee care-of UMass Amherst Human Resources:

• a written request to draw from the SLB identifying (1) the dates for which income security is requested, (2) the date you intend and are medically expected to return to work, and (3) your approved work schedule if you are on an approved intermittent leave
• a copy of the Certification of Health Care Provider for an Employee's Serious Health Condition form that was submitted to the employee's leave administrator as part of their leave application

You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

Prior to drawing benefits from the SLB, members must first exhaust all accrued time off. While sick or vacation time is not accrued while a member is drawing from the SLB, these accruals are restored after the member returns to the position from which they became disabled.

The PSU/MTA Sick Leave Bank (SLB) is intended to provide paid leave time to PSU/MTA Unit A and B members who:

• are absent from work due to a non-work-related injury or illness when there is a reasonable expectation based on medical documentation of the member returning to the position held at the time a medical leave due to the illness or injury began
• are absent from work due to parental leave or serious illness of a family household member

Please note that the Sick Leave Bank is not intended as a substitute for Long-Term Disability Insurance protection.

Membership: All employees in a position covered by PSU Unit A or B are members of the SLB.

Application for SLB benefits: After securing an approved leave and an approved PSU/MTA SLB application and prior to drawing from the SLB, a member must first exhaust all accrued sick and personal leave and all but 10 days of accrued vacation leave (prorated based on a member's full-time equivalency). SLB members do not accrue sick or vacation time while drawing from the SLB. The PSU/MTA SLB Guidelines included on the PSU/MTA SLB application page provide an overview of SLB eligibility and qualifying circumstances.

You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

Annual donation period: during October PSU/MTA Unit A members may voluntarily donate time to the SLB, and PSU/MAT Unit B members may voluntarily cash in a portion of unused sick leave that was accrued during the calendar year.

The USA/MTA Sick Leave Bank (SLB) can provide income security to SLB members who are on an approved leave of absence due to:

• a non-work-related personal illness or injury
• parental leave
• the need to care for a qualified family member

Membership: USA/MTA employees may enroll in the SLB during October open enrollment by returning a completed SLB membership form to Human Resources. SLB membership becomes effective in November. During open enrollment, USA/MTA SLB members can voluntarily donate sick leave to the SLB.

Application for SLB benefits: The SLB Committee considers applications for income replacement based on the information provided by the employee and relevant health-care providers.

In order for your application to be considered by the Committee, please:

1. Complete, sign, and date Section 1 of the appropriate USA/MTA SLB application:
   • USA/MTA SLB application for member's own non-work related illness or injury
   • USA/MTA SLB application for leave to care for a qualified family member
   • USA/MTA SLB application for income during a parental leave
2. Submit the appropriate supporting medical information as described below:
   • for leave granted for an employee's own illness or injury, Section 2 of the SLB application completed by a health care professional.
   • for parental leave requests, a letter on a health-care provider's letterhead indicating the expected due date or in cases of adoption legal documentation indicating the effective date of the adoption
   • for leave to care for a qualified family member, a Department of Labor Certification of Health Care Provider form (WH-380-F) completed by a health-care professional
3. Have your departmental HR representative (or, in cases where one does not exist, your supervisor) complete Section 3 of the SLB application, indicating that you have secured an approved leave.
4. You may submit a completed SLB application via:

• U.S. post mailed to: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Human Resources, 325 Whitmore Administration Building, Amherst, MA 01003-9313,
• Facsimile to 413.545.0483
• AskHR online at https://www.umass.edu/hr (AskHR click on "submit your questions" > "I am a current UMass employee or student" > "click here to submit a question". Select "my topic is not listed here" > Benefits/Paid Time Off and Choose File to upload your completed application).
• In person at the Human Resources Information Center, room 325 Whitmore Administration Building.

Prior to drawing benefits from the SLB, members must exhaust all of their accrued sick leave and all but 10 days of a combination of their compensatory, personal, and vacation time. In the case of parental leave, members must also exhaust the 2 weeks of their University-granted allowed time before drawing from the SLB. Vacation and sick time accrued while drawing from the SLB accrues to the SLB.