UCCS has established a Leave Bank Program for the purpose of enabling employees to transfer annual leave to the Leave Bank for a qualifying employee who is experiencing a catastrophic medical hardship, either personally or by an immediate family member, or other life-altering event. This benefit provides some income protection for the affected employee when that employee would be absent from work for a prolonged period of time and has exhausted all of their annual and sick leave.

After the application has been submitted, the employee or the supervisor may be contacted for additional information. The request may be approved as is, or a portion of the leave requested may be granted. If the request is approved, the awarded leave is not further transferable and is meant to cover only the duration of the illness or injury for which it was requested. In cases where the situation ceases to exist or the employee terminates (by resignation, retirement, etc.), any unused portion of the awarded leave must be returned to the Leave Bank.

If the request is approved, the awarded leave may be applied retroactively to the beginning of the period when the employee took leave without pay for the illness or injury for which it was granted. All rules and procedures which apply to paid leave also apply to the use of the awarded leave except that any awarded transferred leave is not part of the final payout for retirement or termination.

General solicitations for the Leave Bank are made during the month of June or whenever the Bank cannot support the need. Solicitations made for a specific need will be as anonymous as practicable. Employees wishing to contribute leave must do so from accrued annual leave. A minimum donation of one day of accrued annual leave is required. Contributing employees are encouraged to keep a prudent balance for their own use. Contributions are voluntary, confidential, and non-refundable. 

Exclusions: This program is intended to cover serious medical hardship or catastrophic illness or injury such as cancer, major surgery, or serious accident or hospitalization in response to a threat to life. Illnesses or injuries covered by short-term disability, long-term disability, or Worker's Compensation are excluded. This program is not intended to cover cases resulting from abusive leave usage.