Sick Leave Bank

January 1 – 31 & July 1 – 31

The Sick Leave Bank serves to provide participating APSU employees additional leave in the event of serious or catastrophic illness of the employee when all other leave options have been exhausted. Sick Leave Banks have been established for both Faculty and Non-Faculty employees at APSU. The Banks are administered by Trustees appointed by the President.

An employee is eligible to become a member of the bank as soon as they accrue enough hours for the initial assessment. Full-time employees must have 22.5 hours (24 hours – if you are an 8 – hour a day employee) and Part-time employees are assessed a corresponding number of pro-rated hours. Eligible employees may enroll during the specified open enrollment periods in either January or July each year.

The employee must complete enrollment forms during the enrollment period for approval by the Human Resource Office. Forms are available at the Human Resource website (link below).

Sick Leave Bank Enroll Form

To be eligible to receive sick leave bank hours, an employee must have been a bank member for 30 calendar days from the date of enrollment.

The maximum number of Sick Leave Bank hours that may be awarded to an individual is 150 (7.50 hour day x 20 days) per application (pro-rated for part-time). Subsequent grants of leave (a second request form must be completed) cannot exceed 450 hours (7.50 hour day x 60 days) in any fiscal year, or 675 hours (90 days x 7.50) for any one illness, or recurring diagnosed illness, or accident. As of January 1, 2014, a new guideline has been added for a total maximum lifetime withdrawal a member can request of 330 days (For a 7.5 hour employee the lifetime maximum hours they request is 2,475 hours during their years of employment). (Note: Medical documentation from a medical provider must be provided to prove the necessity of the time away from work. The Sick Bank Request and accompanying medical documentation will be reviewed by the Sick Bank Trustees.)

To request Sick Leave from the bank, an eligible member must complete the appropriate Sick Leave Bank Request Form for review and approval by the Sick Leave Bank Trustees. Should sick leave be denied, the bank member may be eligible to receive donations from other employees as provided in APSU Policy 5:020.

One little known benefit of membership is leave donation. As a member of the Sick Leave Bank, you may also qualify for donation of sick leave from other employees of APSU. In order to receive donated leave, you must be a member of the Sick Bank. To read more on the criteria for giving and/or receiving donated leave please refer to APSU Policy 5:020

If at any time the number of sick leave bank hours falls below the minimum requirement of one day per member, the bank trustees reserve the right to reassess the membership an amount appropriate to replenish the bank balance, but not to exceed (3) days per member for any single assessment (pro-rated for part-time). Since the establishment of the Sick Banks in the early 90’s we have only had to reassess the Non-Faculty Sick Bank twice. Thanks to some of our ORP retirees, who donated their sick leave balance to the banks, we have maintained these better balances and have not had to reassess. There was a new guideline put in place that allows ORP retirement participants, upon their retirement, to donate their sick leave balance to the Sick Bank. The reason that only ORP participants can do this is that their Sick Leave has no retirement value. However, TCRS participants’ Sick Leave balance has a retirement value that is calculated as service credits. That is why it is so important to try to save these hours if you are in this plan.

Faculty Sick Leave Bank Request

Non-Faculty Sick Leave Bank Request

Sick Leave Donation Agreement

Sick Leave Donation Agreement - ORP Retirees

Faculty Sick Leave Bank Guidelines

Non-Faculty Sick Leave Bank Guidelines

“I’m MORE than happy to tell anyone about how awesome the sick leave bank is and how, in an instant, you can go from being able to work to being laid up for WEEKS!!!

As you know I used it recently with my surgery. While I was fortunate enough to “schedule” my surgery during a less busy time as far as work load goes it was still a surgery that I HAD to have and couldn’t be put off for long… but several years ago,on a beautiful, sunny, spring, Sunday morning I was going horseback riding and had an accident with my horse and ended up breaking both bones in my right leg/ankle. I was taken to the ER at the hospital and to surgery straight from the ER and was out for 8 weeks!!! I went from a wheel chair, to a walker, to crutches to a cane and walking boot and I don’t know what I would have done with 8 weeks of no pay!!! I had enough stress on me at that time without having to worry about how I was going to pay bills too..

I tell EVERYONE I have the opportunity to tell that if they aren’t in the sick leave bank they need to be… To me it’s as critical, if not more so than my, 401K, medical insurance, life insurance, car insurance etc… I consider it a form of “insurance” that I don’t have a monthly premium on… but just like insurance… you may not need it every day but the day you do need it, nothing will take its place!!"

"I am a fairly healthy late thirties woman who worked out daily and ate right. Most would think that there would be nothing to worry about as far as health wise. I was in the middle of training for a half marathon when my heart started skipping beats. After many doctor’s appointments they had to remove my thyroid. Then 2 months later I had a 7 pound mass that had to be removed that literally appeared in the matter of a month. I was out of work for a good 8 weeks between all the Doctor appointments and surgeries. I would tell anyone, no matter how in shape you think you are you never know what can happen. I have 3 children and my husband owns his own business so I carry all the insurance on the family. Without the sick bank we would have probably ended up in really bad shape. After multiple stays in Vanderbilt the bills for travel, copays, and food for my husband while he stayed with me, there is no way we would have made it. So please do not think that you take care of yourself and nothing will happen to you, it only takes one streak of bad luck to change your financial status in a short period of time. I hear many people say, I just can’t give up those days, trust me, do it. It will pay off in the long run and hey if you are a lucky one and never have to use it, at least it was there just in case.”

“I joined the sick leave bank five years ago for no other reason than “it’s better to be safe than sorry”. Now I am so thankful that I did. After my heart attack, I had complications that keep me from returning to work immediately and naturally, I did not have enough sick leave or personal leave to cover the absence. That is when the sick leave bank came to my rescue! Not only did I receive my regular pay and benefits during my absence but also the staff was always available and made the paperwork submission an easy process. All I had to do was submit my leave request and the doctor submitted his report. I am so thankful that the sick leave bank is an available benefit and that I had an opportunity to join."

“I have found the sick leave bank to be a life saver. I was undergoing chemo therapy after having 2 surgeries and had I not had the sick leave bank I would have been destitute. It gave me peace of mind to know that my finances did not hang in the balance because of my illness. I recommend it to everyone."

Please contact:

Hannah Allen

Phone: 931-221-7181

benefits@apsu.edu

Sick Leave Bank Enrollment Opportunity

Office of Human Resources