June 28, 2012
Effective July 1, the Stanford Community Leave Bank, a new university-wide program, allows benefits-eligible staff to donate accrued vacation leave hours to a central leave “bank.” The central leave bank will allocate leave hours to benefits-eligible staff in need due to a catastrophic qualifying event who have exhausted all of their own available leave hours.
The university-wide program was created at the request of Stanford employees who asked for a way to help their colleagues in need by donating their vacation time, and is being managed by Employee and Labor Relations in University Human Resources.
The program, also supported by the Payroll and Disability Leave Services departments, rolled out in a limited format this spring with select departments, including University Communications and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.
“The employee demand for a program like this demonstrates the kindness, generosity and compassion of Stanford’s workforce,” said Ann Allison-Marsh, Associate Vice President for Employee and Labor Relations. “Through this program, staff can now provide assistance to each other when it matters the most.”
Program Highlights
- Participation: The program is available to regular benefits-eligible employees who accrue vacation, including employees covered by the collective bargaining agreements with SEIU HEW Local 2007 and Stanford Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
- SLAC participation is under review; SLAC employees are not able to participate until the review is complete.
- Faculty, postdocs, lecturers, contingent employees and student workers are not eligible to participate as they do not have accrued vacation.
- Donors: Donors can donate a minimum of one hour and a maximum of 40 hours of accrued vacation leave hours per fiscal year. Donations are made to the SCLB central leave bank, not specific employees.
- Requestors: Requestors must be on an approved leave of absence for their own illness or the illness of an FMLA-eligible family member. Requestors must meet the catastrophic definition and requirements; certification of the leave is required through the university’s disability vendor.
- Eligible Donations: Accrued vacation leave is the only eligible donation to the leave bank. Sick leave is not an eligible donation under the program.
Learn More
To learn more about the program, including program guidelines and FAQs, and to access donor and requestor application forms, visit the Stanford Community Leave Bank section of the Employee and Labor Relations website.
