Shared Sick Leave Program

The Shared Sick Leave Program allows eligible employees to support one another during serious health situations. Here's how it works:

Who Can Participate

  • All regular, benefits-eligible employees
  • Must work at least 20 hours per week (half-time or more)

How It Works

  • Employees voluntarily donate unused sick leave to a shared leave pool
  • The donated leave is available for other eligible employees who are also members of the program

Who Can Use the Leave Pool

  • Employees experiencing a serious health condition
  • Employees whose immediate family member is experiencing a serious health condition
  • The requesting employee must have exhausted all of their own paid leave before using shared leave

Contact Us

Human Resources

Health Sciences Campus

Annex I

Chris Hunt

706-721-3836

chunt@augusta.edu

Participation Guidelines & Eligibility

Leave Donation

Employees will be given the opportunity to donate a specified number of sick leave hours (in eight (8) hour increments up to a maximum of 80 sick leave hours per enrollment period) from their sick leave accounts to the shared leave pool by completing an enrollment form. The donated leave will be transferred to the shared leave pool at the same time other benefit elections are effective (normally January 1).

Eligibility for Benefit

In order to receive shared leave, the employee must:

  • be a member of the leave program, and
  • have completed the initial provisional period of employment, and
  • provide certification of a serious health condition from a licensed physician, and
  • have exhausted all sick and annual leave (or provide credible medical evidence that he or she will exhaust all sick and annual leave before the medical condition is resolved)

Membership Termination

An employee may withdraw from the pool at any time by sending a written request to the shared leave program administrator. Any leave contributed to the pool prior to withdrawal shall be forfeited.

Termination Form

Requests & Approval Process

Requesting Shared Leave

An eligible employee may request shared leave by submitting the Shared Sick Leave Request Form and a completed Physician’s Certification form to the shared sick leave program administrator during Open Enrollment. If the employee is not capable of making application on his or her own behalf, a personal representative, having documented power of attorney for the employee, may make written application on behalf of the employee.

A potential leave recipient may request up to 160 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) of shared leave at one time, and may make up to two additional requests for shared leave within a calendar year, for a maximum total of 480 hours (12 weeks) (pro-rated for part-time employees) per year. The requests may be consecutive.

Approval Process

Donated leave requests will be reviewed by the program administrator and the Shared Leave Program Committee (if applicable). The leave recipient will be notified within ten (10) working days after the completed request is received (or the period designated within institutional policies or procedures, if that date is later) that:

  • the request has been approved; and
  • the date the employee may begin drawing leave from the pool, and
  • if the employee has entered the status of leave without pay, the approved shared leave may be substituted retroactively to cover the period of leave without pay.
  • Or the request has been denied; and the reason for the denial

Appeals & Confidentiality

Appeals

Requests which have been denied may be appealed in writing to the institution’s Chief Human Resources Officer. If the Chief Human Resources Officer is serving as the program administrators, an alternative appropriate appeal process must be established.

Confidentiality

Any medical information provided in conjunction with shared leave requests will remain confidential and will only be shared on a strict need to know basis directly related solely to shared sick leave program administration. Additionally, potential leave recipients, their representatives, departmental constituents and/or shared leave committee members may not reveal any health information or medical condition as part of their application for shared leave as such communications may violate HIPAA, GINA and other privacy guidelines. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who is eligible to request shared leave? Employees meeting the following criteria:
    • A current employee who has completed the employment provisional period
    • The employee experiences a serious health condition as defined by FMLA or his/her immediate family member experiences a qualifying serious health condition requiring the employee’s presence
    • The employee has exhausted or will exhaust his/her personal leave time, and
    • The employee participates in the shared leave program.
  • How will I know that I have received shared leave? You will be notified by Human Resources via written documentation.
  • What happens to any shared leave I don’t use? All unused leave will go back to the pool.
  • Will an affected employee continue to accrue sick and annual during the time missed from work? Yes, the employee will accrue leave based on their current compensation status. Accrued annual and sick leave will be applied to the absence before shared leave is applied.
  • How much leave may be requested? You may request up to 160 hours of leave per application (pro-rated for part-time employees) up to three (3) times in a calendar year for a maximum of 480 hours (12 twelve weeks) (pro-rated for part-time employees).
  • Can shared leave be used to care for an immediate family member? Yes, the recipient may use the leave for the care of an immediate family member requiring the employee’s presence, which meets the FMLA definition of a serious health condition.
  • Who is eligible to donate leave? Any benefit eligible employee that has participated in the pool and has completed their six (6) month provisional period.
  • How much leave may I donate? You may donate leave in eight hour (8, 16, 24, etc.) increments, with a minimum donation of eight (8) hours and a maximum donation of 80 hours per enrollment period. Donors must retain at least forty (40) hours of personal sick leave upon donation (pro-rated for part-time employees).
  • What if I change my mind about donating leave? Donations are irrevocable but donors may give written notice to terminate membership.
  • Can I donate leave upon my leaving the institution or University System of Georgia? No. Leave cannot be donated upon termination.
  • How can I donate leave? During Open Enrollment complete the Shared Leave Donation form and send it to Human Resources for processing.
  • Is a leave pool member required to donate hours every year in order to maintain membership? No. An initial donation is required to become a member. Additional donations are voluntary unless the pool is considered depleted in which an additional mandatory 8 hour donation is required from all participants to continue membership.
  • When will donated hours be deducted from an employee’s sick leave balance? The donated leave will be transferred from the employee’s leave balance to the shared leave pool at the same time other benefit elections are effective (normally January 1).
  • Can shared sick leave be used intermittently? Yes, when medically necessary to care for an employee’s serious health condition or that of their immediate family member.
  • Can shared sick leave be used for absences due to childbirth? Yes, for the period of time deemed medically necessary by a health care professional which is typically the six weeks immediately following childbirth for normal delivery, without any complications.