Leave Sharing Bank

What is the Leave Bank?

The leave sharing program was established to provide some income protection to eligible state classified employees who need to be absent from work for a prolonged period of time, but who have inadequate paid time-off accumulated (annual leave, sick leave, compensatory time, or accrued holiday time) to cover the absences.  This program permits employees to donate a portion of their annual leave.

The College, with the assistance of the Classified Liaison Council, has developed a Leave Sharing Program for Western’s classified staff according to state regulations.  It is intended to cover an unforeseeable life-altering event beyond the employee’s control.

Who can use the Leave Bank?

Leave sharing is available for those instances involving a state classified employee as well as their family members (i.e., the employee’s child, parent, spouse, legal dependent, or another person living in the employee’s household for whom the employee is the primary care giver).

An employee must have completed at least twelve months of employment with the State of Colorado and have exhausted all sick, annual and other payable leaves before becoming eligible to use the leave bank.  Any shared leave that is granted will be counted concurrently against any family/medical leave (FMLA) entitlement.

Normal pregnancy, common illnesses and illness/injury covered by short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), PERA Disability Retirement, Workers’ Compensation are excluded.  In addition, employees receiving salary replacement or disability benefits through STD, LTD, PERA, Workers’ Compensation or no-fault auto insurance are not eligible to apply for the annual Leave Share Bank.  Please note that the 30 calendar day benefit waiting period prior to STD benefits income eligibility may be covered as well as the period following exhaustion of STD benefits providing the medical condition meets the criteria noted in the section above.

How many hours can I apply for?

The number of hours an employee is eligible for depends on appointment percentage.  Full-time employees may apply to the bank for up to a maximum of 176 hours (22 work days) per application.  The maximum hours will be prorated for part-time employees based upon their FTE appointment.  Additional time may be granted with subsequent applications to a maximum allocation of 1040 hours so long as the total absence, including any benefitted leaves, does not exceed six months in any 12-month period.

How do I apply for use of the Leave Bank?

Employees (or their caregiver or representative, if incapacitated) need to call the Human Resources office at 970-943-3140 to make an appointment before applying for use of the leave bank.

The completed Application and a written statement from the attending physician providing details of the medical condition and indicating the projected date of return to work must be returned to the Human Resources office.

Who decides if my application is approved or denied?

The application is first reviewed by a committee consisting of three classified employees elected at large by all classified employees and are bound by a Confidentiality Agreement.  A representative from the Human Resources office serves in an advisory capacity, and will act as an alternate voting member in the absence of any one elected member of the review committee.

Decisions are based on the merits of each individual case.  Requests may be denied for patterns of sick leave abuse as shown by documentation, or incomplete or inaccurate information.  Awards of leave bank time may be applied retroactively.

The review committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the President, or his designed Vice President, for final approval and is not subject to grievance or appeal.  Human Resources will notify the applicant in writing of the decision within 10 working days after submission of the completed application.

How long does the process take?

The process takes approximately 7-10 working days after receipt of the complete application materials.

How are donations to the Leave Bank made?

Annual leave donations are made by the employee completing a LSB Donation Form.

Employees may donate annual leave in any increment to the Leave Bank at any time during the year.  Donations are accepted at any time.  Donation drives are conducted as needed when the total bank hours are less than the amount of any pending requests.  Please note that it is time (hours/days) that is being donated, not the dollars represented by the time.

No donations can be made in excess of available annual leave for the donating employees, and all employees must maintain a minimum amount of 40 hours of annual leave.  This is a good opportunity for employees to share some for the excess annual leave they might otherwise lose.  Once donations are made they cannot be refunded.  Donations are strictly voluntary and confidential. 

Where can I get forms and questions?

Donation forms and applications are available in the Human Resources office in Room 209 Taylor Hall, by calling 970-943-3140, or can be downloaded from the links on this page.