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Sick Leave Pool Information
The Texas A&M University System has established a sick leave pool to provide a source of additional sick leave for employees who have exhausted available sick, vacation, and compensatory time as a result of a catastrophic illness or injury. Sick leave pool benefits are made available through voluntary donations of sick leave hours from current and retiring employees.
Eligibility
Employees may qualify for pool hours if:
- the employee or family member has been under a licensed practitioner’s care and the illness/injury has resulted in the employee’s being absent from work for a minimum of 160 hours;
- eligible sick, vacation, and/or compensatory time has been exhausted; and
- all other applicable Texas A&M University procedures and regulations are followed, including System Regulation 31.06.01 – Sick Leave Pool Administration and 31.03.02 – Sick Leave
Employees who have questions about sick pool eligibility or other pool benefits should contact their supervisor or Employee Services at 845-4141.
Definitions
Catastrophic Illness or Injury:
A severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the mental or physical health of the employee or the employee’s immediate family that requires the services of a licensed practitioner for a prolonged period of time and forces the employee to exhaust leave time earned and to lose compensation from the State.
Licensed Practitioner:
A practitioner, as defined in the Texas Insurance Code, who is practicing within the scope of his or her license.
160-hour Waiting Period:
A requirement stipulating that a full-time employee may not access the pool until s/he has missed 160 cumulative hours of work (50% effort employee = 80 cumulative hours of missed work, etc.) due to any one medical condition. The employee may use available paid leave throughout the 160-hour waiting period.
Sick Leave Pool Forms
- Sick Leave Pool Withdrawals
The withdrawal form is used to request hours from the pool. The employee may complete this form, or the department may submit the form on behalf of the employee. This form must be submitted in a timely manner due to TAMU policies which prohibit retroactive pay. All areas of the form must be completed before the pool administrator may make a decision regarding the granting of requested hours.
- Sick Leave Pool Donations
The donation form is used by employees to donate unused sick leave hours to the sick leave pool. All donations to the pool are voluntary; employees may choose to donate hours during his/her employment or may choose to donate at the time of termination or retirement. This form should be used as part of the exit process.
- Sick Leave Pool Returned Hours
The returned hours form is used by departments to return unused hours to the sick leave pool. Department liaisons are responsible for returning unused hours to the University’s pool administrator.
- Certification of Physician or Practitioner
The Certification of Physician or Practitioner form is used to document medical information for purposes of the sick leave pool, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligibility, and accountability for the use of applicable sick leave. The employee must return this form to his/her department in a timely manner in order to receive leave benefits.
Manager/Liaison Information
Managers or liaisons who have questions about sick pool eligibility or other pool benefits should contact the Total Compensation Benefits Office at 845-4170 or hrcompbenefits@tamu.edu.