The University of Iowa has revised its catastrophic leave policy so more faculty and staff can receive donated leave in the event of a personal or familial catastrophic illness or injury. Effective Jan. 1, employees eligible to receive donated leave include all regular faculty and staff with a 50% or greater appointment who also receive vacation or sick leave benefits.

“The university supports this policy change, and we will work with shared governance as we implement it,” says Cheryl Reardon, UI chief human resources officer and associate vice president. “We continue to look for opportunities to provide a high-quality benefits package for our dedicated faculty and staff.”

The change is in response to concerns raised by faculty with nine-month academic appointments who generally are not required to work over summer and winter breaks and do not accrue vacation time. This group of employees was ineligible to receive donated time under the previous catastrophic leave policy.

In September, UI Faculty Senate voted unanimously to request a policy change that expanded eligibility for receiving donated leave. On Nov. 14, the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, approved the request, giving all of Iowa’s public universities the remainder of the 2019 calendar year to implement appropriate changes. At the UI, University Human Resources plans to communicate details about the policy change via email with affected members of the campus community.

“I am pleased with the success of this first step toward addressing our community’s concerns,” says Sandra Daack-Hirsch, president of UI Faculty Senate, professor in the College of Nursing, and director of the nursing PhD program. “This change has expanded the number of faculty and staff eligible to receive donated leave. However, I’d like the process for requesting donations to offer an option for confidentiality, and I’d like to see a more sustainable donation process. My colleagues and I will continue to work on this issue.”

Many provisions of the catastrophic leave policy will not change, including who may donate and under what conditions. According to policy, only faculty and staff who accrue vacation leave can donate, and employees are eligible if they or a family member is suffering from a health condition certified by a treating health provider as preventing them from working for 30 or more days.

Other requirements and more information is available on the University Human Resources website.