1. “Family Member” is defined as the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent (not a parent-in-law);
2. “Son or daughter” means a biological, adopted, or foster child; a stepchild; a legal ward; or a child of a person standing in loco parentis who is either under age 18 or age 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.
3. A “parent” is defined as a biological, adoptive, step, or foster father or mother or any other individual who stood in loco parentis to the employee when he or she was a minor.
4. “Fiscal Year” for Converse is July 1 through June 30.
A. Donation Requirements: Employees who would like to donate personal leave are required to complete a Voluntary Personal Leave Donation Form and submit it to hr@converse.edu. If the donation is approved, the donor's personal leave balance will be decreased by the specified amount. Notification of this action will be provided to the employee donating leave and their department head/supervisor, who will approve the electronic timecard. If a donation is denied, the employee and the department will also be notified. Employees who opt into the Voluntary Personal Leave Donation Program are required to meet the following criteria:
- Donors can specify whether their donated personal leave will go into a general leave pool for use by any eligible recipient or, under approved situations, to a specific employee. Conditions apply when donating to a specific employee.
- Employees will be given the opportunity to donate to the general Voluntary Personal Leave Pool program annually during benefits open enrollment. The donated personal leave will be transferred from the donor to the leave pool on October 1st.
- Converse may opt to initiate an additional monthly donation period to accept off-cycle donations to the general pool if the donation balance is reaching depletion.
- Throughout the year, additional opportunities to donate to a specific employee may arise as necessitated by a qualifying situation at a recipient's request. A Donor may donate up to 40 hours per fiscal year to a specific coworker. Personal leave donations will not be transferred from the donor to the recipient until all of the recipient's existing personal leave hours have been exhausted.
- The donation of personal leave is on an hourly basis, without regard to the dollar value of the donated or used leave.
- Eligible employees may donate their accrued personal leave in 4-hour increments up to a maximum of 40 hours per fiscal year. Personal leave not yet accrued may not be donated.
- The maximum amount of personal leave donated may not be more than the donor’s annual accrual rate and may not reduce the donor’s personal leave balance below 40 hours (prorated for part-time employees).
- Human Resources will coordinate with the Payroll Manager to ensure proper recording of reduction in accrued personal leave balances and payment to the recipient.
- Employees who are currently on an approved leave of absence cannot donate personal leave.
- Once personal leave is donated, the decision is irrevocable.
- Donors will have the option to keep their donations confidential.
B. Recipient Requirements: Employees who would like to request donated personal leave are required to complete a Voluntary Personal Leave Request Form and submit it to Human Resources at hr@converse.edu. If the request is approved, the leave recipient's personal leave balance will be increased by the available/specified amount. Notification of this action will be provided to the employee receiving leave and to their department head/supervisor who approves the electronic timecard. If a request is denied in whole or in part, the employee and the department head/supervisor will also be notified. Employees who are eligible to receive the Voluntary Personal Leave Donation are required to follow the criteria listed below:
- All requests for personal leave donations, as well as medical information, are confidential and are not included in the employee's personnel file.
- Recipients who receive donated leave from the general pool shall remain anonymous unless when otherwise permitted by the recipient.
- A recipient can request solicitation of donated leave be shared/communicated to the Converse community by the Human Resources department by selecting the release agreement on the Voluntary Personal Leave Request Form. With this election, it is understood that anonymity is void.
- The donated personal leave hours are paid at the recipient's regular rate of pay and from the recipient's account code(s).
- The need for donation must be due to a qualifying event (as defined below) that requires the employee to be out of work for at least two weeks.
- Certification of a qualifying medical condition is required from an eligible healthcare provider where applicable. Voluntary personal leave donations are limited to the timeframe certified by the healthcare provider. This information should be submitted to Human Resources at hr@converse.edu prior to completing the Voluntary Personal Leave Request Form.
- Unused donated personal leave hours will expire at the end of the noted leave period. Any donated but unused personal leave hours will roll over into the general leave pool and will not be returned to the donor nor used by the recipient.
- Recipients are only eligible to use donated hours after their accrued personal leave has been exhausted.
- The amount of leave a recipient may receive in a fiscal year is 480 hours (prorated for part-time employees), either continuously or, if for the same condition, on a recurring basis.
- Donated personal leave may only be used for the time off related to the approved request.
- The donation is paid per the normal payroll schedule. Off-cycle manual checks will NOT be processed.
- Converse will continue to cover the employer contributions towards the cost of the health benefit programs provided the employee continues their portion of premiums where applicable.
- If a recipient separates employment with Converse due to resignation, death, or retirement, participation in the program ends. Any unused donated personal leave hours will roll over into the general leave pool and not be returned to the Donor or used by the recipient. This benefit is ineligible for payout at separation of employment and does not count toward years of service for purposes of retirement, as stated in the Summary of Leave Benefits Policy.
C. Confidentiality: Voluntary personal leave donations are classified as medical information and shall be kept confidential in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974. Only individual employees may reveal their general personal bank donation or receipt of personal leave through a signed release to allow the status to be known. Employees desiring to participate in the program may indicate their confidentiality preference on the Voluntary Personal Leave Donation Program form.
D. Authorization: The Director of Human Resources is authorized to approve requests for donated personal leave after receiving the Voluntary Personal Leave Request Form based on total leave pool balances, other qualifying requests, and additional extenuating factors and in with concurrence of the appropriate department head/supervisor The Vice President for Finance will be responsible for final action on requests for participation in the Program for which the Director of Human Resources and/or the appropriate department or office head have recommended disapproval.
E. Intimidation or Coercion Prohibited: An employee may not intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other employee for the purpose of interfering with any right which such employee may have with respect to donating, receiving, or using leave under this program. Such action shall be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal on the basis of personal conduct.
F. Coordination With Leaves of Absence: The employee's participation in the Voluntary Personal Leave Donation Program does not extend or substitute, but rather should run concurrently with any other approved leave of absence, nor does it provide a guarantee that the employee will be returned to the same or equivalent position held prior to the leave or of continuing employment, except as provided under applicable law (such as the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or South Carolina Workers' Compensation Act).
Nothing in this policy will be construed to limit or extend the maximum allowable absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Converse recognizes that employees may experience a catastrophic illness/injury or medical emergency resulting in prolonged, unpaid leave for unplanned absences. In response to such an illness or injury, eligible employees will be allowed to voluntarily donate accrued personal leave from their unused balance to their co-workers or the Converse personal leave pool in accordance with the policy outlined below.
To provide more flexibility with employee personal leave practices due to the current pandemic and other catastrophic illnesses/injuries, Converse has determined that the Voluntary Personal Leave Donation Program is vital to supporting employees’ overall well-being.
1. Donor: Full-time and benefit-eligible part-time employees who have been employed with Converse for a minimum of one year and who have not had any disciplinary warnings or other disciplinary actions in the previous year are eligible to donate personal leave.
2. Recipient: Full-time and benefit-eligible part-time employees who have been employed with Converse for a minimum of one year and have not had any disciplinary warnings or other disciplinary actions in the previous year are eligible to apply for personal leave.