Sick Leave Sharing Procedure | KCTCS

Administrative Procedures

Sick Leave Sharing Procedure

Procedure Number: 2.14.2.5-P

Current Effective Date: 08/18/2025

Original Effective Date: 08/18/2025

Revision Dates: 0

Revision Number: 0

Revision Summary: implementation of new procedure

Responsible Official: Vice President, Human Resources

References: Administrative Policy 2.14.2.5, Administrative Policy 2.14.2.2, Administrative Policy 2.0.1.1

1. Purpose

This procedure governs the management of and eligibility for the Sick Leave Sharing program, as set forth in KCTCS Policy 2.14.2.5.

2. Scope

This procedure applies to all regular full-time and part-time employees who accrue sick time and meet the eligibility requirements.

3. Eligibility Requirements

  1. Donor Requirements
    1. Any regular status employee (faculty or staff) who has an accrued sick leave balance of at least 82.5 or more hours (including banked hours) may donate sick leave pursuant to this procedure.
    2. The donor must maintain a minimum sick leave balance of 75 hours following any donation.

  2. Recipient Requirements
    1. The employee shall have successfully completed their introductory period of employment.
    2. The employee shall not have received discipline for abuse of sick leave or excessive absences within the past twenty-four (24) months.
    3. The employee shall have exhausted all accrued paid leave available to them, including sick, vacation, and banked leave. Banked balances refer to accrued but unused leave carried over, often because of an employee transitioning from the UK personnel system to the KCTCS personnel system or moving from a staff to a faculty position.
    4. The employee shall provide documentation from a health care provider to Human Resources for approval, that documents the medical condition that necessitates the leave. The documentation shall indicate that the employee will be absent for at least ten (10) consecutive workdays.

4. Donation Stipulations

  1. Donors must contribute a minimum of 7.5 hours; any amount exceeding this minimum is permitted.

  2. A minimum of 0.25 hours of donated leave must be used per day; smaller increments are not permitted.

  3. Human Resources Leaders or their  designee will administer the program, collect all appropriate documentation, and approve eligible recipient and donor leave.  Human Resources will solicit donations upon receipt of appropriate medical documentation.

5. Procedure

  1. Human Resources Leaders, or their designees, shall administer this program and will communicate to the employee population all requests for leave.  To ensure employee privacy and compliance with HIPAA, communications concerning a request will omit the recipient’s name, identification, and qualifying condition. Additionally, donor names will not be revealed to the recipient, or to any other employee.

  2. Employees willing to donate sick leave shall contact their local Human Resources office to obtain the necessary forms and information to begin the donor process.

  3. Employees are prohibited from directly or indirectly intimidating, threatening, or coercing any other employee regarding participation in this program.

  4. Where multiple donors donate sick leave to the same recipient, the sick leave will be transferred to the eligible recipient in the chronological order of receipt from donors’ forms up to the maximum that has been certified to be needed by the recipient.

  5. Donated sick leave is used in the order in which it is donated and will be used on consecutive days of absence except as provided in this policy.  Accrued leave while receiving donated leave will be used before donated sick leave.

  6. Where there are two or more simultaneous requests for sick leave, the Human Resource Leader will divide equally the amount of donated time to each recipient. If a recipient(s) receives the necessary amount of donations, remaining donations would be given to recipients still in need.

  7. At the discretion of the local college or System Office, requests for donations may be limited to a period in which to donate or by the number of times an employee can request additional time.

  8. Donated sick leave is removed from the donor’s accrual balance as it is needed by the recipient.  The recipient of donated leave has 30 days after they have returned to work to utilize the donation if they provide medical evidence that he or she will require continued, intermittent medical treatment, and/or a reduced work schedule relating to the original condition for which leave was donated.  Donations expire 30 days after the recipient has returned to work and no longer has a medical need to continue to receive donations.

  9. Employees who have given notice of resignation or retirement may donate up to twenty (20) days of accrued sick leave when there is a recipient in need. Leave donations can be made by the donor up to the donor’s termination/retirement date.  No donated hours may be utilized after the donor’s termination/retirement date.  Employees who have given notice of resignation or retirement are not eligible to receive donated leave under this program.

  10. Any absence longer than ninety (90) days shall be reported to the KCTCS Board of Regents, as required by policy.