In advance of Open Enrollment for benefits this coming fall, the AAUP Donated Sick Leave Bank (DSLB) Committee wants to provide an update on both the health of the bank as well as an adjustment to the number of hours members who join the DSLB will donate during Open Enrollment. This year members will donate 6 instead of 7 hours in order to be eligible for the DSLB.
This is a wonderful benefit through our union that ensures that when you are sick or need to take care of a family member you will be covered even when your paid sick leave runs out. Over the past couple of years, this safety net has been here for members when they need it most.
The Committee is happy to report that our DSLB is robust and prepared to support typical yearly requests for the next year or two. Our recently adopted CBA includes a section that gives the DSLB committee the ability to set donation hours annually within a range. Given the health of the bank, the Committee has approved reducing the annual donated hours for our next Open Enrollment period (October 2021) from 7 hours to 6 hours.
All members are automatically enrolled in the Donated Sick Leave Bank unless they opt out during Open Enrollment. You will receive messages from both AAUP and HR about how to opt out should you wish both before and during Open Enrollment.
Some great things about this benefit:
- By putting in your annual 6 hrs to the Sick Leave Bank, you’re able to access up to 40* [UPDATE - Now 60 days as a result of 2023 Bargaining] working days should you need to. If you’re someone without a lot of sick hours stocked up, by being part of the Donated Sick Leave Bank, you’re still able to access even more hours than you would have!
- This benefit can be used for anything that qualifies under FMLA, OFLA, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or PSU’s standards around sick time (read those here).
For any questions, feel free to reach out to Sick Leave Bank Committee members (Krista Kennedy - krista5@pdx.edu, Sarah Giles - sagiles@pdx.edu, and Susan Reese - sgreese@pdx.edu), Phil Lesch (phil@psuaaup.net) or Karen Kraus (leaves@pdx.edu) in HR.
To review the process and full benefit rules, please review Article 32 Section 14 in the 2021 - 2024 CBA. Please use this link to complete and submit your request to use the AAUP Donated Sick Leave Bank if you think you may need it: AAUP DSLB Request Form
Here are some helpful tips on how to report your AAUP DSLB Hours.