Sick Leave Pool
The Sick Leave Pool allows employees to share accumulated leave with other eligible employees according to set guidelines. Employees become a member of the sick leave pool when they contribute leave hours to the pool. Pool hours can be used by members when a major illness or accident occurs that depletes an employee’s accumulated leave balances. Please refer to the Sick Leave Fund Policy for a complete guideline listing.
Enrollment and Membership
Any permanent or seasonal employee as defined in 2-18-601, MCA, may enroll in the sick leave fund at any time by donating accrued sick or annual leave to the sick leave pool. To enroll in the sick leave fund, a permanent or seasonal employee must:
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have completed the 90-day qualifying period to take sick leave or have completed the 180-day qualifying period to use annual leave
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submit a completed sick leave voucher to the appropriate agency staff that shows a full-time employee is making an initial contribution of at least 8 hours of accrued sick or annual leave to the sick leave fund. A part-time employee’s initial contribution is prorated based on the employee’s regular schedule or the average amount of time the employee is in a pay status.
The employee’s initial contribution to the sick leave fund may not reduce a full-time employee’s balance of sick leave or annual leave below 40 hours. A part-time employee’s minimum balance is prorated. An employee may not contribute a combined total of more than 80 hours of sick and annual leave to the sick leave fund in a 12-month period unless the contribution is derived from excess annual leave that would otherwise be forfeited. If annual leave that would otherwise be forfeited is part of an employee’s annual contribution, the total for that employee may include the 80 hours and any leave at risk of forfeiture. Upon termination, an employee can contribute any amount of sick and/or annual leave to the sick leave fund. All contributions to the sick leave fund are voluntary and irrevocable.
To become a member of the sick leave pool and make an initial contribution of accrued leave to the sick leave pool, visit your agency’s payroll/HR staff and complete the Sick Leave Fund Contribution Form. Return the completed form to Health Care and Benefits Division, PO Box 200130 Helena MT 59620 or fax to (406) 444-0080. Not sure if you are member? Contact your agency Payroll/HR to find out.
Termination
An employee remains a member of the sick leave fund unless the employee:
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fails to authorize an additional contribution when all members are contacted to donate more time. This situation might occur if the sick leave fund balance falls below 1,000 hours. Then HCBD will contact all employees who are members and ask them to contribute additional hours to maintain membership in the pool.
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terminates employment with state government; or
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resigns in writing from the fund.
Sick Fund Grant Requests
To be eligible to receive a grant from the sick leave fund, an employee must have:
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met the 90-day qualifying period to take sick leave, as provided in 2‑18-618, MCA;
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suffered an extensive illness or accident or provided necessary care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition that resulted in the employee’s absence from work of no less than 10 consecutive working days;
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used all available accrued sick leave, annual leave, other accrued paid leave, and compensatory time;
- received approval from the supervisor for leave of absence;
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received approval from the agency head or designee to receive a sick leave fund grant;
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when requested by the employing agency, provided a physician’s certification of extensive illness or accident; and
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been a member of the sick leave fund for at least 90 calendar days. The 90-day period begins on the first day of the pay period following the pay period in which the participating employee’s initial sick leave fund contribution was deducted from the employee’s sick or annual leave balances.
Meeting the eligibility requirements of this policy does not guarantee that an employing agency head or designee will approve the employee’s use of a sick leave fund grant. An eligible full-time employee can receive a maximum of 240 hours of sick leave from the sick leave pool in a 12 month period.
To request a sick leave pool grant, complete the Sick Leave Fund Grant Request Form and return the completed form to Health Care and Benefits Division, PO Box 200130 Helena MT 59620 or fax to (406) 444-0080.
