A catastrophic illness or injury is a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the mental or physical health of the employee or a member of the employee's immediate family that requires treatment by a licensed practitioner for a prolonged period and that forces the employee to exhaust all leave time earned and therefore results in loss of compensation from the state. Part-time employee who are awarded Sick Leave Pool are eligible for an amount of hours that is proportionate to their appointment. Employees who are awarded Sick Leave Pool complete timesheets and receive a paycheck in the same manner as when receiving Sick Leave. Awaiting a Sick Leave Pool Decision Employees who have exhausted all accrued and available leave time must be placed on Leave Without Pay pending the decision of Sick Leave Pool. In other words, employees are not allowed to carry a negative leave balance.
Departments are responsible for placing the employee on Leave Without Pay when it becomes necessary.
Employees may make unlimited lump sum contributions to the Sick Leave Pool, provided the donor's balance would not drop below 50 hours. Employees who elect this option and are terminating or retiring should carefully consider their decision. If the employee returns to employment with the State of Texas or a Texas institution of higher education within 12 months from the date they left UT, they are eligible to have their Sick Leave balances transferred to their new place of employment. To request an application for Sick Leave Pool, a donation form, or for additional information, please call Leave Management at 475-8055. The Sick Leave Pool donation form can be found on HR Document Express .