Leave Programs

The Catastrophic Leave Donation Program allows for the donation and receipt of vacation and sick leave credits between all eligible University employees.  Donated leave may be used by an employee who has a catastrophic illness or injury and has exhausted all leave credits normally available to cover the required absence from work.  The program also allows participation in the program if an employee needs to be absent from work due to a catastrophic illness or injury of an immediate family member.

Please refer to the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement for the number of hours an employee may donate. Further information is available in the Office of Human Resources.

The Maternity/Paternity/Adoption/Parental leave is a paid leave of up to 30 days, associated with the birth of an employee's own child or the placement of a child with the employee in connection with adoption or foster care. This type of absence is not charged against the employee's leave credits, and the amount of paid days received is based on the employee category. Paid Maternity/Paternity/Adoption/Parental leave may run concurrently with any other related leaves for which the employee is eligible. The chart below is a reference that can be used to determine the amount of paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave an employee is entitled to under this program. Please review MOU or the Maternity/Paternity/Adoption/Parental leave policy for the actual language.

* Benefit applies to foster care.
** Leave applies to Workdays.
⬥ Please refer to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for additional flexible scheduling options.

Note: Should the above listed information differ from the collective bargaining agreement, the collective bargaining agreement shall take precedence. For more information, please refer to Collective Bargaining Agreements.

NON-INDUSTRIAL DISABILITY INSURANCE

The Non-Industrial Disability (NDI) Program is a wage continuation program administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD) for eligible employees that have suffered loss of wages due to a disability or injury that is non-work related. The NDI program defines "disability" as: "mental or physical illness and mental or physical injury, including any illness or injury resulting from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition". An employee is deemed disabled on any day in which, because of a physical, mental or medical condition, he/she is unable to perform his/her regular or customary work. An attending physician must verify the disability.

Eligible employees may receive benefit payments up to 26 weeks (182 calendar days) for any one disability period, in an amount equal to one-half full pay, not to exceed the specified weekly amount based on the employee category. NDI benefits may not exceed six (6) months for any one incident.

NDI applications are processed through EDD.  Generally, eligibility determinations are mailed to the employee and the campus within 7-10 days after the receipt of the application by the EDD office. 

Employees who are eligible for NDI must apply for NDI prior to being eligible to receive catastrophic leave donations.

To obtain applications and brochures regarding NDI, please contact the Human Resources Office at extension 2266.

INDUSTRIAL DISABILITY LEAVE (IDL)

The Industrial Disability Leave (IDL) Program is a salary continuation program, in lieu of workers' compensation temporary disability (TD) benefits, for CSU employees who have suffered a work-related injury or illness.

The IDL benefit is equivalent to the full amount of the injured employee's salary for the first 22 days of the work-related injury or illness (a three-day waiting period may apply). Thereafter, IDL benefits will be equivalent to two-thirds of the employee's salary, payable for the next 11 months of disability.  An eligible employee may receive IDL payments for a period not to exceed 52 weeks within two years from the first day of disability. Further information is available by contacting the Human Resources Office or visiting the CSUB Workers' Compensation website.

(Government Code § 12945)

Employees who are disabled due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, are eligible for up to 4 months of unpaid pregnancy disability leave, depending on the period of actual disability. This type of leave guarantees the employee time off from work and a right to return to the same/comparable position. If such a leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide reasonable advance notice of the need for such a leave. Employees are not required to take a leave of absence at a predetermined time prior to the anticipated delivery date so long as the employee is capable of performing her required tasks.

Employees on Pregnancy Disability Leave will be eligible to continue their medical/dental/vision insurance coverage(s) under the same terms and conditions as would apply to any other personal leave without pay program. Sick leave credits may be utilized during this period of incapacity. Pregnancy Disability Leave will run concurrently with other types of leaves or disability programs, excluding Family-Medical Leave. Further information is available in the Human Resources Office.

The Organ Donor Leave Program, in accordance with Assembly Bill (AB) 1825, allows CSU employees, who have exhausted all available sick leave, to take a paid leave of absence of up to 30 continuous calendar days in any one-year period when donating his or her organ to another person or a paid leave of absence of up to five continuous calendar days in any one-year period when donating his or her bone marrow to another person.

For additional information regarding this program, please contact the Human Resources Office.

Employees with accrued sick leave credits may take paid time off when they are ill or need to care for a family member who is ill.

ACCRUAL

• Full-time employees accrue eight hours of sick leave per month.

• Part-time employees earn sick leave on a pro rata basis.

• Employees must be on pay status 11 workdays in a pay period to accrue sick leave credits for that month.

• Sick leave credits may not be used prior to their accrual, which occurs on the first day of the following pay period.

• There is no maximum accrual for sick leave.

• Unused sick leave may be converted into service credit at retirement in accordance with PERS guidelines.

USE

• Employee is responsible for reporting absences to the appropriate administrator as soon as possible in compliance with department policies.

• An employee may be required to provide a physician's statement or other appropriate verification for absences.

• Use of sick leave may be authorized by the supervisor for the following absences:

  • Employee's own illness, injury or disability related to pregnancy.

  • Employee's own dental, eye or other physical or medical examination/treatments.

  • Illness or injury in the immediate family (close relative, domestic partner or other person residing in the immediate household of the employee, except domestic employees, roomers or roommates)

  • Bereavement in the case of death of a person in the immediate family (when bereavement leave is exhausted).

Vacation Credit

• Vacation is an accrued benefit that provides paid time off, subject to management approval, for eligible employees.
• For each qualifying pay period vacation is earned at a rate applicable to your length of state service.
• Part time employees earn vacation on a pro-rata basis.
• Vacation credit may be used after completion of one qualifying pay period of employment and must be taken in units of no less than one hour.

Employees should refer to the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for eligibility, information, and details. Academic year employees are not eligible for paid vacation. Most full-time employees earn vacation according to the following schedule:

Vacation Carryover Limits

Vacation accruals are subject to carryover limitations, which specify the number of vacation hours that may be carried over into the next calendar year.
Following is a vacation carryover chart summarizing the carryover limits by bargaining unit and length of service:

Payment is normally made for any balance of unused vacation upon separation from University service. Under certain conditions, vacation credit is transferable to other State agencies, should an employee leave the University but continue in State service.

A probationary or permanent staff member may request a leave of absence for up to one year in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreement. A leave may be extended for one additional year upon appropriate approval. This is a privilege and can only be granted when supported by documentation from the employee and is recommended and approved by the supervisor and approved by the appropriate Cabinet Officer.  In most instances, before granting a leave of absence, an employee must have completed one year of full-time employment. The leave of absence will not normally begin until all vacation credits and CTO have been depleted; and in the case of a leave for illness, all sick leave credits accumulated must also be depleted. The appropriate collective bargaining agreement should be consulted for specific guidelines relative to leaves without pay.

While on a leave of absence, it will be the responsibility of the employee to make arrangements for direct payment of any payroll deductions they might have (e.g., medical insurance, credit union). Vacation and sick leave credit cannot be accrued while on leave status. Time on leave status will not count toward an employee's merit salary adjustment, length of service for vacation accrual, seniority credit, probation period or service credit for retirement.

Employees with at least 12 months of service are eligible for a leave of up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period for the following reasons:

• To care for a child after birth or placement with the employee for adoption or foster care.
• To care for the employee's spouse, domestic partner, child or parent who has a serious health condition.
• If the employee is unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job due to a serious health condition.

Employees who request CSU FML leave for themselves are required to exhaust existing sick and vacation leave credits, CTO and personal holiday prior to being placed on an unpaid FML leave.  Employees who request FML leave to care for a family member must exhaust existing personal holiday, CTO and vacation credits.  Existing sick leave credits may be used by mutual agreement as defined in the CSU leave policy and appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

The CSU FML incorporates both the Federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave entitlements and run concurrently.  The following legislation is incorporated into the CSU FML leave:

Family Medical Leave Act - 29 United States Code, Sections 2601 et seq;

California Family Rights Act - California Government Code §§12945.1,.2 and 19702.3; and

California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Division 4, §§7297 et seq

While on paid CSU FML, benefit premiums, including health, dental, vision, group life and long term disability continue to be paid by the CSU without a lapse in coverage. During periods of unpaid CSU FML, only health, dental and vision premiums will continue to be paid by the CSU. For additional information, please contact the Human Resources Office at ext 2266.