University Policy
Title
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL)
Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of the Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) program is to provide income protection to employees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ("UNC-Chapel Hill" or "University") who experience a prolonged medical condition affecting themselves or an immediate family member and who have exhausted all available leave. Through VSL donations, the program helps eligible employees avoid loss of income and benefits that would otherwise result from being placed on leave without pay.
The program enables employees across UNC-Chapel Hill and other State agencies to donate leave to approved recipients, supporting employees during the medically certified period of incapacity and helping them remain in a paid status.
Scope
The following appointment types are eligible to receive and donate leave:
- EHRA Faculty (12-month) permanent employees;
- EHRA Non-Faculty permanent employees; and
- SHRA employees regularly scheduled to work 20 hours or more each work week (permanent, probationary, trainee, or time-limited appointments).
The following appointment types are not eligible to participate in the Voluntary Shared Leave program:
- EHRA Faculty (9-month) employees;
- Temporary employees;
- Postdoctoral fellows; and
- Student employees.
This policy applies to eligible UNC-Chapel Hill employees who experience a prolonged medically certified condition affecting themselves or an immediate family member and who have exhausted all available leave.
This policy does not apply to incidental, routine, and/or short-term medical conditions. In addition, the policy is not intended to circumvent operational needs or the requirement that assigned duties be performed, nor does it limit management’s rights, consistent with applicable leave laws and University policy, to deny a request for leave without pay.
Policy
In accordance with the Office of State Human Resources policy on Voluntary Shared Leave, UNC-Chapel Hill has a voluntary shared leave program for qualifying employees. An employee may donate leave, as outlined below, to an employee who has been approved to receive voluntary shared leave because of a medical condition of the employee or their immediate family that will require the employee’s absence for a prolonged period of time.
Qualifying Conditions for Voluntary Shared Leave
Eligibility for Voluntary Shared Leave is based on the existence of a qualifying prolonged medical condition for the employee or an immediate family member, as defined below. All other provisions in this policy describe how VSL may be applied once that condition is met.
Definition of Prolonged Medical Condition
A prolonged medical condition is a medical condition that requires an employee’s continuous absence from work for at least twenty (20) consecutive workdays, except as otherwise provided under this policy.
Exception to the 20-Day Minimum Requirement
An exception to the 20-day requirement may be approved if:
- The employee has had previous random absences for the same condition that have resulted in excessive absences, or,
- The employee has experienced a previous but different, prolonged medical condition within the past twelve (12) months.
This exception applies only to the minimum duration requirement. It does not alter the requirement that Voluntary Shared Leave be used for a continuous leave of absence.
Voluntary Shared Leave may not be used on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis.
Applicability
The prolonged medical condition may affect:
- The employee; or
- An immediate family member, as defined in this policy.
In all cases, a complete and sufficient medical certification from the attending physician is required to support the request for Voluntary Shared Leave.
Use of VSL in Specific Leave Scenarios
When an employee has a qualifying prolonged medical condition, Voluntary Shared Leave may be applied in the following circumstances, subject to the limitations below.
Disability (Disability Income Plan of North Carolina – DIPNC)
Voluntary Shared Leave may be used:
- During the required disability waiting period; and
- After the waiting period but prior to the commencement of Disability Income Plan of North Carolina (DIPNC) benefits.
Once an employee begins receiving DIPNC benefits, the employee is no longer eligible to receive Voluntary Shared Leave. Voluntary Shared Leave may not be used concurrently with DIPNC income replacement benefits.
Workers’ Compensation
Voluntary Shared Leave may be used:
- During the required Workers’ Compensation waiting period;
- To supplement Workers’ Compensation leave benefits after the waiting period, in accordance with applicable policy.
Pregnancy & Childbirth
The period of actual physical disability due to pregnancy and childbirth, as certified by a physician, is considered a prolonged medical condition under this policy. Voluntary Shared Leave may be used only for the period of medical disability. Leave taken for bonding or other non-medical purposes is not eligible for Voluntary Shared Leave.
While an employee may be eligible for leave under the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for both medical recovery and bonding with a child, Voluntary Shared Leave may only be used for the medically certified period of incapacity. Leave taken for bonding or other non-medical purposes is not eligible.
Non-Qualifying Conditions
Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) does not apply to medical conditions that do not meet the definition of a prolonged medical condition outlined in this policy.
VSL may not be used for intermittent, reduced-schedule, short-term, or sporadic absences, even if related to an ongoing or chronic medical condition.
Examples of non-qualifying conditions include, but are not limited to:
- Short-term or sporadic recurrence of chronic conditions (e.g., allergies, migraines, or similar conditions;
- Absences due to common or contagious illnesses that resolve within a short period of time;
- Recurring or routine medical or therapeutic treatments that do not require continuous leave; and
- Any condition that does not result in the employee being continuously absent from work for the required duration.
Each request is evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis to ensure consistency with the intent of this policy.
Approval
Approval for Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) is not guaranteed. Each request is reviewed by the OHR Leave Administration Team on a case‑by‑case basis, considering the qualifying condition, supporting medical documentation, and applicable policy requirements.
VSL may run concurrently with leave taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); however, VSL approval is limited to the medically certified period of incapacity and is not automatically extended to match the full duration of FMLA leave.
Employees who require additional leave beyond their approved VSL period must request recertification and submit updated medical documentation. Continued approval is subject to review and available shared leave balances.
Confidentiality
Employee medical information related to Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) is confidential and will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws and University policy. When communicating about an approved VSL recipient, information disclosed to potential donors or others is limited to a general statement that the employee, or the employee’s immediate family member, has a qualifying prolonged medical condition.
VSL donations are also confidential. Donor identities are not disclosed by the University. Individual donors may choose to voluntarily disclose their own donation.
Intimidation or Coercion Prohibited
An employee may not intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any other employee for the purpose of interfering with any right which such employee may have with respect to donating, receiving, or using leave under this program. Such actions will be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
Leave Bank Prohibited
The establishment of a leave “bank” for use by unnamed employees is expressly prohibited. Leave must be donated on a one-to-one personal basis.
Limits on Use of Leave
Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) is intended to cover the employee’s (or immediate family member’s) period of medical incapacity only. Once the certified medical condition no longer prevents the employee from working, eligibility for VSL ends. Any additional leave taken for non-medical reasons (e.g., bonding following childbirth) is not covered under VSL.
An employee must exhaust all available accrued paid leave before using any donated shared leave.
Employees who remain in pay status while using VSL continue to accrue vacation and sick leave in accordance with applicable University and state policies. Any accrued sick and vacation leave must be used before additional VSL donations may be applied.
Participation in the Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) program is limited to a maximum of 1,040 hours of donated leave (prorated for part-time employees) for a single medical condition. This limit applies to one or more approved periods of continuous leave for the same condition, regardless of whether those periods occur consecutively or at different times. VSL may not be used on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis.
Donations
To donate Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), an employee must, at the time of donation:
- Be an active employee (not separated);
- Be in a position that earns leave; and
- Have sufficient leave balances
Employees who donate sick leave are responsible for understanding the retirement credit implications, as donated sick leave may not be used toward retirement credit in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System.
Non-Family Member Donors
Employees may donate vacation leave, bonus leave, and/or sick leave to an eligible VSL recipient who is employed by UNC-Chapel Hill, another UNC institution, a public school, a community college, or another state agency. Paid Time Off (PTO) leave programs are not considered comparable leave for donation under this policy.
The following rules apply to non-family member donations:
- The minimum donation is four (4) hours.
- An employee may not donate more vacation leave than the employee’s annual vacation leave accrual amount.
- After a vacation leave donation, the donor must retain a balance of at least one half of the employee’s annual vacation leave accrual amount.
- A donor may contribute no more than five (5) days of sick leave per year to any one non-family member recipient.
- The combined total of sick leave donated to a recipient by non-family members may not exceed twenty (20) days per calendar year.
- Donated sick leave may not be used for retirement service credit.
Immediate Family Member Donors
An employee may donate vacation leave, bonus leave, or sick leave to an eligible immediate family member employed by UNC-Chapel Hill, another UNC institution, a public school, a community college, or another state agency. Paid Time Off (PTO) leave programs are not considered comparable leave for donation under this policy.
The following rules apply to immediate family member donations:
- The minimum donation is four (4) hours.
- An employee may donate up to a maximum of 1,040 hours of leave, provided the employee’s sick leave balance is not reduced below 40 hours.
- After a vacation leave donation, the donor must retain a balance of at least one half of the employee’s annual vacation leave accrual amount.
Administering Shared Leave
During and after the approved Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) period:
- Donated leave may be used immediately or applied retroactively, up to 60 calendar days from the date the leave is received, to replace advanced vacation or sick leave or leave without pay; however, it must first be applied to repay any advanced leave before being used to cover periods of leave without pay.
- Leave should be credited to the employee’s Voluntary Shared Leave balance and used in alignment with the approval.
- Each department is responsible for the accuracy of donor and recipient leave records and Employee Time Records.
- The department’s HR Time Information Management System (TIM) Administrator is responsible for recording and tracking the accrual and use of shared leave.
- Participation in Voluntary Shared Leave does not alter an employee’s eligibility for or application of other leave policies.
- Each department is responsible for initiating a Change Employment Status ePAR in Connect Carolina when a shared leave recipient exhausts all leave and must be placed in leave without pay status.
- The department is responsible for notifying the Leave Administration Team of any concerns related to leave tracking or eligibility.
- The Leave Administration Team may require reports from the employee at reasonable intervals (generally 30 calendar days or more) regarding their status and intent to return to work.
- Shared leave ends when the medical necessity, as supported by appropriate documentation, concludes, regardless of the employee’s return-to-work status.
Return to Work
During the period of leave, the Leave Administration Team may require reports from the employee at reasonable intervals (generally 30 calendar days or more) regarding their status and intent to return to work. An employee should notify their supervisor in writing if they will not be returning from leave as planned.
Failure to report back to work at the end of the scheduled leave may be considered a voluntary resignation. If deemed necessary, the Leave Administration Team may revoke continuation of any previously approved shared leave.
The Leave Administration Team may require additional medical certification, as provided above, to verify that the employee is able to return to work and perform the essential functions of the position.
VSL at the End of the Medical Condition
Any unused leave at the expiration of the medical condition for which Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) was approved, as determined by the University, will be treated as follows:
- The recipient’s Sick Leave account balance cannot exceed a total of 40 hours (prorated for part-time employees).
- Any additional unused donated leave must be returned to active donor(s) (working or on leave without pay) on a pro-rata basis and credited to the leave account from which it was donated.
- Fractions of one hour will not be returned to donors.
- Donations from individuals who are no longer permanent leave-earning employees will be forfeited.
VSL and Separation
If a recipient separates from state employment due to resignation, retirement, or death, participation in the Voluntary Shared Leave program ends. Any unused donated leave will be returned to the active donor(s) (working or on a leave without pay status) on a pro‑rata basis and credited to the same leave account from which it was donated.
Definitions
- Recipient: Employee approved to receive leave donations.
- Donor: Employee approved to donate leave.
- Immediate Family Member:
- Spouse (husband or wife);
- Parent (biological, adoptive, or person who stood-in as “parent”);
- Child (biological, adopted, legal ward, foster care, or person for whom employee stands in as “parent”);
- Sibling (biological or adoptive);
- Grandparents;
- Great-Grandparents;
- Grandchildren;
- Great-Grandchildren;
- Step-, Half-, and In-law relations of the above; and
- Other dependents living in the household.
Note: Employees may be required to provide reasonable documentation to verify the relationship to an immediate family member to determine eligibility under this policy.
Related Requirements
External Regulations and Consequences
University Policies, Standards, and Procedures
Contact Information
OHR Leave Administration Team
Email: leave@unc.edu
Phone: 919-962-3071
Fax: 919-962-6010