Texas Tech University

Sick Leave Pool

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The Sick Leave Pool is intended to assist an employee and his or her immediate family in dealing with catastrophic illnesses or injuries that force them to exhaust all available leaves. Requests for Sick Leave Pool should be made prior to exhausting all eligible sick and vacation leave accruals. In addition, if the employee requesting Sick Leave Pool is also eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the employee must submit both FMLA and Sick Leave Pool forms. To be considered for Sick Leave Pool, the employee must meet the definition of a regular employee: an employee that works at least 20 hours per week and is not be employed in a position for which the employee is required to be a student as a condition of employment.

Eligible Conditions

Conditions eligible for Sick Leave Pool awards must be considered catastrophic and must meet at least one of the following qualifications:

  • Result in death if not treated properly
  • Declared a danger to him or herself or others
  • Result in the permanent inability to self-ambulate if not treated promptly
  • Result in the loss or significant limitation of the sense of touch, hearing, or sight
  • Mental or behavioral health condition causes patient to be incapable of self-care
  • Result in the loss of an arm, leg, major appendage if not treated promptly

For purposes of Sick Leave Pool, pregnancy and elective surgery are not considered catastrophic conditions, except when life-threatening complications arise from them. Occupational injuries or illnesses related to current employment are not eligible for an award of Sick Leave Pool.

Eligible Family Members

For purposes of Sick Leave Pool, immediate family members are defined as those individuals related by kinship, adoption, or marriage or foster children who are so certified by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services and are living in the same household.

If not living in the same household, an immediate family member is strictly limited to the employee's spouse or child who is totally dependent upon the employee for personal care and services on a continuing basis as a direct result of a documented catastrophic medical condition.