Crisis Leave
The Crisis Leave Program is a means of providing paid leave to an eligible employee who has experienced a catastrophic illness or serious injury to themselves or eligible family member. The intent of the program is to assist employees who, through no fault of their own, have insufficient paid leave to cover the crisis leave period.
Requirements
An eligible employee – Eligible employee is an employee of Louisiana State University (the “University”) who is eligible to earn sick and annual leave in accordance with section IV of this policy. Classified employees must have attained permanent status to donate or use crisis leave.
An eligible family member – an individual living in the same household who is related to the employee by kinship, adoption, or marriage or a foster child so certified by the Louisiana Office of Children’s Services, or an individual not living in the same household who is related to the employee by kinship, adoption or marriage, and is totally dependent upon the employee for personal care or services on a continuing basis, or a significant other.
An eligible employee may apply to receive crisis leave if the following requirements are met:
- The employee or employee's eligible family member suffers from a catastrophic illness or serious injury; or
- the employee has a significant other or child who is still financially supported by the employee, or a dependent parent for whom the employee is the primary caregiver who experiences a catastrophic illness or serious injury; or
- the employee experiences the birth or adoption of a child and does not have sufficient annual, sick, or compensatory time to cover a minimum of six weeks of parental leave immediately following the birth or adoption; and
- the employee has exhausted all appropriate leave in accordance with this policy; and
- the employee has exhibited satisfactory attendance (with no history of leave abuse), and is not absent from work due to disciplinary reasons; and
- the catastrophic illness or serious injury is not occupationally related (therefore making that employee eligible for workers' compensation) and was not attained in the commission of an assault or felony; and
- the employee is unable to perform his/her duties for a period of more than ten (10) consecutive days and the employee is forced to exhaust all appropriate leave described in other parts of this policy and to lose compensation from the state; and
- the appropriate documentation from a LMSP, along with the FMLA form is provided to the Leave Pool Manager.
How to apply for Crisis Leave
An employee should submit the crisis leave request form along with a copy of the employee's Certification of Physician or Practitioner (FMLA-1) form to HRM.