Kiel Vacation/PTO Donation Program Enhanced
Duke employees are now able to benefit from an enhancement to the
Kiel Memorial Voluntary Vacation/PTO Donation Program. Effective September 1, 2003, the one-year eligibility requirement has been reduced to 90 days, to coincide with the completion of a new employee's probationary period.
The Kiel Memorial Voluntary Vacation/Donation Program, which was implemented in December 1999, was named in honor of Susan Kiel, a Duke nurse who died in 1996. She was unable to take advantage of such a program, but her co-workers spearheaded the development of the benefit as a memorial to her. Between December 1999 and December 2002, 219 employees have benefited from the program by receiving donated time.
The Kiel Program provides Duke University and Health System staff the opportunity to voluntarily donate accrued vacation or paid time off (PTO) from the short term bank (STB) to fellow employees facing an unpaid leave of absence due to a catastrophic illness or injury. A catastrophic event is defined under the plan as an extreme medical condition of the employee or eligible family member that will require the prolonged absence (at least four weeks) of the employee from work and will result in substantial loss of income as the employee has exhausted all available paid time off.
Recipients of donated time must have at least 90 days of continuous service at Duke, a work schedule of at least 20 hours a week, and no disciplinary warnings or suspensions. During an employee's first year of employment, donations must be specified for that employee. Recipients will not be eligible for the general leave pool during their first year of service.
For more information about this program and the related forms, please visit the Human Resources web site, at , or call Linda Phelps in Benefits at 681-4217.
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