Catastrophic leave is available to classified employees who have used all of their sick leave, annual leave, and compensatory time. An employee must have a life-threatening illness or injury to receive catastrophic leave. Once approved for catastrophic leave, the office of human resources sends out a campuswide announcement asking for leave donations for that employee.

While in catastrophic leave status:

  • The employee’s health insurance may continue.
  • The employee does not accrue sick leave and annual leave.
  • The employee might qualify for catastrophic leave and FMLA.
  • The employee is able to receive up to 240 hours from the general catastrophic leave bank during a “rolling” 12-month period.
  • The employee’s merit review date may be affected if on catastrophic leave for more than 240 hours.
  • Additional catastrophic leave time (up to 800 hours) may be used if donations have been made directly for a specific employee’s use.
  • Donations from individual(s) will be used before leave from the catastrophic leave bank.

Catastrophic Leave FAQ State of Nevada Department of Administration
Catastrophic Leave Policy and Procedures

Contact

Human Resources Front Desk
Absence Management 
702-895-3504
hrleave@unlv.edu

Apply for Catastrophic Leave

To apply, contact the Benefits office at 702-895-3504. We will provide you with forms and provide guidance throughout the process.

Donate Hours to the Catastrophic Leave Bank

Only classified employees can donate leave hours to other classified staff. A classified employee may donate a maximum of 120 hours of annual leave or sick leave to the leave bank in any calendar year. An employee will not be permitted to donate time if his or her own sick leave balance falls below 240 hours as a result of a donation.

You also may earmark your donation for a specific employee who is approved for catastrophic leave. If your donation exceeds the amount approved for use by the employee, you will be contacted to determine whether you would prefer to have the excess leave returned to your leave account or added to the general bank.

Donate Leave

Follow these steps to donate leave:

  1. Complete the .
  2. Submit the form to your supervisor, appointing authority, and leave keeper for review and approval.
  3. Submit the completed and approved form to the human resource office.
  4. Frequently Asked Questions