Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Leave
Effective: September 23, 2011
Reviewed and Updated: July 1, 2021
Contact: University Human Resources (UHR)
Introduction
This policy explains the university's provisions regarding blood, living organ, and bone marrow donation time off and applies to faculty, Professional & Scientific staff, and Merit staff. This policy complies with Iowa Code 70A.39.
Policy Statement
The blood, living organ, and bone marrow donation paid time off policy provides employees with paid time off in the event the employee donates blood, living organs or bone marrow. Time off must be taken in continuous full time periods. An employee who is granted time off under this section will receive time off without loss of seniority, pay, vacation time, sick time off, insurance and health coverage benefits, or earned overtime accumulation, where applicable. Employees will be compensated at their regular rate of pay for their regularly scheduled work hours during the time employees are absent from work due to blood, living organ or bone marrow donation and recovery.
Blood Donation
An employee who is donating blood may take time off up to two consecutive hours in a workday with up to four time offs for blood donation per fiscal year.
Blood is defined as whole blood, power red, platelets, or plasma.
Living Organ Donation
An employee who is donating a living organ may take time off up to thirty workdays. Any time off beyond thirty working days may be covered by Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave for eligible employees. To be paid during any additional time off, employees will be required to request sick time off. Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy for more information about FMLA leave and eligibility.
A living organ is defined as one of two kidneys, one of two lobes of a liver, a lung or part of a lung, part of the pancreas, or part of the intestines.
Bone Marrow Donation
An employee who is donating bone marrow may take time off up to five workdays. Any time off beyond five working days may be covered by FMLA leave for eligible employees. To be paid during any additional time off, employees will be required to request sick time off. Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy for more information about FMLA leave and eligibility.
Bone marrow is defined as the soft tissue that fills human bone cavities.
Notice and Documentation
When the need for time off is foreseeable, the employee shall notify his or her supervisor within 30 days of the need for time off. When the need for time off is not foreseeable, the employee shall notify the university as soon as possible.
The employee must provide complete and sufficient medical documentation in support of the request for blood, living organ, and bone marrow donation time off. Such documentation should be completed by the employee's blood donation facility, medical provider or hospital that is performing the living organ transplantation and submitted to his or her supervisor in as far in advance as practicable of the leave.
An employee on time off for living organ or bone marrow donation must present a medical release to return to work. This is to certify that the employee is able to perform the essential functions of the job.