The NIH Leave Bank: Overview and Best Practices Alexandra Ratie: NIH Leave Bank Program Manager And Mallory McCormick, Supervisor, Payroll Liaison Unit Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch Workforce Relations Division, NIH OHR
Agenda • Leave Bank Program Overview • Leave Bank Membership and Recipient Processes – Best Practices • Leave Bank Roles and Responsibilities • Becoming a Leave Bank Ambassador • Launching a New Leave Bank Program • Policies and Leave Bank Resources • Q & A The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 2 2
Leave Bank Program Overview A Leave sharing program • • Donors give leave to bank • Recipients draw leave from bank • Recipients must be Leave Bank members • Employees can become members during annual Open Enrollment Period or as New Employees • Annual membership contribution required Covers personal and family medical conditions • Personal – 480 hours • Family – 240 hours • Combined – 720 hours • (cap per leave year) The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 3
Similarities Between NIH Leave Bank and VLTP Leave Sharing Program Covers Personal and Family Medical Conditions VS. Leave donations are made through ITAS Medical emergency must result in at least 24 hours of non-pay status The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 4 4
Difference Between NIH Leave Bank and VLTP NIH Leave Bank Voluntary Leave Transfer Program Donations are made directly to the • Leave Bank Donations are made directly to the • recipient from donors • Requires Membership • Recipient must wait for voluntary • Recipients receive leave from the donors bank There is no limit on donations • • Upon approval recipients will receive received, only on usage medically supported leave up to the cap • Emergencies not medically reviewed by medical staff or MDGuidelines Requires medical documentation • Emergencies are medically reviewed • for approval • Medical emergencies are kept confidential The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 5 5
Leave Bank Membership Open Enrollment • Annual Leave Bank Open Enrollment Period – Mid-November to Mid December • New employee Open Enrollment Period - 60 calendar days from EOD to enroll Membership • Once per year membership contributions of one pay period’s annual leave accrual (4, 6, or 8 hours). Waivers can be given • Coverage Period for 2018 – Jan. 7, 2018 – Jan. 5, 2019 How to Enroll • Enroll using the Integrated Time and Attendance System (ITAS) • Automatic annual reenrollment with option to opt-out of program using ITAS The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 6 6
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Donating to the Leave Bank How to Donate Donation can be made via ITAS by selecting “Donate to Leave Bank” tab in ITAS Donations can be made year-round by any Federal Employee Use-or-Lose Donations must be made by end of Leave Year – LAO should approve before end of Leave Year Why Donate to the Leave Bank? Without donations the Leave Bank would not be able to assist NIH employees in their time of need. Instead of losing “Use or Lose” hours, donating to the Leave Bank allows the leave to go to someone dealing with a medical emergency. The leave donated to the Leave Bank never expires and rolls over from one year to the next. Use-or-Lose Hours Lost by Year 2015 88,214 2016 83,876 2017 75,085 The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 8 8
Membership Process • Employee enrolls in ITAS or via paper membership form 1 • Leave Bank Office approves or waives membership in ITAS 2 • Leave Bank Office submits new members to HHS Customer Care Services to process at DFAS 3 Policy Considerations • Employees can only opt-out during open enrollment • Once the membership contribution is deducted, it cannot be returned The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 9 9
Leave Bank Recipient Application Process NLT: 10 Business Days Step 1: Eligibility Step 3: Eligibility Step 4: Verification & Step 2: Medical Re-Verification & Approval Application Review Leave Need Decision & Completion Determination Transfer of Leave The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 10 10
Medical Review Procedures Rigorous review process in place Internal to prevent leave abuse. Requirements: Review - Medical documentation w/ timeframe & medical condition description and/or code - Documentation stamped or letterhead provided External - Medical review conducted internally using MDGuidelines Review or external using Federal Occupational Health The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 11 11
Leave Bank Roles and Responsibilities Leave Bank Leave Bank IC Leave Bank Office – Case LAOs IC AOs and HRs Board Coordinators Managers The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 12 12
Leave Approving Officials FAQs Will the applicant’s medical emergency be shared with me? Do I have to approve the leave request? Who do I contact if I disapprove the leave request? What do I do after Leave Bank approval? The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 13 13
Becoming a Leave Bank Ambassador Partner with your agency’s Leave Bank and help spread the word about this important employee benefit! Here’s how the Leave Bank benefits NIH employees and NIH! The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 14 14
The Leave Bank as an Employee Hiring and Retention Tool Provides Income Protection • 2018 – 7,978 employees enrolled and eligible to apply for leave • 2017 - 55% enrollment for new employees – attractive to potential hires • 2017 – 376 individual NIH employees received leave from Leave Bank • 2017 - Over 32,000 hours – 4000 working days – distributed to these recipients Ensures employees can care for family • 2017 - 50% of our total recipients were approved to receive leave for family care • 2017 – 30% of our total recipients were approved for leave for birth and recuperation Positive Program Reputation and Employee Experiences • 2016 Recipient Survey Results: 91% of recipients had positive experience – 99% would recommend program to co-worker • 2017 NIH-wide Survey: 92% of members would recommend program to others 4/3/2018 The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 15 15
2017 Cases by Medical Strokes/Aneurysms Emergency Type Gynecological Conditions Heart Conditions Cancers Psychiatric Conditions Orthopedic Conditions Birth and Recuperation The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 16 16
Leave Bank Success Stories “My son has a very serious (and terminal) illness, resulting in many hospital stays, as well as multiple surgeries. Knowing that I no longer have to make the choice of being at work or with my son when he needs me most is a blessing to be cherished. From our family to yours, thank you for helping us through this very difficult time.” “My mother was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. The Leave Bank allowed me to be able to continue to work but still assist her until her last breath. Without the Leave Bank, I would not have been able to be there for the person who had always been there for me. I am so grateful for the generosity and compassion of my NIH colleagues who contributed and donated their leave so I could provide care for my loved one. This is an excellent benefit and program for all of us and I encourage everyone to participate!” “The Leave Bank made an invaluable contribution to my recovery. Instead of fretting over my job and how to cover expenses, I could focus on my recovery. I am happy to report that I am back at work, and doing much better. I will continue to contribute to the Leave Bank every year to show my appreciation for how it positively impacted my life, and by extension, my family’s lives.” The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 17 17
Launching a New Leave Bank Program Code of Federal National Institutes Office of Personnel Regulations of Health Management CFR Title 5 – Part 630 Leave Bank Office Subpart J GUIDANCE The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 18 18
Launching a New Leave Bank Program Recipient Pilot Program? Processes TO Membership Role of Board CONSIDER Requirements System Staffing Needs Requirements The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 19 19
Policies and Leave Bank Resources Policies and Procedures: https://hr.nih.gov/benefits/leave/leave- bank/resources Leave Bank Website: https://hr.nih.gov/benefits/leave/leave-bank Membership Information Donation Information Recipient Information – Birth and Recuperation Policies LAO Information Leave Bank Toolkit FAQs One Page Guides Limited Access Login in MyPay The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 20 20
Key Takeaways • Understanding of what the NIH Leave Bank is and how it improves the lives of NIH employees • Understanding of Leave Bank Membership and Recipient processes and best practices • How AOs can act as ambassadors for the Leave Bank and how an agency without a Leave Bank can take first steps to start their own The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 21
Resources • For additional information please visit: • https://hr.nih.gov/benefits/leave/leave-bank The NIH Leave Bank – Overview and Best Practices 22
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