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A Month of Thanks: Donating Crisis Leave

Sometimes employees don't have enough paid leave accumulated to use in the event of a crisis. You can support your colleagues through donating any extra time you have to UNO's Crisis Leave Sharing Program.

  • published: 2021/11/29
  • contact: Human Resources
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November is a month where we think a lot about the things we are thankful for and as a member of our Maverick family, UNO Human Resources offers a number of resources, tools, and opportunities to say "Thank You!" to your colleagues - and to yourself.

Emergencies and unexpected life events are never easy and rarely come at opportune times. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we look ahead a new year, UNO Human Resources wants to make sure all eligible employees are aware of the program, in case they need to use it, and also encourage the donation of vacation hours to the program pool.


In certain situations, UNO employees may not have enough leave time built up to cover the length of their time away from work. To help these employees, UNO has the "Crisis Leave Sharing Program," which allows employees (.50 FTE or higher) who accrue vacation to donate some of their accumulated hours to the university's crisis leave pool.

Using the Program

Eligible employees are able to receive crisis leave from the pool, up to the number of days of vacation leave they are able to accrue in one calendar year, not exceeding 24 work days. This may occur once all of their available sick, vacation and compensatory leaves have been exhausted, including a negative balance of 40 hours total vacation and sick leave use.

Leave for employees utilizing the Crisis Leave Sharing Program will be granted in units of days and are prorated for employees who work less than full-time.

Crisis Leave Request Form

Donating to the Program

Regular employees who earn vacation leave are eligible to donate up to five accumulated vacation days per calendar year. Donations will be accounted for based on the number of days donated rather than the dollar value of the days donated.

Crisis leave may not be donated in units less than one full day (eight hours).

Crisis Leave Donation Form

Need support? UNO's Faculty and Staff Employee Assistance Program has resources available for you.

For specific questions or inquiries, please reach out to a member of the UNO Human Resources staff.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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