Voluntary Shared Leave

Voluntary Shared Leave allows an employee to assist another employee who has a prolonged medical condition and has exhausted all available paid leave that would otherwise force the employee to be placed on Family and Medical Leave without pay status, resulting in loss of income and benefits.

Shared Leave may be requested by full-time or benefited part-time employees who are currently on a pay for work status or paid leave status. Program participation is limited to a lifetime maximum of 480 hours* and a per-leave-event minimum of 80 hours* (* pro-rated for benefited part-time employees).

One of the qualifying conditions below must be present to make a shared leave request.

  • A Prolonged Medical Condition that requires an employee’s absence from duty for a prolonged period (at least 20 consecutive work days) or
  • The period of actual physical disability as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.

The employee requesting shared leave must provide a Request for Shared Leave Form, a Family and Medical Leave Application and a Certification of Health Care Provider Form.

A committee consisting of a minimum of seven members appointed by the County Manager make up the Shared Leave Committee.

Once a Shared Leave Request is approved, a bulletin will be posted announcing the need for Shared Leave Donations.

An employee of Union County may voluntarily donate a portion of his/her accumulated holiday, sick or vacation leave (not to exceed 40 hours) to the sick leave account of the employee requesting shared leave. Employees must maintain a minimum of 80 hours sick leave in their own sick leave account before leave may be donated.

Employees donating leave should complete a Donation of Leave Form and have the complete understanding that once donated, their leave will be deducted from the specified leave account and they will not receive compensation now or at any time in the future for the donated leave.

Any Shared leave donated and not used by the recipient shall revert to all donors of that leave on a pro-rated basis.

You may view the entire Shared Leave Policy and Union County Personnel Resolution on County Connect and at unioncountync.gov

Are you eligible?

You may be eligible for Shared Leave if you meet the following requirements:

  • You qualify for Family and Medical Leave
  • Your condition has required you to be absent at least 20 consecutive work days
  • You have exhausted all of your Paid Parental Leave (if applicable), vacation, sick, compensatory and holiday leave
  • You have not already received the lifetime maximum of 480 hours of Shared Leave

Volunteer Time Off

Union County is committed to promoting and sustaining the quality of life of its residents, and to this end, encourages County employees to volunteer their time to serve and support our community. For this purpose, the County provides paid time off for eligible employees who wish to volunteer for approved community service agencies or organizations.

To be eligible for paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO), an employee must be a full-time or a benefited part-time employee. Employees are not eligible for paid VTO if they have been suspended from employment during the period for which they wish to volunteer, or in sick leave, Family Medical Leave, or workers’ compensation during the period for which they wish to volunteer.

16 hours of VTO is granted upon hire and at the beginning of each calendar year. Unused VTO does not carry-over into the following leave year.

Eligible employees may use VTO to perform a volunteer service for any agency that is (i) part of Union County government (ii) the State of North Carolina, (iii) a municipality or other local governmental agency within Union County, (iv) a governmental, charter, or non-profit educational institution with at least one physical location in Union County, or (v) a non-profit organization which is a community partner to which the County appropriates money as part of its budget process.

You may view the entire Volunteer Time Off Policy and Union County Personnel Resolution on County Connect and at unioncountync.gov

How to request VTO

  • Eligible employee must complete the VTO request form available on County Connect.
  • Completed forms should be submitted to the employee’s supervisor before the requested time off.
  • Only one agency may be chosen for each VTO request.
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