Leave Bank Information
On July 1, 2020, Mayor Randall L. Woodfin will roll out a sick leave bank and a vacation bank for City employees. This initiative has been one that Mayor Woodfin has been working to establish for some time because he knows how important it is for employees to feel secure when suffering from a significant illness or fighting a life-threatening disease. It is his hope that the sick bank will create one less burden to the state of mind of an employee facing such a situation.
The initial enrollment period for both banks will be June 22 – 30, 2020. Employees cannot sign up for the sick bank or vacation bank until then. All enrollment will be done through payroll coordinators for the first enrollment.
Employees will have an opportunity to enroll again in September 2020 during the City’s Benefits Open Enrollment. Employees will receive more information about Open Enrollment from their payroll coordinators during the week of June 22, 2020.
Employees may join both banks, just the sick bank or just the vacation bank. To see Mayor Woodfin’s executive orders on both banks, please visit www.birminghamal.gov/leavebank.
This is a new policy, and it may change as different situations develop. We thank you for your interest, patience and feedback as we roll out this new program. Questions? Please send emails to leavebank@birminghamal.gov.
Executive Orders & Sign-Up Forms
- Mayor’s Sick Bank Executive Order
- Mayor’s Vacation Bank Executive Order
- Sick and Vacation Bank Enrollment Application
- Sick Bank Memorandum of Understanding
- Vacation Bank Memorandum of Understanding
Sick Leave Bank
The sick leave bank is a voluntary program that is available for any City employee who joins by donating hours to the sick bank. Once an employee donates hours, that employee is eligible to borrow up to 240 hours (6 weeks) of paid leave in a 12-month period for personal and family medical emergencies.
To join the sick leave bank, an employee must make an initial donation of 16 hours of sick leave for the first year. After the first year, an employee participating in the sick leave bank must donate an additional 8 hours of sick leave per year. (Provisions are provided for those who have no leave time at the annual assessment, which is July 1. More info may be found at www.birminghamal.gov/leavebank.)
The sick leave bank will assist participating employees who have exhausted all accrued leave balances because of:
- A non-job related personal catastrophic medical event
- A sudden change in health
- A catastrophic medical event
- A sudden change in the health of an employee’s immediate family member or an individual who resides in the employee’s home
Vacation Bank
The City is also creating a vacation bank. The vacation bank will assist participating City employees who have exhausted all accrued vacation balances because of a non-job related personal catastrophe such as:
- A home fire
- A flood in the home
- Some other non-medical emergency
Employees who’ve exhausted vacation balances may seek to borrow up to 40 hours of emergency vacation during a 12-month period. To join the vacation bank, an individual must make an initial contribution of 8 hours.
Maternity/Paternity Leave
The vacation bank will also allow new parents to request up to six weeks (240 hours) for paid maternity and paternity leave.
Where do I go to find the forms to sign up?
Please visit www.birminghamal.gov/leavebank. Please know that you MUST have Adobe on your computer in order to sign the form online. If you don’t have Adobe, you may print out the form, sign it and submit it to your payroll coordinator.
What’s covered under the sick bank?
Illnesses and conditions that are generally covered by FMLA, qualify for sick bank time.
