Supporting Employees Through Life’s Critical Moments

The Shared Leave Pool at Missouri State University reflects a culture of care and mutual support, allowing employees to assist colleagues who are experiencing significant personal or family health challenges or who are growing their families.

💛 Purpose of the Shared Leave Pool

The Shared Leave Pool is a voluntary program in which employees donate accrued vacation leave into a central bank of hours. These donated hours are made available to eligible employees who are:

• Experiencing a serious medical condition (their own or an immediate family member’s)
• Welcoming a child through birth, adoption, or placement

This program helps provide continued income protection when an employee has exhausted their own paid leave balances.

The Shared Leave Pool also allows employees to support the University’s public affairs mission by helping reduce financial strain during extended absences due to qualifying circumstances. Donated leave provides income to employees who would otherwise be placed on unpaid leave. All participation is subject to eligibility requirements and committee approval.

---

⏳ Fiscal Year Reminder: Use or Share Your Vacation Leave

As the fiscal year-end approaches on June 30, employees are reminded that vacation leave balances are subject to annual maximum accrual limits. Once those maximums are reached, additional accrued vacation leave may be forfeited.

Employees are encouraged to plan ahead to ensure their earned leave is not lost. One meaningful option is to donate unused vacation leave to the Shared Leave Pool.

---

🍼 Parental Leave Enhancement

Effective July 1, 2024, eligible employees may receive up to 80 hours of Shared Leave for Parental Leave without first exhausting their own vacation or sick leave balances.

---

🤝 Key Program Updates

Recent updates to the Shared Leave Pool include:

• Employees may donate vacation leave in single-hour increments
• Maximum annual donation is 48 hours
• Employees must donate at least 8 hours to be eligible to receive Shared Leave benefits in the future (previously 16 hours required)
• Employees who have been employed less than one year may qualify upon successful completion of their probationary period

For full eligibility details and program rules, refer to Shared Leave Policy 7.19.

---

🖥️ How to Donate Leave

Donating is simple and completed through MyMissouriState:

1. Log into the MyMissouriState portal
2. Select the Time & Leave Resources card
3. Choose Shared Leave Pool (Requests & Donations)

---

🧠 Income Protection Options

In addition to the Shared Leave Pool, employees have access to several voluntary insurance options designed to provide financial protection during medical leave situations:

• Short-Term Disability Insurance
  Provides weekly income replacement for qualified medical leaves. Benefits may be payable even when an employee is receiving vacation, sick, or shared leave pay.
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
  Provides monthly income replacement equal to 60% of earnings (up to $10,000 per month) for extended leaves lasting longer than 180 days.
• Critical Illness Insurance
  Provides a lump-sum payment upon diagnosis of a covered serious medical condition.
• Accident Insurance
  Provides a lump-sum payment for injuries resulting from covered accidental events.
• Hospital Insurance
  Provides a lump-sum payment for inpatient hospital stays

Enrollment for Short-Term Disability, Critical Illness, and Accident Insurance is generally available only within 31 days of a qualifying life event or during annual open enrollment (November 1 – December 1).

---

🌿 A Culture of Support

The Shared Leave Pool is one of several ways Missouri State University supports employees through life’s unexpected and significant events. Contributions of any size strengthen the program and help ensure support is available when it is needed most.

---

🤝 Samaritan Fund Program Support

In addition to leave-based support programs, Missouri State University also offers access to the Samaritan Fund Program, a confidential resource designed to assist employees and eligible dependents facing high-cost medical conditions or complex health care needs.

The Samaritan Fund Program helps eligible participants navigate coverage options and, when approved, may provide financial assistance related to medical expenses or premium support for individualized health coverage solutions. The program is voluntary, confidential, and intended to supplement existing University benefits for employees experiencing significant health-related financial strain.

More information about eligibility, application details, and program support can be found in the HR Blog post: Navigating Support When You or a Loved One Has a Serious Health Condition (March 17, 2026).

📣 Stay Informed

For ongoing updates on benefits, wellness resources, and professional development opportunities, follow the HR Blog and Wellness Blog.