When disaster strikes, we come together. The Major Disaster Leave Sharing Plan empowers USC employees to voluntarily donate their unused vacation time or paid time off (PTO) to a pool of employees facing unforeseen challenges due to major disasters – like the 2025 LA wildfires. Together, we create a safety net of care and support for our community.
Donating and requesting vacation hours is simple and straightforward.
- Vacation donation: The donor form is open for submissions. Details on how to donate can be found below.
- Requesting hours: The application form to request vacation hours will be available beginning Monday, Jan. 27.
How it works
- Eligibility: Employees impacted by a major disaster can request vacation hours through the program.
- Donation: Employees with unused vacation hours can donate their hours to the program.
- Impact: The donated leave is allocated to eligible employees, ensuring they have the time they need to recover or support their families.
Why participate
- Make a meaningful difference in the lives of your colleagues.
- Foster a sense of community and care within USC.
- Live our USC values by assisting fellow employees during their most challenging times.
How to donate hours
Donation eligibility:
To donate to the USC Major Disaster Leave Sharing Program, please ensure you meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Benefits-eligible employees: You must be a benefits-eligible USC employee with sufficient accrued leave time to donate. If your position is funded through grants or government resources, please check with your HR Contact to confirm your eligibility.
Special notes:
- Employees of the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), and other primarily government-funded units are not eligible to donate vacation time. However, they are eligible to receive donated hours if needed.
- Employees in grant-funded positions may participate as long as their contract allows it, and receiving a donation does not contradict any requirements of their funding source and conditions of their grant
Key guidelines for donors:
- Donors who work full-time may only make donations in full-day increments based on their regular hours per day (e.g., 7.5 hours or 8 hours). Donors who work less than full-time may make donations in four-hour increments.
- The minimum donation is one full day (7.5/8 hours), and the maximum donation is half of your current vacation bank.
- Winter Recess hours and Personal Days are not considered “vacation” and not considered part of your vacation bank.
- Donations are not subject to taxation for the donor, as this program complies with IRS-qualified plan guidelines.
- Donations under this program cannot be claimed as gifts or philanthropic contributions on your tax return, as the tax benefits are already built into the plan.
- Donating now does not disqualify you from requesting leave in this program in the future. If needed, you may apply for assistance as long as you meet the program’s eligibility criteria at the time of application.
- All donated leave is placed into a shared pool and cannot be earmarked for a specific individual.
Completing the donor form in Workday:
- Click here to log in to Workday, after which you’ll see a pop-up box to “Create Request.”
- Under “Request Type,” enter “USC Major Disaster Leave Sharing Program: Donor Form.”
- Complete and submit the donor form.
What to expect after donating hours:
After completing the USC Major Disaster Leave Sharing Program: Donor Form in Workday, here’s what you can expect:
- Confirmation email: You will be emailed a confirmation of receipt shortly after.
- Processing timeline: Your donation will be added to the master fund pool within 1-2 weeks.
- Vacation bank update: After the transfer is finalized, your pay stub will reflect the deduction of the donated vacation or PTO hours.