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Sick Leave Bank
Purpose of the Sick Leave Bank
In 1988, after sustained advocacy by the Tennessee State Employees Association (TSEA), the Tennessee General Assembly created the Employee Sick Leave Bank (SLB). The SLB provides sick leave to qualifying members who are unable to work due to personal illness, injury, disability, medical condition, or quarantine—protecting your paycheck when it matters most. Today, there are approximately 18,000 active members.
Eligibility & Enrollment
Open enrollment runs August 1 – October 31 each year. To join, employees must:
- Be entitled to accrue sick leave under T.C.A. § 8-50-802 (i.e., a full-time, leave-accruing state position)
- Be a full-time state employee for twelve (12) consecutive months
- Have at least six (6) days of sick leave by October 31 of the enrollment year
New members donate four (4) days of sick leave at enrollment. To maintain membership, one (1) day is assessed annually. Members may receive up to ninety (90) days from the Bank for a qualifying condition.
NOTE: The Sick Leave Bank (SLB) board unanimously voted to waive the assessment for 2025. You will not be assessed one day of sick leave this year.
How to Enroll (Edison)
Navigator → HCM → Self Service → Time Reporting → Sick Leave Bank
Learn more / instructions:
SLB Enrollment Guide (PDF)
SLB Guidelines (PDF)
TN DOHR Sick Leave Bank Page
Applying for Sick Leave Bank Grants
Members must submit a Withdrawal Request Application no earlier than two (2) weeks before, and no later than thirty (30) workdays after, exhausting all personal sick, compensatory, and annual leave. The initial request must include a Sick Leave Bank Medical Certification completed and signed by a qualified medical professional and sent directly to the SLB.
How to Apply (Edison)
Navigator → HCM → Self Service → Time Reporting → Sick Leave Bank → Request Withdraw → Start a New Request
For forms and details: Sick Leave Bank (tn.gov)
A Look Back: TSEA Helped Create the Sick Leave Bank
TSEA led the effort that resulted in passage of HB 2329 / SB 2039 in 1988 (sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Naifeh and Sen. Riley Darnell), establishing the SLB. The Co-Worker covered this as a major step forward for employee benefits, noting eligibility rules (one year of service, six sick days, four-day contribution) and the creation of a Board of Trustees to review withdrawals.
“A major step forward for employee benefits… giving state workers the security of paid leave when illness strikes.”
– The Co-Worker, May 1988
Current Board of Trustees
Under T.C.A. § 8-50-903, the SLB is administered by a Board that includes the commissioners of human resources and of finance and administration, the state treasurer, the executive director of the fiscal review committee (or designees), and three members elected by TSEA delegates at the annual Representative Assembly (three-year terms).
- West Tennessee Representative: Tracy McClain — Elected: 2024 | Term ends: 2027
- Middle Tennessee Representative: Dr. LaRissa Karuranga — Elected: 2023 | Term ends: 2026
- East Tennessee Representative: Dr. Alisa Cade — Elected: 2022 | Term ends: 2025
TSEA’s Ongoing Role
The Sick Leave Bank exists because TSEA fought to establish it in 1988. We continue to safeguard this benefit today by electing three trustees to the SLB Board—ensuring state employees’ voices are represented in how the program is managed.
Questions? Contact TSEA at (615) 256-4533.
