Extended Illness Bank (EIB)
Summary Definition: An employee benefit that lets employees save up and use extra paid sick leave during an extended illness or severe injury.
What is an Extended Illness Bank?
An Extended Illness Bank (EIB) is a benefit that allows workers to take extra paid time off (PTO) beyond their normal sick days due to an extended illness or severe injury.
EIB policies are intended to provide financial security for employees facing long-lasting or severe illnesses or injuries that require a prolonged absence from work but don’t qualify as a short-term disability.
Key Takeaways
- An Extended Illness Bank (EIB) is used to give extra paid time off (PTO) to employees with an extended illness or injury.
- Using EIB time is different from accessing normal PTO, as it usually requires certification from a healthcare provider.
- Employers typically use EIBs as part of their overall benefits package to supplement standard sick days.
How Does an Extended Illness Bank Work?
Each year, employees are allowed to “donate” accrued sick days into the EIB for future use. Policy requirements vary by employer, such as:
- capping the number of days an employee can donate generally and within a single year
- limiting how many EIB days an employee can use at a time
- allowing employees to donate days to a communal EIB for any employee to use
- classifying incidents or conditions as ineligible for EIB use (e.g., maternity leave)
- requiring employees to donate to any EIB before accessing EIB days
- permitting employees to transfer EIB days from a former employer
Donated and used days are then reflected on the employee’s paycheck or paystub as “EIB.”
When Can You Use an Extended Illness Bank?
Employers usually require employees to exhaust all of their sick time before accessing EIB days, though some may require employees to exhaust general PTO as well.
Employers may also require the employee to provide medical verification of the illness or injury.
EIB request processes similarly vary by organization, with some allowing individual managers to make approvals while others review submissions by committee.
Related Glossary Terms
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