The moment is here! You just got a call (and an email, and a text message!) from Gift of Life to say that you are a match for a patient and may have the opportunity to save their life. You probably feel like you won the lottery! 

After a blood test confirms you are the best donor for the patient, your donor services coordinator will help set a schedule for you to get a physical exam (to make sure you are in good health to donate), and an appointment at a collection center for your day of donation --  perhaps a “donation vacation” to Florida at Gift of Life’s state-of-the-art collection center!

This raises the question, “Can I get time off work to donate?”  And shortly after that comes the next question, “Do I have to use my own PTO time?”  Unfortunately, some donors are even faced with the question, “Can I be terminated from my job if I take time off to save a life?”  While it seems unthinkable in this situation, this last question is a real one. Fortunately, the answer in almost all cases is, “No, you cannot lose your job just for donating.”

Most states have regulations about time off to donate for a transplant

Fortunately, existing regulations cover all federal employees and regulations in 42 states may cover state employees and/or teachers, and often private sector employees. These regulations outline who can take time off to donate blood stem cells or marrow, which employers must provide time off for donating, and whether or not that time off is paid or unpaid. Seven states currently have no regulations.

Gift of Life has a downloadable PDF file of “Donor Leave Regulations by State”.  We included a brief summary for each state, but policies can change from year to year, so we recommend checking the regulations where you live for accuracy before sharing with employers. 

Federal legislation establishing a national standard of leave has been proposed to allow time off for donation

The Life Saving Leave Act (H.R. 3024) was introduced to Congress on April 28, 2023 by bipartisan representatives from nine states. This proposed act will set a national standard for employee leave to donate blood stem cells, marrow, or organs and other tissues. The act is an amendment to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

The Life Saving Leave Act would allow any employee nationwide to take 40 hours of unpaid leave to donate blood stem cells or bone marrow, without being required to use their own PTO, sick leave, or vacation time, and without losing their job. Using paid leave to take time off for donation would be at the employee’s discretion.

This bill has been referred to the Committee on Education and Labor for review.

What have other donors experienced when asking for time off?

Most of those who have already donated stem cells or marrow have had incredible support from their employers. Some have experienced their fellow employees pitching in to take shifts or donate PTO time to make their donation possible. Other employers have requested that donors educate others in the organization about the donation process, or even run a donor drive to give others the chance to save a life. 

	Donor Ben told us that once his employer learned he was preparing to donate blood stem cells in Boca Raton, Fla., they arranged for him to work from their Ft. Lauderdale office temporarily.
	Donor Michelle, an emergency physician, got incredible support from her co-workers, who took over her shifts so she could take time off to donate. “I was most honored when one of them, whose wife was recently diagnosed with cancer, felt so personally touched that he took my shifts, saying that donating is an honorable thing, and he was happy to help me be able to proceed,” she said.
	Donor Isaac is a teacher, and when he asked for time off to donate, the school had their own request to make. “The school I was working at was happy to give me time off to donate,” said Isaac. “They even asked me to do a video and write-up about the process to share with the students.”