(a) “Appointing authority” shall mean such person, agency or authority authorized by law to employ individuals in state government, but shall not include the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Industries for the Blind.

(b) “Catastrophic injury or illness” means a life-threatening injury or illness of an employee or a member of an employee’s immediate family which totally incapacitates the employee from work, as verified by a licensed physician, and forces the employee to exhaust all leave time earned by that employee, resulting in the loss of compensation from the state for the employee. Conditions that are short-term in nature, including, but not limited to, common illnesses such as influenza and the measles, and common injuries, are not catastrophic. Chronic illnesses or injuries, such as cancer or major surgery, which result in intermittent absences from work and which are long-term in nature and require long recuperation periods may be considered catastrophic.

(c) “Employee” means a person appointed to a position in the state service or nonstate service as defined in Section 25-9-107, for which he is compensated on a full-time permanent or provisional basis, a temporary basis, or a part-time basis. However, in order for an employee to be eligible to receive donated leave, the employee must meet the requirements provided in Section 25-3-95(8).

(d) “Workday” shall mean a day as defined in Section 25-1-98.

(e) “Temporary employment” means the employment of a person in a temporary or time-limited position not to exceed twelve (12) months.

(f) “Part-time employment” means the employment of a person in a part-time position.