Leave Policies and Programs

Pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 employees may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid protected leave in a 12 month rolling year when the leave is taken for purposes of:

• birth and care for the employee's newborn;
• placement of newly adopted or foster child;
• care for the employee's spouse, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition;
• a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform his or her job;
• male employees who wish to take time to bond with their newborn or adopted child(ren)

Eligibility

An eligible employee will need to have worked for the State of Washington for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours immediately preceding their period of leave.

Use of Accrued Leave

Family Medical Leave may be taken as paid or unpaid leave, upon the discretion of the employee and as identified in WSU policies.  Employer paid medical benefits will remain effective during the FMLA period as long as the monthly premiums are paid.

Return to Work

WSU cannot allow an employee to return to work from a period of medical leave without the release of their Health Care Provider.  Prior to an employee's return to work they should complete and submit the Work Assessment / Return to Work form.

Military Caregiver Leave: Under the provisions of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) an eligible employee who is a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of a covered service member with a serious injury or illness may take up to 26 workweeks of unpaid leave during a rolling 12 month period. A serious injury or illness is one that was incurred by a service member in the line of duty on active duty that may render the service member medically unfit to perform the duties of his/her office, grade, rank, or rating. An eligible employee is limited to a combined total of 26 workweeks of leave for any FMLA qualifying reason during a rolling 12 month period.

Exigency Leave: Under the provisions of the FMLA an eligible employee may take up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during a rolling 12 month period for qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee's spouse, son, daughter, or parent is on covered active duty, or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty. Covered active duty means:

• for members of the Regular Armed Forces , duty during deployment of the member with the Armed Forces to a foreign country; or
• for members of the Reserve components of the Armed Forces (members of the National Guard and Reserves), duty during deployment of the member with the Armed Forces to a foreign country under a call or order to active duty in support of a contingency operation

 
Qualifying exigencies include:

• Issue arising from a covered military member's short notice deployment (i.e. deployment on seven or less days of notice) for a period of seven days from the date of notification.
• Military events and related activities.
• Certain childcare and related activities.
• Certain activities related to care of the military member's parent who is incapable of self-care
• Making or updating financial and legal arrangements.
• Attending counseling provided by someone other than a health care provider for oneself, the covered military member, or the child of the covered military member, the need for which arises from the active duty or call to active duty status of the covered military member.
• Attending to certain post deployment activities within 90 days of the end of the military member’s covered active duty.
• Taking up to fifteen days of leave to spend time with a covered military member who is on short term temporary, rest and recuperation leave during deployment

Military Leave Request Form

Washington State Family Leave Act (FLA) is a leave provision provided by the state of Washington to supplement and/or run concurrent with FMLA.  It allows:

• additional benefits for women who are pregnant.  An eligible female employee may take up to an additional 12 weeks for bonding with her newborn.
• leave for placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.
• leave to care for an employee's family member who has a serious health condition including registered domestic partners who have a serious health condition.

Eligibility

An eligible employee will need to have worked for the State of Washington for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours immediately preceding their period of leave.

Use of Accrued Leave

This leave of absence may be full-time, or taken intermittently with the supervisor's approval.  An employee may use their choice of paid leave according to WSU policy for Family Medical leave, or request Leave Without Pay.

Under Washington State Law, employees are eligible to use available sick leave and other paid leave as Family Care Leave. Under the law, an employee is entitled to use any or all of their choice of sick or other paid leave to care for a sick child with a routine illness; a spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent with a serious or emergency health condition; and an adult child with a disability.

Employees who are unable to perform their job duties because they are disabled may be provided up to 4 months of Medical/Disability Leave as identified by their medical provider.  An employee is allowed to use a minimum of eight hours of accrued paid leave per month during Medical/Disability Leave to provide for continuation of employer paid benefits. The eight hours paid leave must be used on the first working day of the month.

If an employee or an employee's family member is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, the employee may take unpaid leave or use any accrued leave to recover from and cope with the effects of such violence.  Family member's are defined as parent, step-parent, sister, brother, parent-in-law, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, minor/dependent child, child, and for whom the employee has a dating relationship.  Verification to support the request may be required.

Domestic Violence Leave Request Form

The shared leave program offer by WSU allows qualifying staff the opportunity to receive donation leave to utilize as if it were their own. Shared leave is available for major life events such as extraordinary or severe illness or injury of the staff member or qualified family member, for staff called to military service, and other qualifying events outlined in BPPM 60.58.