LEAVE SHARING GUIDELINES

Pursuant to RCW 28A.400.380, RCW 41.04.665, Chapter 392-126, and Board Policy 5406, the District has developed the following guidelines to administer its employee shared leave program.

An employee is eligible to receive shared leave from other District employees under the following conditions: 

• The employee suffers from, or has a relative or household member suffering from, an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition which is of extraordinary or severe nature and which has caused, or is likely to cause, the employee to either go on leave without pay status or terminate employment¹;
• The employee’s job is one in which annual leave or sick leave can be used and accrued;
• The employee’s absence and use of shared leave are justified;
• The employee has depleted all annual/sick leave reserves (employee may retain up to 40 hours of paid leave if leave is for maternity/paternity);
• The employee has abided by District rules regarding sick leave use;
• If applicable: the employee has diligently pursued and been found to be ineligible for benefits under Chapter 51.32 RCW (workers’ compensation);

The following criteria establish the eligibility to donate annual (vacation) or sick leave:

• Employees who accrue annual (vacation) and sick leave, may choose to donate annual leave or sick leave;
• Employees may donate annual (vacation) leave provided the donation does not cause their annual leave balance to fall below ten days, based on their FTE. The ten days is prorated for part-time employees. Additionally, an employee may not donate excess annual leave (hours in excess of 240) that the employee would not be able to take due to an approaching anniversary date;
• Only the useable portion of annual leave may be donated;
• Employees who donate sick leave must have at least 176 hours of sick leave after the donation is deducted. Both full-time and part-time employees must maintain this amount.  The amount is not prorated for part-time.
• Any donated leave not used by the recipient in connection with the specified and approved illness, or injury, will be returned to the donor.

¹ “Extraordinary or severe” as used in this Administrative Guideline means “serious or extreme and/or life threatening.” WAC 392-126-065. Examples might include: cancer, major surgery, chemotherapy, broken back, organ transplant, AIDS, fetal endangerment, etc. Pregnancy is not per se a qualifying condition under these Guidelines, though an employee may be eligible to receive shared leave under this program if the employee suffers from, or has a relative or household member suffering from, a pregnancy-related condition that is of an extraordinary or severe nature, and/or which results in the employee’s incapacitation.