PURPOSE

To provide employees the opportunity to request shared leave.

REFERENCES

• BSL-3 (2) 
• WAC 357-31 Holidays and Leave 
• RCW 41 Public Employment, Civil Service, and Pensions 
• Collective Bargaining Agreements 

POLICY

The leave sharing program allows college employees to donate leave, in compliance with current statute, to co-workers whose regular paid leave is depleted because of extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition of themselves, a relative, or household member. 

PROCEDURES

Leave sharing permits state employees to financially aid other college employees who will need to take leave without pay or separate from employment due to: 

• Having a severe or extraordinary illness; or, 
• Having care giver responsibilities for a relative or a household member with a severe or extraordinary illness; or, 
• When voluntarily or involuntarily serving in the uniformed services. 
  • Serving in the uniformed services means being on active duty or active duty for training, inactive duty training, initial active-duty training, full-time national guard duty, and absence from work to be examined for fitness for duty 
  • Uniformed services means the armed forces, the army or air national guard of any state, territory, commonwealth, possession or district, the commissioned corps of the public health service, the coast guard and any other category of persons designated by the president of the United States in time of war or national emergency. 
• The employee is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and has used or is about to use all of the employee’s eligible annual and sick leave. 

“Shared leave” may be a combination of vacation leave, sick leave, and/or personal holiday hours. 

College employees who accrue leave and who meet eligibility requirements (see below) may donate and receive shared leave. Some restrictions may apply to federal and state grants. Leave sharing at Skagit Valley College is limited to eligible Skagit Valley College employees, and does not extend to other Washington State agencies. 

Requests to receive shared leave require the supervisor and the Human Resources’ approval and appropriate documentation from a health care provider. To make a request for shared leave, please contact the Human Resources Office. 

ELIGIBILITY 

To be eligible to receive shared leave an employee must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Have a severe or extraordinary illness; or, 
• Have caregiver responsibilities for a relative or a household member with a severe or extraordinary illness; or 
• When voluntarily or involuntarily serving in the uniformed services as defined above; and, 
• Have depleted or almost depleted all eligible paid leave (sick and vacation leave, personal holiday, as eligible, for serious illness; and vacation leave for uniformed service duty); and 
• Not be eligible for time loss compensation from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. 

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DEFINITIONS

Extraordinary or Severe Illness or Injury: Examples include cancer, major surgery, chemotherapy, broken back, fractured pelvis, liver transplant, heart transplant, AIDS, fetal endangerment, hysterectomy. 

Household Member: A person who resides in the same home and who provides reciprocal personal and financial support to the employee. 

Relative: A spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, foster child, legal ward, parent, or grandparent.