Professional Staff Leaves and Absences
Absences
The substitute caller shall be notified at the earliest possible time on the day of an absence. When practical, notification prior to the day of absence is encouraged. Teachers should notify the substitute caller by the prescribed procedure .
It is the responsibility of all other certified employees to inform their immediate supervisor on the day of absence.
In order for an employee to be granted sick leave in excess of ten consecutive days, verification by a written statement from his/her physician must be on file with the personnel department. For each additional day of absence beyond sick leave allowed, there shall be a deduction of the full daily salary.
If an employee is absent for any reason other than sickness, or other leave as outlined in policy or negotiated agreement, a deduction of the full amount of his/her salary shall be made for each day's absence, beginning with first day. Disciplinary action may be taken for absence without leave.
Any employee who terminates employment loses the benefit of any accumulated days of sick leave, except:
a. As provided by law and policy
b. That 45 days shall be credited of purposes of retirement.
Child Care Leave
Any certificated staff member who is pregnant shall have the privilege of requesting child care leave and all the provisions included therein:
- The request for such leave is to be made in writing to the board through the superintendent and immediate supervisor at least thirty (30) days in advance of the proposed starting date of the leave.
- The actual starting date of the leave shall be determined as necessary to protect the quality of the instructional program and the desire of the certificated staff member and the attending physician. The overriding concern shall be the fulfillment of goals of the school district.
- Child care leave provisions in the employee's negotiated agreement shall be followed concerning request, return from leave, length of leave and other provisions.
- Child care leave for employees adopting a child shall be leave without compensation except that a certificated staff member shall retain all seniority and benefits accrued.
- If a certificated staff member fails to return at the expiration of the leave without a written medical reason, this lack of action shall terminate the contract with the school district.
Temporary Disability Leave
Any employee who, for medical reasons, cannot perform the functions of their assigned position shall have the privilege of requesting temporary disability leave and all the provisions included herein:
- The request for such a leave is to be made in writing to the board, through the superintendent and immediate supervisor at least sixty (60) days in advance of the proposed starting date of the leave.
- The actual starting date of the leave shall be determined as necessary to protect the quality of the instructional and supportive programs, the desire of the staff member and the attending physician. The overriding concern shall be the fulfillment of the goals of the school district.
- Expiration of temporary disability leave shall be when the staff member's attending physician confirms the ability of the person on temporary disability leave to resume in full, the duties of the assigned position.
- Upon expiration of temporary disability leave, the employee shall be assigned to the same position occupied before the leave provided that the position is still available and the leave does not extend beyond one year. An employee who returns from a temporary disability leave when the former position is not available shall be assigned to a proper vacancy by the superintendent.
- An employee on temporary disability leave shall retain all rights and benefits and receive full payment for each day of absence up to the number of days accrued under policy GCBD for sick leave.
- The school district reserves the right to call for a doctor's certificate of illness at any time for any number of days used as defined in this policy.
Shared Leave Procedures
Eligibility
Receipt of Shared Leave
An employee may be eligible to receive shared leave under the following conditions:
A. The employee’s job is one in which annual leave and/or sick leave can be used and accrued.
B. The employee is not eligible for time loss compensation under chapter 51.32 RCW.
C. The employee has abided by District policies regarding the use of sick leave.
D. The employee has exhausted, or will exhaust, his or her annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, and any other form of paid leave available for recipient’s use.
E. The qualifying condition has caused, or is likely to cause, the employee to go on leave without pay or terminate District employment.
F. Leave sharing is limited to transfers from employees within the Lake Washington School District.
Donation of Annual Leave
An employee may donate annual leave to specific eligible individuals subject to the following criteria:
A. The employee may donate any amount of accrued annual leave provided the donation does not cause the employee’s annual balance to fall below ten (10) days.
B. Employees may not donate excess annual leave that the donor would not be able to take because of an approaching date after which the annual leave cannot be used.
C. All donated leave must be given voluntarily. No employee shall be coerced, threatened, intimidated, or financially induced into donating annual leave.
Donation of Sick Leave
An employee may donate sick leave to specific eligible individuals subject to the following criteria:
A. The employee must have accrued more than 176 hours of sick leave.
B. Employees may not donate an amount of sick leave that will result in his or her sick leave account going below 176 hours.
C. All donated sick leave must be given voluntarily. No employee shall be coerced, threatened, intimidated, or financially induced into donating sick leave.
Maximum Amount
Employees may receive and are authorized to use up to a maximum lifetime cumulative amount of two-hundred sixty-one (261) days of shared leave from any state or school district employment. All forms of paid leave available for use by the recipient must be used prior to using shared leave.
Procedures
Application
- The employee requesting shared leave must complete an Application for Shared Leave and submit it to Human Resources, along with the following supporting documentation, as applicable:
- A statement from a licensed physician or other authorized health care practitioner verifying the severe or extraordinary nature and expected duration of the illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition; or
- Orders verifying the employee has been called to service in the uniformed services.
- Upon receipt of the Shared Leave Application, Human Resources will determine the employee’s eligibility. Human Resources may require additional documentation as reasonably necessary to make the eligibility determination.
- Human Resources will notify the employee of his/her eligibility or ineligibility to participate in shared leave.
- Shared leave will commence upon Human Resources’ approval of the Shared Leave Application, provided that all forms of paid leave available for use by the recipient have first been used. Retroactivity may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
- Leave recipients must use accumulated donated hours on consecutive work days. Exceptions may be made for a long-term illness on a case-by-case basis.
Donation
- Employees wishing to donate annual leave and/or sick leave must complete a Request for Transfer Leave form and submit it to Human Resources.
- Donated hours will be deducted from the leave donor's sick/vacation leave balance.
- Transfer of shared leave hours to a specific leave recipient will correspond with the normal payroll period.
- The Shared Leave Application must be completed in full by the recipient and approved by Human Resources before an effective date for the transfer of shared leave from a leave donor will be issued.
Calculation of Shared Leave Benefit
Shared leave is accounted for on an hour-for-hour basis; for example, one hour of donated leave will equal one hour of leave payable at the recipient’s rate of pay. The leave received shall be tracked as shared leave and shall be maintained separately from all other leave balances.
Shared leave is administered on a school year basis (September 1 through August 31). In the event that there is unused donated shared leave, it shall be redistributed to the leave donors in proportion to the amount that was originally donated, at the conclusion of the recipients need (as identified in the approved request) or at the conclusion of the school year, whichever comes first. Unused leave is returned to the donor in the form of hours of leave, payable at the donor’s rate of pay.
If a recipient returns to work and receives an award of retroactive leave accrual, which should have been exhausted before taking shared leave, the retroactive leave accrual will be applied against the period of shared leave, and the unused shared leave balance credited accordingly.
Approved:
05/07/90
Revised:
05/20/91
08/10/10
10/04/10