Shared Leave

• Overview
• Eligibility
• To Apply
• To Donate
• Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool
• Uniformed Services Shared Leave Pool
• Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool
• Resources

Overview

WSU shared leave program, as provided by under the State of Washington Leave Sharing program allows qualifying employees 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 employee or qualified family member, for employees called to military service, and other qualifying events outlined in BPPM 60.58 Shared Leave.

Eligibility

WSU faculty, administrative professional, and classified staff are eligible to request participation in the shared leave program when the employee is entitled to accrue sick leave or annual leave.

Qualifying Reason	Accrued Leave Status
Employee, a relative, or a household member has a severe, extraordinary, or life-threatening illness or injury. Eligible for up to a maximum of 90 days or 522 hours from the qualifying event eligibility date.	Exhaust: Personal holiday, compensatory time Retain: Up to 40 hours of sick leave/time-off and and up 40 hours of annual leave/time-off.
Employee is sick or temporarily disabled because of a pregnancy-related (prenatal) medical condition or miscarriage. Eligible for up to a maximum of 90 days or 522 hours from the qualifying event eligibility date.	Exhaust: Personal holiday and compensatory time. Retain: Up to 40 hours of sick leave/time-off and up to 40 hours of annual leave/time-off.
Employee needs time off for parental leave. -Birth Parent: for a period of up to sixteen (16) weeks immediately following the time allowed for pregnancy disability, if applicable. -Non-birth Parent: for a period of up to sixteen (16) weeks immediately after the birth or placement.	Exhaust: Personal holiday and compensatory time. Retain: Up to 40 hours of sick leave/time-off and up to 40 hours of annual leave/time-off.
Employee is the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.	Exhaust: Personal holiday and compensatory time. Retain: Up to 40 hours of annual leave/time-off.
Employee is called to serve in the uniformed services	Exhaust: Personal holiday, compensatory time, holiday credit and recognition leave Retain: Up to 40 hours of annual leave/time-off and up to 40 hours of paid military leave.
Employee is serving as an approved emergency worker	Exhaust: Personal holiday, and compensatory time Retain: Up to 40 hours of annual leave/time-off.

Severe, extraordinary, or life-threatening illness or injury

The criteria for an illness or injury under shared leave is different from those for FMLA. Examples of “extraordinary or severe” situations that typically meet the criteria for shared leave include:

• Heart attack
• Cancer requiring surgery and/or other forms of debilitating treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation
• Organ transplant
• Major surgery requiring extended hospitalization
• Cognitive impairments, including mental illness that cannot be controlled by prescription drugs and that renders the person incapable of productive employment
• Terminal illness or condition that renders the person incapable of productive employment
• Traumatic injuries that render the person incapable of working for an extended period of time
• Bed rest due to high-risk, pregnancy-related complications

The University uses the information provided by the employee or their relative or household member’s health-care provider to determine whether the medical condition meets the definition of “severe, extraordinary, or life-threatening.”

To Apply

Beginning December 16, 2020, to apply for Shared Leave, request the Leave of Absence (LOA) in Workday. See Workday Knowledge base reference guide Employee Request a Leave of Absence. The health care provider continues to complete the Shared Leave Health Care Provider Statement – Medical Conditions.

In Workday: Employees who have applied and are approved for a LOA, will see the approved LOA “designation” on their Absence Calendar for the duration of the LOA, whether it be needed on a full-time part-time or intermittent time off basis. This designation allows a person on the designated leave(s) to have access to and utilize time offs specific to that LOA designation.

Qualifying reason	Application Documentation
Employee, a relative, or a household member has a severe, extraordinary, or life-threatening illness or injury.	Request Shared Leave, Leave of Absence in Workday. See Employee Request a Leave of Absence guide. AND Shared Leave Health Care Provider Statement. (Completed by Health Care Provider) found on the Forms page.
Employee is sick or temporarily  disabled because of a pregnancy-related medical condition or miscarriage.	Request Shared Leave, Leave of Absence in Workday. See Employee Request a Leave of Absence guide.) AND For Pregnancy Disability – Medical Leave Health Care Provider Statement found on the Forms page.
Employee needs time off for parental leave -Birth Parent: for a period of up to sixteen (16) weeks of continuous leave following the time allowed for pregnancy disability, if applicable -Non-birth Parent: for a period of up to sixteen (16) weeks of continuous leave immediately after the birth or placement.	Request Shared Leave, Leave of Absence in Workday. See Employee Request a Leave of Absence guide. AND -Birth Parent: Medical Leave Health Care Provider Statement identifying medical leave end date found on the Forms page. -Non-birth Parent: Parental Leave – Certification of Birth or Placement
Employee is the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.	Request Shared Leave, Leave of Absence on the Forms page. Necessary supporting documentation as described on the found on the Shared Leave – Employee Request – Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking form on the Forms page.
Employee is called to serve in the uniformed services	Request Shared Leave, Leave of Absence in Workday. See Employee Request a Leave of Absence guide. AND Necessary supporting documentation as described on the form, found on the Forms page under State of Washington Shared Leave Pools.
Employee is serving as an approved emergency worker	Request Shared Leave, Leave of Absence in Workday. See Employee Request a Leave of Absence guide. AND Necessary supporting documentation as described on the form, found on the Forms page under State of Washington Shared Leave Pools.

To Donate

Employees may donate Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Holidays to an individual who is on approved Shared Leave.

Annual Leave

Civil service employees, represented classified employees, administrative professional employees, and faculty who accrue annual leave may request approval to donate annual leave to the shared leave program. Hours must be donated in whole, not partial, hours. Employees must maintain at least 80 hours of annual leave after the donation. (See WAC 357-31-425 (state leave sharing program).)

Sick Leave

Civil service employees, represented classified employees, and administrative professional employees who accrue and use sick leave may donate sick leave to the shared leave program. Faculty who accrue sick leave and who demonstrate to the satisfaction of HRS that they have a history of taking and accurately documenting sick leave may donate up to 40 hours of sick leave per approved recipient and a maximum of 80 hours of sick leave per calendar year. Hours must be donated in whole, not partial, hours. Employees must maintain a minimum of 176 hours of sick leave after the donation.

Personal Holiday

Civil service employees, represented classified employees, administrative professional employees, and faculty who are eligible to receive a personal holiday may donate personal holiday hours to the shared leave program. (WAC 357-31-425) Personal holiday hours must be donated in whole hours.

To donate leave, follow the Employee Request and Correct Time Off knowledge base and in lieu of requesting time off, request to “Donate Leave”.

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Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool

The state of Washington created the Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool to enable state employees to voluntarily donate leave to be used as shared leave by any eligible employee who is a licensed foster parent, pursuant to RCW 74.15.040, needing to care for or preparing to accept a foster child in their home.

The Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool (FPSLP) is administered by the Department of Social and Health Services in consultation with the Office of Financial Management. More information regarding the pool may be found on the FPSLP website.

Forms are linked from the Disability Services Forms page.

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Uniformed Service Shared Leave Pool

The state of Washington created the Uniformed Service Shared Leave Pool to enable state employees who are called to service in the uniformed services to maintain levels of compensation and employee benefits consistent with the amount the employees would have received in active state service. The pool was also created to allow general government and higher education employees to voluntarily donate leave to be used by any eligible employee who has been called to service in the uniform services in accordance with RCW 41.04.685 (Uniformed service shared leave pool).

The Uniformed Service Shared Leave Pool is administered by the Washington Military Department in consultation with the Office of Financial Management. More information regarding the pool may be found on the Washington Military Department website.

Forms are linked from the Disability Services Forms page.

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Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool

The state of Washington created the Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool to enable state employees to voluntarily donate leave to be used as shared leave for a veteran to attend medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability; or an employee’s spouse is a veteran who requires assistance while attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability per RCW 41.04

The Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool (VISSLP) is administered by the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs in consultation with the Office of Financial Management. More information regarding the pool may be found on the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs VISSLP website, and in the VISSLP Informational Powerpoint.

Forms are linked from the Disability Services Forms page.

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Resources

• RCW 41.04.650 through 41.04.685
• BPPM 60.58: Shared Leave Under review for 2020 law changes
• USSLP Recipient Form
• VISSLP Recipient Form

Questions? Contact Disability Services.