Leave: Types of Leave and Reporting

Absence requests shall be documented using appropriate college absence management systems and forms. Records of leave accumulation and usage shall be kept by the Human Resources office.

1. Administrators/exempt professionals will accrue annual leave at the rate of two days or sixteen hours per month.

2. Administrators/exempt professionals working part-time or full-time for more than six months but less than twelve months duration will accrue annual leave on a prorated basis.

    

1. The College has approved an extension of exempt vacation leave accruals during the conversion of College systems to ctcLink and PeopleSoft.
   *Effective June 30, 2021 exempt employees may accrue vacation leave in excess of 240 hours. The maximum accrual of 280 hours will apply and may be carried over to the next fiscal year. The rollover of additional 40 hours is non compensable upon resignation, retirement or termination and must be taken as vacation leave.  This is a temporary extension and will be reviewed annually.
    
2. Administrators/exempt professionals are encouraged to take at least fifteen days of annual leave each year.
    
3. Unused annual leave may be accumulated up to thirty (30) days or 240 hours for administrators/exempt professionals. However, there are two methods, which allow vacation leave to be accumulated above the maximum:
    
4. If the president defers an administrator’s/exempt professional’s request for annual leave, then the maximum vacation accrual will be extended to avoid loss of annual leave credits.  In no case will a deferral exceed one hundred eighty (180) calendar days in duration.
    
5. An administrator/exempt professional may accumulate vacation leave in excess of the maximum between July 1 and June 30 of each fiscal year.  If the excess leave is not used prior to July 1 of each year, the excess leave will be automatically extinguished and considered to have never existed.   
                              
6. Any deferral approved by the college president in section (a) above, will be reported to the Executive Human Resource Officer or designee and noted in the administrator’s/exempt professional’s personnel file.

Each administrator/exempt professional may select one personal holiday each calendar year and the college will grant the day, provided:

1. The administrator/exempt professional has been continuously employed by the college for more than four months.
2. The administrator/exempt professional has given no less than fourteen calendar days written notice to the supervisor; provided, however, the employee and the supervisor may agree upon an earlier date; and
3. The number of administrators/exempt professionals selecting a particular day off does not prevent providing continued public service.

 Entitlement to the holiday will not lapse when denied under (c) above.

Any administrator/exempt professional working less than fulltime will earn the personal holiday on a prorata basis to the percent of position.

Employees must be in full pay status prior to the holiday to receive a paid holiday. Taking leave without pay the day preceding a holiday will result in an unpaid holiday.

Administrative and Exempt staff will receive two (2) Personal Leave Days each fiscal year. The Personal Leave Days must be taken as a 'day' and will not be taken as partial hours. Terms and conditions of such leave will be specified in the administrator’s/exempt professional’s agreement of employment as determined by the president, and such leave is non-accumulative and non-compensable upon separation from the college.

Child care emergency is defined as a situation causing an administrator’s/exempt professional’s inability to report for or continue scheduled work because of emergency child care requirements, not a sick child.  Emergency child care is limited to three days sick leave, vacation leave and leave without pay each calendar year.

An employee is entitled to a minimum of 12 workweeks total combination of leave (disability, parental and/or serious health condition leave).  In any case in which the necessity for leave is foreseeable based on planned medical treatment, the employee shall provide not less than 30 day notice, except that if the treatment requires leave to begin in less than 30 days, the employee shall provide such notice as is practical.

The disability and recovery period shall be as defined and certified by the employee’s licensed health care provider.  The employee shall provide, in a timely manner, a copy of such certification to the employer.  Certification provided under this section shall be sufficient if it states:  (1) the date on which the disability commenced; (2) the probable duration of the condition (3) the appropriate medical facts within the knowledge of the health care provider regarding the condition; and (4) a statement that the employee is unable to perform the essential functions of his/her position.

The college may require, at the college’s expense, that the employee obtain the opinion of a second health care provider designated or approved by the employer.  The health care provider shall not be employed on a regular basis by the college.

In any case in which the second opinion differs from the original certification, the college may require, at the college’s expense, that the employee obtain the opinion of a third health care provider designated or approved jointly by the college and the employee.  The opinion of the third health care provider shall be final and binding.

The college may require that the employee obtain subsequent re-certification on a reasonable basis.

Disability leave may be a combination of sick leave, annual leave, personal holiday, and leave of absence without pay and shall be granted at the written request of the employee.  The combination and use of paid and unpaid leave during a disability leave shall be the choice of the employee.

The college shall maintain health care coverage during the 12 weeks of leave and any balance of leave thereafter, if applicable, in accordance with the Public Employees Benefit Board.  The college may recover the premium for maintaining coverage during any period of unpaid leave if the employee fails to return to work as specified in the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

Serious Health Condition - FMLA
 

Serious health condition leave shall be granted to an eligible employee pursuant to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 in order to care for his/her spouse, child or parent, if such person has a serious health condition. An employee is entitled to a minimum of 12 workweeks total combination of leave (disability, parental and/or serious health condition leave).

For purposes of this section, an eligible employee is one who has worked for the state of Washington for at least 12 months, and for at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12-month period.

In any case in which the necessity for leave is foreseeable, based on planned medical treatment of the spouse, child or parent, the employee shall provide not less than 30 days notice, except that if the treatment requires leave to begin in less than 30 days, the employee shall provide such notice as is practical.

The college may require that a request for such leave be supported by a certification issued by the health care provider of the spouse, child or parent.  The employee shall provide, in a timely manner, a copy of such certification to the employer.

Certification provided under this section shall be sufficient if it states:  (1)  the date on which the serious health condition commenced; (2)  the probable duration of the condition; (3)  the appropriate medical facts within the knowledge of the health care provider regarding the condition; and (4)  a statement that the eligible employee is needed to care for the spouse, child or parent and an estimate of the amount of time that such employee is needed to provide care.

In any case in which the college has reason to doubt the validity of the certification provided, the college may require, at the college’s expense, that the eligible employee obtain the opinion of a second health provider designated or approved by the college.  The health care provider shall not be employed on a regular basis by the college.

In any case in which the second opinion differs from the original certification, the college may require, at the college’s expense, that the employee obtain the opinion of a third health care provider designated or approved jointly by the college and the employee.  The opinion of the third health care provider shall be final and binding.

The college may require that the employee obtain subsequent re-certification on a reasonable basis. 

The college shall maintain health care coverage during the 12 weeks of leave, and any balance of leave thereafter.  If applicable, in accordance with the Public Employees Benefit Board.

The college may recover the premium for maintaining coverage during any period of unpaid leave if the employee fails to return to work as specified in the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

1. Upon approval by the president, leave of absence without pay may be granted any full time administrators/exempt professionals for the purpose of attending an institution of higher learning.
2. The application for such leave shall contain a statement of the plan of study and name of the institution the administrator/exempt professionals plan to attend.
3. Such applications should be filed by April 1 for leave scheduled to start the next academic year.

Upon being granted such leave, the administrator/exempt professional shall be eligible to maintain Public Employees Benefit Board approved insurance programs at the administrator’s/exempt professional’s own expense throughout the leave period.

Personal Leave Request for Leave Without Pay

Requests for leave without pay for compelling personal reasons may be granted to full time administrators/exempt professionals for up to one year upon approval of the president.

Leave of absence without pay may be allowed for any of the following reasons:

1. Conditions applicable for leave with pay;
2. Leave for government service in the public interest except that an administrator/exempt professional shall receive normal pay for military leave of absence taken pursuant to RCW 38.40.060; and
3. Pursuant to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, an eligible administrator/exempt professional shall be entitled to a total of twelve (12) workweeks of leave during any twelve month period for one or more of the following:
   1. disability leave,
4. parental leave, and
5. serious health condition leave.

Purpose: 
Administrative sabbatical leave is designed to benefit the college and its students by providing administrators/exempt professionals with the opportunity to engage in activities leading to professional growth and revitalization.  Such leave would allow eligible administrators/exempt professionals an extended period of time free from normal contractual obligations in order to pursue legitimate professional goals.  This purpose is consistent with the provisions of RCW 28B.10.650 as they now exist (or hereafter amended) and with this college’s commitment to the professional development of its employees.  Appropriate uses of sabbatical leave would include formal study, travel, work experience in one’s administrative area, or any other activity which would contribute substantially to the improvement of administrative abilities.

Eligibility:
Sabbatical leave may be granted for one, two or three consecutive quarters after completion of six (6) years of full time contractual service as an employee of the college.  Administrators/exempt professionals awarded three quarters of sabbatical leave will be eligible for an additional award after a second six (6) year period of full time employment, inclusive of time on sabbatical leave.  It is not intended that sabbatical leave be accrued.  Without regard to level of use, the individual’s eligibility will be reset at three-quarters on each six-year anniversary.

Approval:
All sabbatical leaves require the approval of the president and the Board of Trustees.  The number of sabbatical leaves approved by the president and the Board of Trustees shall not exceed one full time administrative/exempt professional employee at any one time.

Compensation:

1. Administrators/exempt professionals are encouraged to seek outside funding support for their sabbaticals.  Compensation from the college during leave shall be up to 100% of the recipient’s daily contractual salary for the year in which the leave is taken, but shall not exceed the average of the highest quartile of a rank order of salaries of all full time teaching faculty holding academic year contracts at the college.
2. Total sabbatical cost, including the cost of replacement personnel, shall not exceed 150% of administrator’s salary with benefits.
3. Sabbatical leave salary from the college may be negotiated if outside funding plus sabbatical leave pay from the college exceed 115% of the recipient’s full time contractual salary for the period of the leave.  In all cases remuneration will be in compliance with RCW 28B.10.650.

    Procedures:

1. An application for sabbatical leave will include reasons for requesting the leave and a detailed sabbatical leave plan, which must be submitted to the president.  Sabbatical leave requests shall be submitted no fewer than 90 days prior to the beginning of requested leave.
2. Sabbatical leave shall be awarded according to the following criteria:

(a) The value of the proposed activity to the enhancement of the administrative program of the college;

(b) The value of the proposed activity to the professional growth and development of the applicant.

(c) The past contribution of the applicant (years of service, range of service) to the college.

(d) Guidelines and procedures for sabbatical leave, including application forms, rating procedures and reporting requirements, will be established by the president.

(e) In the event that the number of appropriate applicants exceeds the number one, the president shall name a first and second alternate to replace a leave recipient should an administrator/ exempt professional not accept a sabbatical leave grant.

   Leave Contract:

When the president and the Board of Trustees grant a sabbatical leave, the recipient shall sign a contract with the college specifying:

(a) The length of sabbatical leave.

(b) The amount of sabbatical payment.

(c) A commitment to perform according to the approved sabbatical leave plan.

(d) That the recipient will return to employment at the college for a period at least commensurate with the amount of leave granted.  Failure to comply with this provision shall constitute an obligation of the recipient to repay to the college any remuneration received from the college during the leave.

(e) That the recipient will submit a written report to the president within 60 days upon returning from leave summarizing the work completed during the sabbatical leave and describing how the new knowledge will be used.

Non-compliance with the above terms of the leave contract will be dealt with according to RCW 28B.10.650.

  Employee Rights

1. The time spent on sabbatical leave shall be recognized as equivalent to time spent as a full time administrator/exempt professional of the college.
2. With the exception of annual vacation leave, all other benefits shall accrue to the administrator/exempt professional on sabbatical leave.

   Exceptions

This policy is not meant to be restrictive but rather inclusive. Therefore, exceptions to this policy may be made by the president and the Board of Trustees on a case-by-case basis.

The purpose of the shared leave program is to permit state employees, at no significantly increased cost to the state, to share their accrued leave with another state employee that meets eligibility criteria (WAC 357 – 31 – 390).

The college recognizes that state employees historically have joined together to help fellow employees who suffer from, or have relatives or household members suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition which prevents the employee from working and causes great economic and emotional distress to his/her family and that these circumstances may be exacerbated because the affected employees use all accrued sick leave and annual leave and are forced to take leave without pay or terminate employment.  Therefore, the Board of Trustees has authorized the college to participate in the Washington State leave-sharing program and directed the president to establish procedures in accordance with Chapter 41.04 RCW to implement such a program.

The college may authorize shared leave for employees who have exhausted accrued leave and are absent due to emergency situations such as communicable disease epidemics.  The college maintains procedures to support shared leave in accordance with chapter 41.04 RCW.

Admin/Exempt: Up to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave will be granted for the death of any family member or household member that requires the employee’s absence from work. Family members are defined for this purpose as mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, domestic partner’s mother, domestic partner’s father, spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, son, daughter, stepchild, and a child in the custody of and residing in the home of an employee or a child for whom the employee provided care as a foster parent or guardian.
Classified staff and Faculty: Refer to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

Employees are granted leave with pay for jury duty or to perform other subpoenaed civil duties. Leave pay will be equal to full salary for the time involved. All jury duty leave must be reported in the college absence management system and a copy of the summons forwarded to the Human Resource Department. Compensation received by the employee for civil service does not need to be reported to the employer.

Full time Professors earn twelve (12) days of leave upon the first day on which their assignment begins. After three quarters of employment, professors shall accumulate leave at a rate of one (1) day, or seven (7) hours for each calendar month during which they are employed for either a contractual day or on a part time basis for summer quarter provided the total does not exceed twelve (12) days during any given twelve month period. Adjunct and Associate Professors earn leave on a prorated basis, based upon the number of credits being taught. Please refer to the faculty negotiated agreement for additional information.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 allows eligible employees to take off up to twelve (12) work weeks in any twelve (12) month period for the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a family member, or if the employee themselves has a serious health condition. To be eligible, an employee must have worked for the state of Washington for at least 12 months, and for at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 month period.

The employee also has the right to return to the same or equivalent position, pay, and benefits at the conclusion of their leave. The eligible employee must provide thirty (30) day advance notice for foreseeable events. The college has the right to ask the employee to obtain a certification from a medical provider testifying to the need for the employee to take the leave for themselves or for a family member. Upon completion of the leave the college maintains the right to require the employee to obtain a certification of fitness to return to work when the leave is due to the employees own health concerns.The college will measure (from beginning point to ending point) the 12-month period forward from the date the requesting employee’s first FMLA leave begins. The employee’s next FMLA leave year would begin the first time FMLA leave is taken after completion of the previous 12-month period. The employee is entitled to maintain their benefits, but they must continue to pay their portion during the leave.

Leave without pay may be granted to full time employees for the following reasons: family medical leave, work-related injury or illness, military leave, cyclic employment, volunteer firefighting, military family leave, domestic violence leave, and other circumstances not listed here. Classified and faculty employees should refer to the current collective bargaining agreement for additional information.
Taking leave without pay the day preceding a holiday will result in an unpaid holiday. Eligible employees must be in full pay status prior to the holiday to receive a paid holiday.

Public employees are entitled to two unpaid (leave without pay) religious holidays per calendar year to accommodate employees with holy days that do not coincide with state legal holidays. This 2014 law covers "a reason of faith or conscience or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church or religious organization". This also applies to employees who desire time off for reasons of "conscience", thus covering employees who do not belong to organized religion

Military leave with pay is granted to eligible employees in accordance with applicable state law, federal law, and the Classified Collective Bargaining Agreement.

All permanent classified and administrative/exempt employees receive one Personal Holiday each calendar year. Employees must be continuously employed for four months before accruing this leave day. The Personal Holiday is available to employees in January of each year and must be used by the end of December. This holiday is equal to your work day or work shift and should be reported using the college absence management system.

All permanent classified employees may receive one or more personal leave days per fiscal year in accordance with the current bargaining agreement. The personal leave day is non-accumulative and must be used by June 30 in the fiscal year earned. Employees must be continuously employed for four months before accruing this leave day.

Sabbatical leave for administrative/exempt staff and faculty may be granted for one, two, or three consecutive quarters after completion of six (6) years of full time contractual service as employee of the college. Employees awarded three quarters of sabbatical leave will be eligible for an additional award after completion of a new six (6) year period of full time employment. Employees who are awarded leaves of less than three quarters retain their remaining entitlement and will qualify for additional entitlement at the rate of one quarter for each two-year period of full time employment, not to exceed three quarters of entitlement. 

All sabbatical leave requests require the approval of the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the president. The number of faculty sabbatical leaves approved by the board shall not exceed three professors in any quarter of any academic year. The number of administrative/exempt sabbatical leaves approved by the board shall not exceed one full time employee at any one time. Applications for sabbatical leave are due by January 15th each year.Additional information with regard to compensation, procedures and guidelines for faculty sabbatical leave can be found in the faculty negotiated agreement.

The purpose of the shared leave program is to permit state employees, at no significantly increased cost to the state, to share their accrued leave with another state employee that meets eligibility criteria (WAC 357 – 31 – 390).The college shared leave program permits state employees, to come to the aid of another state employee who is likely to take leave without pay or terminate his or her employment because: (1) The employee has been called to service in the uniformed services; (2) The employee is volunteering with a governmental agency or a nonprofit organization when a state of emergency has been declared within the United States; (3) The employee or a relative or household member is suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition; or (4) The employee is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking as defined in RCW 41.04.655.
The college may authorize shared leave for employees who have exhausted accrued leave and are absent due to emergency situations such as communicable disease epidemics.  The college maintains procedures to support shared leave in accordance with chapter 41.04 RCW.

Employees of the college may donate accrued sick or vacation leave or all or part of their personal holiday to a fellow employee who is suffering from or has a relative or household member suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness or impairment which may cause the employee to take leave without pay or terminate employment.
Administrative/exempt and classified employees must donate a minimum of 8 hours and may donate vacation leave, sick leave and/or personal holiday leave. An employee donating sick leave must retain a minimum balance of 176 hours (22 days). An employee donating vacation leave must retain a balance of 80 hours (10 days). Faculty members must donate a minimum of 7 hours and may donate sick leave. A faculty member donating sick leave must retain a balance of 154 hours (22 days). Employees whose salaries are paid from external funds such as contracted dollars or purchased services are excluded from participating in the shared leave program. Employees cannot donate excess vacation leave hours that otherwise would have been lost due to their annual anniversary date. WAC 357-31-380;  WAC 357-31-390; WAC 357-31-395

 Permanent full time employees earn eight (8) hours of sick leave per month and full time faculty earn seven (7) hours per month. Paid sick leave may be used for the following: illness, injury, or preventive health care; exposure to a contagious disease that might endanger others; disability due to pregnancy or childbirth; illness, injury, or death of relatives. Part-time employees and adjunct and associate professors earn sick leave on a prorated basis.

In January of each year, full-time employees whose sick leave balance at the end of the previous year exceeds four hundred eighty (480) hours or sixty (60) days may elect to convert the sick leave hours earned in the previous calendar year, minus those hours used during the year, to monetary compensation. This attendance incentive is calculated at a rate of one (1) full day’s pay for each four (4) days of accumulated sick leave. If you qualify for the leave incentive, you will be notified by the Human Resource Office in January of your ability to participate.

The college Time and Absence Reporting system in ctcLink  is an electronic time reporting system used by both overtime eligible and overtime ineligible employees at SPSCC. Overtime eligible exempt, classified, temporary, and student employees of SPSCC must record all hours worked in the ctcLink system and submit time sheets in accordance with the established payroll due dates of the 15 and last day of each month. Administrators, classified, exempt, and full-time faculty use the online system to report all leave electronically.

A maximum of 30 working days (240 hours) of Vacation Leave may be accumulated. If not used, hours over 240 are lost on the employee's anniversary date. Exempt Staff: Full-time Exempt employees earn 16 hours of vacation leave per month and can use that time when it is accrued. If not used by June 30 of each year, hours over 240 are lost on July 1.

Vacation leave accrual for full-time Classified employees follows the most current bargaining agreement.
Vacation hours accrue upon hire and are available to use as soon as they are accrued. If a classified employee leaves employment prior to their six month date, any vacation leave will be returned to the employer and is not available to be paid upon termination/resignation. If not used, vacation hours over 240 are lost on the employee’s anniversary date.

Eligible employees have access to shared leave to attend appointments or treatments for service connected  disability. The Veterans' In-Service Share Leave Pool and allows state employees who are veterans, or their spouses who are caring for them, to access shared leave from the VISSLP. The definition of Veteran for the purposes of receiving certain benefits, includes a person who is in receipt of separation orders or documents that characterize his or her service as honorable.