POL-U5410.07 Accessing and Donating to State Shared Leave Pool
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Dates and Approval
Effective Date:
September 20, 2011
Revised Date:
March 9, 2020
Approved by:
President Sabah Randhawa
Who does this policy apply to?
This policy applies to all state employees who are entitled to accrue sick leave or vacation leave, for whom accurate leave records are maintained, and need to access leave from the following pools:
Overview
There is no overview for this policy.Definitions
Caring for
Taking a foster child to health care appointments, court appointments, visitation with family members and/or other reasons that sick leave may be used for.
Employee
Any employee who is entitled to accrue sick leave or vacation leave and for whom accurate leave records are maintained. For purposes of the Veterans’ In-state Service Shared Leave Pool, this does not include employees called to service in the uniformed services.
Service in the Uniformed Services
The performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in a uniformed service under competent authority and includes active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time National Guard duty including state-ordered active duty, and a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the fitness of the person to perform any such duty.
Uniformed Services
The Armed Forces, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard of any state, territory, commonwealth, possession, or district when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time National Guard duty, or state active duty, 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.
Military Salary
The base, specialty, and other pay. The salary does not include allowances such as the basic allowance for housing.
Monthly Salary
The monthly salary and special pay and shift differential, or the monthly equivalent for hourly employees. Monthly salary does not include overtime pay, callback pay, standby pay or performance bonuses.
Preparing for
Arranging a foster child’s living space, enrolling in school, and/or enrolling in child care.
Veteran
As defined in RCW 41.04.005.
Policy Statements
1. State Shared Leave Pools Administered by State Agencies
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families, in consultation with the Office of Financial Management (OFM) shall administer the Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool (FPSLP).
The military department, in consultation with OFM, shall administer the Uniformed Service Shared Leave Pool (USSLP) including making eligibility determinations. Western Washington University (WWU) ensures readily accessible information regarding procedures and access to the program
The Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with OFM, shall administer the Veterans’ In-state Service Shared Leave Pool (VISSLP). The Assistant Vice President of Human Resources ensures internal processes are established to ensure compliance with agency rules and that information regarding the availability of the program is made accessible to University employees.
2. Participation is Voluntary
Participation in the FPSLP, USSLP, and VISSLP must be voluntary on the part of the donating and receiving employees. WWU is required to permit an eligible employee to receive leave from the USSLP and VISLP.
3. Eligibility Required to Receive Donations
FPSLP
An employee is eligible to receive shared leave from the FPSLP when there is leave available in the pool and all of the following conditions are met:
- The employee is licensed as a foster parent and is caring for or preparing to care for a foster child (see definitions section for the definition of “caring for”),
- The employee has depleted all compensatory time, personal holiday, and
- The employee has depleted or will deplete all but forty hours of sick leave and forty hours of vacation.
USSLP
An employee is eligible to receive shared leave from the USSLP when there is leave available in the pool and the employee has met all of the following conditions:
- Is called to service (voluntarily or involuntarily) in the armed services,
- Has depleted or will shortly deplete their paid military leave, compensatory time, vacation leave, and personal holiday,
- Has abided by Western’s rules regarding Military Leave, and
- Has a monthly military salary that is less than their state monthly salary. However, up to eight hours per month may be used from the pool, to continue coverage under the Public Employees Benefit Board regardless of the employee’s monthly state salary and military salary.
VISSLP
An employee is eligible to receive shared leave from the VISSLP when there is leave available in the pool and the employee:
- Is a veteran as defined in RCW 41.04.005 and is attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability, or
- Is a spouse of a veteran, who requires assistance while attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability, and
- Has depleted all accrued compensatory time, personal holiday, sick leave, and vacation leave.
4. Documentation Required When Requesting Donations
Employees must provide documentation to be eligible to receive shared leave.
FPSLP
Proof of current foster parent license.
USSLP
- Military department earnings statements verifying military salary and a copy of their orders of service, and
- Employees must notify the military department of any changes to orders of service or military salary and shall submit updated copies of their earnings statements and orders of service when requested by the military department.
VISSLP
- Veterans Affairs benefits summary letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and
- Copy of DD Form 214 or a letter from command indicating the employee is a current member of the uniformed services and documentation verifying that:
- The employee is attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability including U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs compensation and pension examinations; or<
- The employee is a spouse of a veteran who requires assistance while attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability including U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs compensation and pension examinations.
5. Certain Conditions of Employment Remain the Same While Receiving Donations
An employee using shared leave under this policy continues to be classified as a state employee and receives the same treatment in respect to salary, wages, and employee benefits as the employee would normally receive if using accrued vacation leave or sick leave.
6. Amount of Shared Leave Received May be Limited
The following are situations when the amount of shared leave given to a recipient may be limited:
- If it violates a rule or statute,
- When the pool has an insufficient balance to fund the requested shared leave,
- When the request is for preparing for acceptance of a foster child(ren), employees may receive up to five days of shared leave per occurrence from the FPSLP,
- Employees may not receive more than five hundred twenty-two days of shared leave under the FPSLP during their total state employment, and
- Shared leave received from the FPSLP, USSLP, and VISLP is not included in the 522 days total specified in RCW 41.04.665. For this purpose, eight hours shall constitute a day per RCW 49.28.010 unless otherwise required by statute, regulations, or employment contract.
7. Donors May Not Request their Donations be Made to a Specific Individual
Leave donated to the pools cannot be directed to a specific individual. Donations are pooled and withdrawn from the pool by eligible employees according to priorities established by the appropriate departments. Employees who donate must specify which pool they intend to donate to.
8. Employees May Donate Leave Under Certain Conditions
Upon approval by the appropriate Director/Dean and Vice President (or President when applicable):
- Vacation leave may be donated if the amount will not cause their vacation leave balance of a full-time employee to fall below 80 hours after the transfer. For part-time employees, requirements for vacation leave balances are prorated.
- Sick leave may be donated if the amount will not cause their sick leave balance to fall below 176 hours after the transfer.
- All or part of a personal holiday may be donated.
Departments are financially responsible for the transfer of funds resulting from donations made by their employees. The amount of leave transferred to the pools must equal the donor’s dollar value of leave plus fringe benefits. Following Vice President (or President when applicable) approval, payment will be issued to the agency receiving the leave.
Student and temporary employees are not eligible to receive or donate shared leave.
Employees may not donate sick leave, vacation leave, or personal holidays that would otherwise be lost due to separation of employment.
9. Abuse is Prohibited
Any alleged abuse of the shared leave pools will be investigated. On a finding of wrongdoing the employee may be required to repay all of the shared leave received from the pool.