Questions about specific annual leave requests can be addressed by the College of Engineering HR Administrator or HR Manager.
Sick leave cannot be used for vacation time off.
What leave is considered sick leave?
Sick leave may be used for the following reasons:
Personal or dependent family member illness, injury or disability
Personal or dependent family member medical and dental appointments
Bereavement or condolence
Questions about specific sick leave requests can be addressed by the College of Engineering HR Administrator or HR Manager.
When can bereavement leave be used?
Bereavement leave is paid leave that you are entitled to because of the death of a family or household member.
Family member means the employee's spouse or same or opposite sex domestic partner; child; parent; grandparent; grandchild; sister; or brother. Family member also includes individuals in the following relationships with the employee's spouse or domestic partner: child, parent, or grandparent. It also includes those persons in a “step” relationship.
Bereavement leave is available in addition to your accrued sick and annual leave.
Bereavement leave must be approved by your supervisor beforehand.
How much bereavement leave am I entitled to?
Professional staff, contract classified, and classified non-union employees are entitled to 3 days of paid bereavement leave.
If you extend your leave due to other circumstances, such as your relationship with the deceased or having to travel a long distance, you may use sick or annual leave to cover that time.
What is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides job protected leave and benefits coverage entitlements to employees who meet FMLA eligibility requirements.
Employees can use eligible paid leave, compensatory time, or a personal holiday while on FMLA leave.
Under FMLA, the employee is guaranteed time away from work. However, if the employee does not have available paid leave, the time off is taken as leave without pay.
Employers may require certification of the reason for taking FMLA covered leave. Contact your Human Resources Consultant for assistance.
Am I eligible of FMLA?
FMLA can be used if an employee has worked for the UW or the state of Washington for at least one year, and has not already used the annual 12 week FMLA leave entitlement.
The FMLA policy guarantees that an eligible employee can have job-protected time off work as follows:
The employees serious health condition
The serious health condition of a family member
Parental leave to care of a newborn or newly adopted child
When should I request FMLA leave?
Employees are expected to give at least 30 days notice of the need for leave, where the need for leave is foreseeable.
Dean’s office policy: We ask all employees to request FMLA once they have taken 3 or more days of consecutive sick leave.
What if I am absent for only part of the day?
Professional staff
Due to the expectation that overtime exempt professional staff work to complete their job responsibilities, they are generally not required to use paid leave for partial day absences, provided such absences are not frequent or lengthy.
All partial day absences must be approved by the supervisor beforehand and must be in good standing with performance.
Professional staff may use partial days or flexible schedules; however they are expected to provide at least 40 hours/week of service in order to accomplish their jobs.
Classified (contract & non-union employees) and overtime eligible prostaff
Classified (contract & non-union employees) and overtime eligible prostaff employees should use sick leave or annual leave (as appropriate) for partial day absences.
Is it okay for me to work from home or an alternate work site?
Telework arrangements allow an employee to use technology to work from home or an alternate worksite. All telework arrangements are subject to prior approval by the supervisor or department head. Regular telework arrangement must receive additional approval by the Dean’s Office HR Team.
There are two kinds of telework agreements
Regular telework arrangements are made in response to an employee’s request or by the employing department. These arrangements are ongoing part of an employee’s position and are revocable at the employer’s discretion. A written telework agreement typically documents the details and requirements of the arrangement.
Occasional telework arrangements allow an employee to periodically telework to accommodate employee needs. Documentation of occasional telework arrangements can be done over email between the employee and supervisor; documentation must include the reason for teleworking, its duration, and the work to be completed.
All telework needs to be approved by the supervisor and HR prior to it starting.
