FCG Chapter 51 Faculty Leave and Vacations

Section 51-01   Faculty Sick Leave

1. In the case of an illness or disability of a faculty member, the faculty member’s salary shall be continued for a period not to exceed 90 calendar days. Faculty sick leave may be taken to care for a child of the faculty member under the age of 18 with a health condition that requires treatment or supervision, or because of temporary disability due to pregnancy, childbirth, or recovery therefrom.
2. Applications for faculty sick leave shall include appropriate documentation from a physician to evidence illness or disability.
3. Subsection A of this section applies only to periods during which the faculty member is entitled to receive salary from the University. Faculty sick leave salary continuation may not exceed 90 days during the period July 1 to June 30, except that a leave begun prior to July 1 that continues beyond that date shall not exceed 90 days with respect to the illness or disability for which such leave was granted.

S-B 122, June 1973; S-B 161, January 1996; S-B 209, March 10, 2023: all with Presidential approval; [formerly EAP, Chapter 110].

Section 51-11   Family Leave

1. Upon written request a faculty member shall be granted a family leave of absence without pay for the following reasons: to care for the faculty member’s child; to care for the faculty member’s spouse, parent, or other family member who has a serious health condition; or because of a serious health condition that makes the faculty member unable to perform job duties (after exhaustion of the faculty sick leave benefits referred to in Section 51-01 above). The period of leave shall normally not exceed six calendar months or two successive academic quarters. An extension beyond this period must be approved by the Provost.
2. A request for family leave should be made to the department chair (or dean of an undepartmentalized school or college) as soon as reasonably possible, and, when the reason for the leave is foreseeable, not less than 30 days prior to the date such leave is scheduled to begin. Requests for family leave resulting from medical conditions shall include appropriate documentation from a physician.
3. Pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, when family leave is taken for purposes of caring for the employee’s newborn or newly adopted or foster child; to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; or for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform job duties (after exhaustion of sick leave benefits); the faculty member may be eligible for paid medical benefits for up to 12 weeks from the initiation of the leave. To receive such benefits, a faculty member requesting family leave must notify the Office of the Provost. The faculty sick leave policy described in this section fulfills the University’s obligation under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and the benefits described in this section are not additive thereto.

S-B 161, January 1996; S-B 209, March 10, 2023: both with Presidential approval; [formerly EAP, Chapter 110].

Section 51-21   Waiver

A faculty member may elect that time spent on family or sick leave be excluded from the accumulation of time towards mandatory review for promotion or tenure.

S-B 122, June 1973 with Presidential approval; BR, December 1980; S-B 161, January 1996 with Presidential approval; [formerly EAP Chapter 110].

Section 51-31   Military Leave

Every officer and employee of the state or of any county, city, or other political subdivision thereof who is a member of the Washington national guard or of the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps reserve of the United States, or of any organized reserve or armed forces of the United States shall be entitled to and shall be granted military leave of absence from such employment for a period not exceeding 15 working days during each year. Such leave shall be granted in order that the person may take report for active duty, when called, or report for active training duty in such manner and at such time as the person may be ordered to active duty or active training duty. Such military leave of absence shall be in addition to any vacation or sick leave to which the officer or employee might otherwise be entitled, and shall not involve any loss of efficiency rating, privileges, or pay. During the period of military leave, the officer or employee shall receive normal pay from the state, or the county, city, or other political subdivision.

BR, October 1949; S-B 121, April 1972 [see also RCW 38.40.060]; [formerly EAP Chapter 110].