NWESD Policy Manual & Administrative Procedures

5400 – Personal Leave

The Superintendent, in accordance with the law and NWESD 189 policy, may grant staff leaves up to one (1) year in duration pursuant to the following conditions:

1. Leave Unpaid Unless Stated Otherwise: Leaves shall be unpaid unless otherwise stated. If leaves are to include expenses to be paid by the NWESD 189, that also shall be specifically stated.
2. Leaves in Units of Full or Half Days: Leaves may be granted in units of half or full days only, except for sick leave, emergency leave, and annual/vacation leave (see Policies 5401, 5403 and 5411).
3. Return from Leaves: At the end of any leave shorter than twenty (20) days in duration, sabbatical leave, or sick leave which does not exhaust the staff member’s accumulated sick leave, the affected staff member is entitled to return to the position held when the leave commenced or to an appropriate comparable position. Staff members must notify the NWESD 189 in writing by April 1 if they plan to return to the NWESD 189 the following year. Failure to provide such notice of the intent to return may be considered notice of intent not to return.
4. Prior Notice of Application: Reasonable advance notice is required for all leaves, with specific advance notice as stated in the appropriate NWESD 189 leave policy.
5. Flexibility in Granting Leaves: The Superintendent has the flexibility to grant leaves to individuals who might not otherwise be covered, extend leave in excess of the number of days provided by NWESD 189 policy, and/or authorize leave sharing between employees upon their request in unusual or exceptional circumstances, within the limits of the law.
6. Program Impacts: The Superintendent shall consider NWESD 189 program impacts (e.g., availability of acceptable substitutes) in determining whether the leave request(s) are to be granted.
7. Leaves Prorated for Part-Time Staff: Part-time staff shall be entitled to leave benefits, unless otherwise stated in NWESD 189 policy, provided that the length of leaves shall be prorated according to the ratio of days and/or hours worked to the number of days and/or hours worked by a full time staff member in the same or a similar position.
8. Nonaccumulative: Leaves shall be nonaccumulative from year to year unless otherwise stated.

First Reading:

Second Reading: 08/27/84 (as 4600)
Revised: 02/26/92 (as 4600)
Revised: 05/23/01 (recodified 5400)
Revised: 03/22/17

Reference:

RCW 28A.310.180
RCW 28A.310.200
RCW 28A.310.220
RCW 28A.310.240

Date Revised: 3/22/17