Leave of Absence Without Pay

Policy

Upon request, the President, or President’s designee, may grant a leave of absence without pay to exempt employees for family leave, temporary disability, and government service leaves.

Furthermore, the President may grant leave without compensation for professional or personal reasons to any regular exempt employee who has been employed as an exempt employee at the College at least one (1) year, whenever such leave does not impose an operational or financial hardship on the College.

The following further delineates the provisions for leave without pay.

A. After one (1) year of successful employment, a regular exempt employee shall be eligible for and may be granted a leave without pay for the following reasons:

• Professional improvement advanced study.
• Professional consulting activities.
• Foreign exchange teaching or administration.
• Professional improvement through study of business, industry, personal creative activity, or as an employee or intern.
• Research related to one's area of responsibility.
• Work for a federal or state agency in a capacity related to one's area of responsibility.

B. An exempt employee may be granted leave without pay to serve in the Armed Forces if drafted or called into active service from a reserve status, or to serve in some other federally sponsored organization.

C .Leave without pay may be granted to an exempt employee for documented, temporary disabilities (including those related to pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, childbirth, and recovery).

• This provision shall not limit the exempt employee's right to use accrued sick leave.
• Documentation shall be required for all requests for temporary disability leave, and all subsequent requests for extension of the temporary disability leave, and must be submitted at the time of the request for leave without compensation or extension of the leave. However, this requirement may be waived, at the President's discretion, in extenuating circumstances.
• The requirement of documentation shall include a medical statement from the employee's health care provider indicating the nature of the disability, the impact of the disability on the employee’s ability to perform his or her duties, and an estimation of when the employee might be expected to return to these duties.

D. Upon request by the employee and upon receipt of documentation of the employee’s wife’s or domestic partner’s pregnancy and/or childbirth, or the adoption of a child, leave without pay may be granted to exempt employees in addition to the leave required under any  federal and/or state family leave law .

E. Upon request by the employee and upon receipt of documentation of a medical condition a leave without pay may be granted to exempt employees for medical reasons related to the employee or the employee’s family members in addition to the leave required under any federal and/or state family leave law.

F. A leave without pay shall be limited to a maximum of one (1) year. The President may, however, grant an extension of such leave.

G. An exempt employee returning to the College from temporary disability, maternity, governmental service, or other leaves without compensation shall return to a position, salary, and rank as specified in the leave agreement established between the employee and the President prior to the leave, or as otherwise required by state and federal statutes.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define and establish the terms and conditions for eligibility for and use of leave without pay.

To Whom Does This Policy Apply

This policy applies to all exempt employees, except the President of the College. This policy does not apply to academic employees, classified employees, part-time temporary employees, volunteers, or the President of the College.

References

28B.50.551 RCW Leave Provisions Generally.

See College Policy - Definitions

Definitions

Leave of Absence Without Pay – a leave without pay granted for the purpose of an extended absence from work for qualifying family, temporary disability, government service, professional or personal reasons, beyond periodic or short term absences that may otherwise be covered by routine completion of a leave form.

See College Policy – Definitions

Procedure

If the request for leave is for other than professional or personal reasons:

1. An employee shall first discuss the request for a leave without pay with his/her immediate supervisor.
2. Following discussion with his/her supervisor, the employee must file a written request or notice of the need for a leave without pay to the employee’s supervisor detailing the need for the leave, begin date of the leave, and the expected date upon which the employee shall return from leave.
3. The employee must also submit a copy of the leave request to the employee’s administrator, and the Human Resources Office.
4. The Human Resources Office will review the leave requests for other than professional or personal reasons and provide a response to the employee on behalf of the College.

If the request for the leave is for professional or personal reasons:

1. An employee shall first discuss the request for a leave without pay with his/her immediate supervisor.
2. Following discussion with his/her supervisor, the employee must file a written request for a leave without pay to the President of the College detailing the purpose of the leave, begin date of the leave, and the date upon which the employee shall return from leave.
3. The employee must also submit a copy of the leave request to the employee’s administrator, executive staff member, and the Human Resources Office.
4. The President, at his/her discretion, will review the professional leave requests and determine which requests to approve.