Payroll 310 Badge #02 - Unpaid Leave and Shared Leave-Payroll 310 Badge #2

Payroll 310 Badge #2 - PowerPoint

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Badge #2 in the WASBO curriculum explains when school district employees may be placed on unpaid leave, what types of leave are legally protected, how job protection and benefits are handled, and how Washington’s shared leave program works.<br /><br />It outlines common reasons for unpaid leave (serious health conditions, parental leave, or personal matters) and emphasizes that district policies and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) often determine rights and procedures. Washington has five protected leave laws: Family Care Act, Family Leave Act, Domestic Violence Leave, Military Leave, and Emergency Service Leave. Only the Family Care Act requires using paid leave to protect a job, allowing employees to use sick leave or other paid time off to care for qualifying family members.<br /><br />Job protection may come from protected leave laws or CBAs; otherwise, unpaid leave may not guarantee return to the same or similar position. Covered job-protected leaves include FMLA, Washington Family Leave Act, Washington Law Against Disability, Military Leave, Emergency Services Leave, and Domestic Violence Leave. Benefit continuation depends on SEBB eligibility or FMLA; Domestic Violence Leave also requires reasonable accommodations and benefit maintenance. If benefits end, COBRA must be offered.<br /><br />The badge also addresses Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML): employees may apply for PFML for qualifying reasons, and cannot use their own paid leave unless the district designates it as supplemental, which may require payroll deductions or assignment adjustments. If employees lack paid leave, they may qualify for shared leave.<br /><br />Shared leave allows employees to donate sick leave, annual leave, or personal holiday to others under RCW 41.04.650–.665 and WAC 392-136A. Eligibility includes extraordinary illness/injury (self or family/household), military service, declared emergencies with volunteer service, domestic violence, service-connected medical treatment, parental leave, and pregnancy disability—when the employee is likely to go unpaid or separate. Depletion rules apply, though some requests allow reserving up to 40 hours each of sick and annual leave. Districts must track shared leave separately, follow consistent limits (up to 522 days lifetime unless district sets a lower consistent cap), and apply a consistent calculation method (value-based or day-for-day). Unused shared leave must be returned to donors, with special closure requirements for illness/injury cases, and donations cannot reduce sick leave conversion eligibility.

Keywords

WASBO Badge #2

unpaid leave school district employees

Washington protected leave laws

Family Care Act Washington

collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) leave rights

job protection and reinstatement

benefit continuation SEBB FMLA COBRA

Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Washington

Washington shared leave program RCW 41.04.650 WAC 392-136A

shared leave donation rules and eligibility