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Washington State University

Leave Procedures

Contact Person for Problems or Questions: Helen Miller, Room 285, 5-8383

Sick Leave

Sick Leave is accrued at the rate of 8 hours per month of completed service (96 hours or 12 working days per year) for annual appointments.  Part-time employees earn Sick Leave based upon the percentage of full-time employment. Employees may accumulate unlimited Sick Leave. Graduate students or undergraduate students are not eligible to earn Sick Leave.

Sick Leave may be taken under the following conditions:

  • Illness, disability, or injury which incapacitates the employee from performing required duties.
  • Illness or injury of a child, step-child, or child in custody of or residing in the home of the employee. The child must be under the age of 18.
  • Illness or injury of a family member who is disabled.
  • Personal medical, dental, or optical appointments or for family member appointments.
  • If exposed to a contagious disease and would jeopardize the health of fellow employees.
  • Emergencies caused by serious illness or injury of a family member age 18 or over.
  • Death of an employee’s family member (supervisor may allow three days of bereavement leave for each death in an employee’s family). Sick Leave may be used for additional days away from the workplace.
  • Condolence or bereavement.
  • Emergency child care.
  • Temporary disability resulting from pregnancy.

Family members include mother, father, sister, brother, mother- and father-in-law, husband, wife, child, grandparent, grandchild, step-child, and child in custody of, and residing in, the employee’s home.

Annual Leave

Faculty, administrative professionals and postdoctorals on full-time appointments earn Annual Leave at the rate of 14.67 hours per month of completed service. The maximum amount of Annual Leave that can be accrued is 352 hours.  Part-time employees earn Annual Leave based upon the percent of full-time employment.

Classified staff earn 8 hours of Annual Leave per month of completed service with increasing amounts thereafter according to the number of years of service. The maximum amount of Annual Leave that a classified staff member can accrue is 240 hours. Classified staff are not eligible to use Annual Leave until they have completed six months of employment.

Your faculty supervisor must approve any Annual Leave you plan to take BEFORE leave is taken.

Personal Holiday

There is an additional day of leave provided to all annual employees. This “holiday” is referred to as a Personal Holiday. A Personal Holiday must be used on a “one-day only” basis. The day may not be split by taking part of the hours on one day and the balance on another day. The Personal Holiday must be taken within the current year or it is forfeited. “Current year” is defined as July 1 through June 30 for annual faculty and postdoctorals, and January 1 through December 31 for annual classified staff. Your supervisor must approve such leave in advance.

Paid Holidays

An “All-University Holiday” is one in which all University offices and departments are closed.

Leave Without Pay

If anyone finds it necessary to take “Leave Without Pay”, please inform Helen Miller BEFORE the pay period which is affected by that leave in order that the proper forms can be filed with the Payroll Office before the payroll deadline. Generally, Leave Without Pay is not necessary unless one has exhausted their Annual or Sick Leave.

Compensatory Time

Most classified staff employees are not required to work more than their regular, 40-hour work week. If asked by their supervisor to work additional hours, classified staff are entitled to compensation at time and a half.  Only “overtime-eligible” classified staff employees qualify for payment of overtime. (See WSU Policies and Procedures Manual, 60.57 for more information.)

Because of budget restrictions, IBC generally does not authorize overtime in cash payments; compensatory (“comp”) time is usually authorized instead when mutually agreed upon by supervisor and staff member. Be sure to have your supervisor approve, in advance, any hours you work beyond your 40-hour work week, and track your comp time on your leave report. If you have any questions about comp time, see Helen Miller.

Reporting Leave

For faculty, postdoctorals, and most administrative professionals:  The “Leave Report” is electronic and can be found at http://cahnrsforms.wsu.edu/leavereports/welcome.aspx . New faculty will be able to access the site using their Network ID and password after becoming part of the WSU payroll system.  Employees are asked to regularly access this site to report leave as it is taken or planned.  At the end of each month this form is signed electronically by the employee.  You will receive an automatic email by the fifth of the following month reminding you to sign the report.  Your supervisor will then receive a message to sign your report.

For Civil Service employees:  At the end of each month, Helen Miller (or the appropriate office staff member) will fill out a Leave Report for each individual and place the form into the individual’s mailbox for signature. After the individual has signed the Leave Report, verifying that the leave reported is correct, the Leave Report is returned to Helen Miller. After calculation of leave used and leave accrued, the Leave Reports are then distributed to the appropriate supervisors for their approval and signature, and the report is then returned to Helen. At that time, copies are made for the employee, and the originals are kept in the employee’s file.

If you have any problems or questions with the reporting of your leave status or accruals, please discuss them with Helen Miller.