Other Leaves

The list is not inclusive and this summary is not intended to be all-encompassing. For example, it does not address FMLA leave. For complete details regarding each type of leave, please refer to the AAUP-AFT Contract for represented faculty (for questions regarding FMLA leave, please contact Client Services, Human Resources.  For all other leaves you may contact the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development

Other Leaves (unpaid):

Extended Service Military Leave

Upon application, a military leave of absence (without pay) will be granted to university employees who are employed in other than temporary university positions. This applies to university employees who are inducted through Selective Service or voluntary enlistment, or if the employee is called through membership in the National Guard or reserve component into the Armed Forces of the United States. A position "other than temporary" is one that at the time of hire was expected to be continuous for an indefinite term and was not limited to a specific, brief, and non-recurrent period. Reinstatement and rights after reinstatement are governed by applicable federal laws.

Approval from the Chair/Unit Director, Dean and Provost in writing is required.

Other Leaves: Reported through Academica via Timesheet

Per the AAUP-AFT contract and University policy, WSU employees are required to report each day of absence from the University. Specifically, vacation, illness, short-term disability, mandatory sick leave, bereavement leave, parent leave, jury duty, and military leave, are required to be reported promptly through the WSUSOM timesheet in Academica.

Illness

Bargaining-unit members may use illness days for their own illness or injury. They are responsible for promptly notifying their department chair/unit director, dean, or immediate supervisor of each day of illness absence. Any member of the bargaining unit must provide, when requested by his/her direct supervisor, medical verification of absences beyond five (5) consecutive business days and/or a release-to-return-to-work from his/her attending healthcare provider. The University may require additional medical verification by the bargaining-unit member's healthcare provider to be filed if a bargaining-unit member requests leave beyond thirteen (13) consecutive calendar days or beyond the initial leave period requested.

Vacation 

Full-time twelve-month employee members of the bargaining unit are granted earned vacation days at their regular rate of pay after an initial four (4) months of service, amounting to twenty-two (22) working days per year. Vacation days do not accumulate when the bargaining-unit member is in an unpaid status of any kind. Vacation days earned, but not used, may be accumulated up to twenty-three (23) days. Vacation days must be scheduled in advance with the appropriate chair or dean/director/vice president and shall be approved in accordance with the operational needs of the unit. Vacation days are to be requested in writing.

Approval from the Chair/Unit Director is required.

Short Term Disability Leave of Illness

Short Term Disability is compensation following exhaustion of the faculty member's sick/vacation time, subject to contractual provisions, and continuing thru the last day of the 180-day elimination period of continuous absence. Please refer to the AAUP-AFT Contract for eligibility requirements regarding Short Term Disability and Total Compensation and Wellness, Human Resources.

Personal Emergencies (AAUP-AFT Contract Article XIII)

a) Personal emergency days, when granted, are deducted from short term disability.

b) A member of the bargaining unit shall be given a leave of absence with pay of not more than five (5) days in the event of the death of a member of the immediate family. "Immediate family" is defined as: spouse, Other Eligible Person (OEP), parent, sibling, child, grandparent, parent-in-law, OEP's parent, sibling-in-law, OEP's sibling, child-in-law, OEP's child, and grandchild or OEP's grandchild. Other persons shall be considered members of the immediate family only if living in the immediate household.

c) A member of the bargaining unit shall be given a leave of absence with pay of not more than five (5) consecutive working days for emergency care of a seriously ill or injured member of the immediate family (as defined above).

d) A member of the bargaining unit may be granted an additional five (5) days leave at the request of the unit administrator and with the approval of the President or his/her designee. Please see Article XIII, Section C 3.a for emergency situations arising under 3.b or 3.c in the AAUP-AFT contract. A negative decision for such a request is not subject to the Grievance Procedure.

e) After six (6) months of service, a member of the bargaining unit may take up to two (2) days for personal reasons during a fiscal year (October 1 to September 30). One (1) additional day for personal reasons shall accrue for those with more than ten (10) years of service. Sufficient prior notice shall be given to the unit administrator prior to taking a personal leave day.
It shall be the responsibility of the bargaining-unit member to discuss with the unit administrator coverage of the bargaining-unit member's essential duties during the period of absence.

Civic Obligations 

a) Court and Related Duties: Any member of the bargaining unit who must be absent from his/her regular duties by reason of jury duty shall receive compensation from the University equal to the difference between his/her regular University compensation and the amount received by the member for serving, and the University shall continue his/her fringe benefits based upon his/her full University salary.

b) Short-Term Military Leave: Any member of the bargaining unit required to perform unexpected military obligations during his/her regular University assignment (not including persons inducted into military service under the selective service laws or in attendance at regularly scheduled military reserve or National Guard training programs, including summer training camps) shall be granted short-term military leave not exceeding thirty (30) days.

c) Parent Leaves of Absence (described in the AAUP-AFT Contract in Article XIII section D): Tenure track faculty and employment security staff in the probationary period may request exclusion of one (1) year from the countable years of service.