Each subordinate officer and employee of the several offices, departments, and institutions of the state government shall be entitled under their contract of employment with the state government to not less than eight hours of vacation leave with full pay for each month of employment.

Each such subordinate officer and employee shall be entitled under such contract of employment to not less than eight additional hours of vacation with full pay each year for satisfactorily completing the first two, three, and five continuous years of employment respectively.

Such part-time officers or employees of the state government who are employed on a regular schedule of duration of not less than one year shall be entitled under their contract of employment to that fractional part of the vacation leave that the total number of hours of such employment bears to the total number of hours of full-time employment.

Each subordinate officer and employee of the several offices, departments, and institutions of the state government shall be entitled under his or her contract of employment with the state government to accrue unused vacation leave not to exceed 280 hours. However, employees of the Washington state ferries covered by collective bargaining agreements containing provisions in effect on June 30, 2017, allowing accrual of unused vacation leave not to exceed three hundred twenty hours shall be allowed to continue the higher accrual limit until such time as those provisions are modified through collective bargaining, or the bargaining unit changes its exclusive representative or is decertified. Officers and employees transferring within the several offices, departments, and institutions of the state government shall be entitled to transfer such accrued vacation leave to each succeeding state office, department, or institution. All vacation leave shall be taken at the time convenient to the employing office, department, or institution: PROVIDED, That if a subordinate officer's or employee's request for vacation leave is deferred by reason of the convenience of the employing office, department, or institution, and a statement of the necessity therefor is retained by the agency, then the aforesaid maximum 280 hours of accrued unused vacation leave shall be extended for each month said leave is so deferred.

Effective date—2017 c 168: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2017." [ 2017 c 168 s 2.]

Effective date—2017 c 167: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2017." [ 2017 c 167 s 4.]

Effective date—Purpose—2011 1st sp.s. c 43: See notes following RCW 43.19.003.

Severability—1984 c 184: See note following RCW 41.50.150.

Savings—1982 1st ex.s. c 51: "This act shall not have the effect of terminating or modifying any rights acquired under a contract in existence prior to the effective date of this act." [ 1982 1st ex.s. c 51 s 4.]

Effective date—1982 1st ex.s. c 51: "This act shall take effect July 1, 1982." [ 1982 1st ex.s. c 51 s 5.]

Severability—1982 1st ex.s. c 51: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1982 1st ex.s. c 51 s 6.]

Military leave of absence: RCW 38.40.060.