FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

[Filed August 20, 2018, 11:12 a.m., effective September 21, 2018]

Effective Date of Rule: September 21, 2018.

Purpose: The purpose is to align Title 357 WAC with the changes in chapter 39, Laws of 2018 (ESHB 1434). This bill expands the use of shared leave to employees who are sick or temporarily disabled because of a pregnancy disability and for the purposes of parental leave. This bill also allows an employee to maintain up to forty hours of vacation and forty hours of sick leave while using shared leave for this purpose. The purpose of the other amendments are to cleanup WAC by condensing language and are housekeeping in nature.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 357-31-380, 357-31-390, 357-31-395, 357-31-405, 357-31-415, and 357-31-435.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 43.01 RCW.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 18-14-055 on June 28, 2018.

Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: Since the proposed version, WAC 357-31-405 (6) and (7) and 357-31-435(4) were changed. WAC 357-31-405(6) was updated to include a court document to satisfy the documentation required for foster care or placement. WAC 357-31-405(7) was updated due to a housekeeping change. WAC 357-31-435(4) was updated to correct a reference from WAC 357-31-895 to WAC 357-31-797.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 6, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 6, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 6, Repealed 0.

Date Adopted: August 20, 2018.

Assistant Director of

Legal and Legislative Affairs

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-15-043, filed 7/11/08, effective 10/1/08)

WAC 357-31-380What is the purpose of the state leave sharing program?

The purpose of the state leave sharing program is to permit state employees, at no significantly increased cost to the state for providing leave, to come to the aid of another state employee who is likely to take leave without pay or terminate ((his or her)) employment ((because:

(1) The employee has been called to service in the uniformed services;

(2) The employee is volunteering with a governmental agency or a nonprofit organization when a state of emergency has been declared within the United States;

(3) The employee or a relative or household member is suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition; or

(4) The employee is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking as defined in RCW 41.04.655)).

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 17-18-030, filed 8/28/17, effective 10/2/17)

WAC 357-31-390What criteria does an employee have to meet to be eligible to receive shared leave?

An employee may be eligible to receive shared leave if the agency head or higher education institution president has determined the employee meets the following criteria:

(1) The employee:

(a) Suffers from, or has a relative or household member suffering from, an illness, injury, impairment((,)) or physical or mental condition which is of an extraordinary or severe nature;

(b) ((The employee))Has been called to service in the uniformed services;

(c) A state of emergency has been declared anywhere within the United States by the federal or any state government and the employee has the needed skills to assist in responding to the emergency or its aftermath and volunteers their services to either a governmental agency or to a nonprofit organization engaged in humanitarian relief in the devastated area, and the governmental agency or nonprofit organization accepts the employee's offer of volunteer services;

(d) ((The employee))Is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking as defined in RCW 41.04.655;

(e) ((The employee))Is a current member of the uniformed services or is a veteran as defined under RCW 41.04.005, and is attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability; ((or))

(f) ((The employee))Is a spouse of a current member of the uniformed services or a veteran as defined under RCW 41.04.005, who is attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability and requires assistance while attending appointments or treatments;

(g) Needs the time for parental leave as defined in WAC 357-31-395(3); or

(h) Is sick or temporarily disabled because of a pregnancy disability as defined in WAC 357-31-395(4).

(2) The ((illness, injury, impairment, condition, call to service, emergency volunteer service, consequence of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or))condition(s) listed in subsection (1) of this section is likely to cause, the employee to((:

(a)))go on leave without pay status((;)) or (((b)))terminate state employment.

(3) The employee's absence and the use of shared leave are justified.

(4) The employee has depleted or will shortly deplete ((their:

(a) Compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565, personal holiday, accrued vacation leave, and accrued sick leave if the employee qualifies under subsection (1)(a) of this section; or

(b) Compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565, personal holiday, accrued vacation leave, and paid military leave allowed under RCW 38.40.060 if the employee qualifies under subsection (1)(b) of this section; or

(c) Compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565, personal holiday, and accrued vacation leave if the employee qualifies under (1)(c) of this section))leave in accordance with WAC 357-31-435. If the employee qualifies under subsection (1)(g) or (h) of this section the employee is not required to deplete all of their vacation leave or sick leave in accordance with WAC 357-31-435.

(5) The employee has abided by employer rules regarding:

(a) Sick leave use if the employee qualifies under subsection (1)(a), (d), (g), or (h) of this section; or

(b) Military leave if the employee qualifies under subsection (1)(b) of this section.

(6) If the illness or injury is work-related and the employee has diligently pursued and been found to be ineligible for benefits under chapter 51.32 RCW if the employee qualifies under subsection (1)(a) of this section.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 09-17-056 and 09-18-113, filed 8/13/09 and 9/2/09, effective 12/3/09)

WAC 357-31-395What definitions apply to shared leave?

(1) As defined in RCW 41.04.655, "employee" means any employee of the state, including employees of school districts and educational service districts, who ((is))are entitled to accrue sick leave or vacation leave and for whom accurate leave records are maintained.

(2) "Employee's relative" normally must be limited to the employee's spouse, registered domestic partner, child, grandchild, grandparent((,)) or parent.

(3) "Parental leave" means leave to bond and care for a newborn child after birth or to bond and care for a child after placement for adoption or foster care, for a period of up to sixteen weeks after the birth or placement.

(4) "Pregnancy disability" means a pregnancy-related medical condition or miscarriage.

(5) "Severe" or "extraordinary" condition is defined as serious ((or)), extreme ((and/or))or life threatening.

(((4)))(6) "Service in the uniformed services" means the performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in a uniformed service under competent authority and includes active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time national guard duty including state-ordered active duty((,)) and a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the fitness of the person to perform any such duty.

(((5)))(7) "Uniformed services" means the armed forces, the army national guard, and the air national guard of any state, territory, commonwealth, possession, or district when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time national guard duty, or state active duty, the commissioned corps of the public health service, the coast guard((,)) and any other category of persons designated by the President of the United States in time of war or national emergency.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-15-043, filed 7/11/08, effective 10/1/08)

WAC 357-31-405What documentation may an employee seeking shared leave be required to submit?

An employee may be required to submit the following documentation before the employer approves or disapproves the employee's request for shared leave:

(1) For employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(a), the employer may require the employee to submit a medical certificate from a licensed physician or health care practitioner verifying the severe or extraordinary nature and expected duration of the condition ((before the employer approves or disapproves the request)).

(2) For employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(b), the employer may require the employee to submit a copy of the military orders verifying the employee's required ((absence before the employer approves or disapproves the request)).

(3) For employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(c), proof of acceptance of an employee's offer to volunteer for either a governmental agency or a nonprofit organization during a declared state of emergency.

(4) For employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(d), the employer may require that the request be supported by documentation. An employee may satisfy the verification requirement by providing the employer with one or more of the following:

(a) A police report indicating that the employee was a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking;

(b) A court order protecting or separating the employee from the perpetrator of the act of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking;

(c) Evidence from the court or prosecuting attorney that the employee appeared or is scheduled to appear in court in connection with an incident of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking;

(d) An employee's written statement that the employee is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking; or

(e) Documentation that the employee is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking, from any of the following persons from whom the employee or employee's family member sought assistance in addressing the domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking: An advocate for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault((,)) or stalking; an attorney; a member of the clergy; or a medical or other professional.

(5) Employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(e) or (f), the employee must provide documentation in accordance with WAC 357-31-805.

(6) Employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(g), the employer may require verification of the birth or adoption of the child or proof of a current foster parent license or a court document for foster care or placement.

(7) Employees seeking shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(h), the employer may require a medical certification from a licensed physician or health care practitioner verifying that the employee has a pregnancy disability.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 05-08-139, filed 4/6/05, effective 7/1/05)

WAC 357-31-415Can donated leave be used for any purpose?

Vacation leave, sick leave, or all or part of a personal holiday transferred from a donating employee under these rules must be used solely for the purpose stated in WAC ((357-31-380))357-31-390.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 15-11-102, filed 5/20/15, effective 6/22/15)

WAC 357-31-435Must employees use their own leave before using shared leave?

(1) Employees who qualify for shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(a) must first use all compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565, personal holiday, sick leave((,)) and vacation leave that they have accrued before using shared leave.

(2) Employees who qualify for shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(b) must first use all of their compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565, personal holiday, accrued vacation leave((,)) and paid military leave allowed under RCW 38.40.060 before using shared leave.

(3) Employees who qualify for shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(c) and (d) must first use all compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565, personal holiday((,)) and vacation leave that they have accrued before using shared leave.

(4) Employees who qualify for shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(e) or (f) must first use all leave as described in WAC 357-31-797.

(5) Employees who qualify for shared leave under WAC 357-31-390 (1)(g) and/or (h) must first use all accrued compensatory time, recognition leave as described in WAC 357-31-565 and personal holiday before using shared leave. The employee is not required to deplete all of their accrued vacation leave and sick leave and can maintain up to forty hours of vacation leave and forty hours of sick leave.