Applying for leave
For all types of planned leave, contact Lisa Lawless (lrlawles@uw.edu), Dr. Stern, and your Service Chief first to notify them you will be requesting leave.
For Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Submit your FMLA paperwork/request directly to the University of Washington Academic Human Resources Office (UWAHR) at apleaves@uw.edu. Dependent upon type of leave, one of the following forms should be completed and mailed to UW AHR:
- Leave certification for family member’s serious health condition
- Leave certification for personal serious health condition
- Leave certification for maternity related disability and parental leave
- Parental leave certification for parent other than the birth mother
For all other leaves, including LWOP, time off and FTE reduction (temporary or permanent), you will work with Lisa Lawless to submit the forms.
Returning to work after FMLA
Following FMLA for a personal serious health condition, seven days prior to your return to work you must complete and submit a Fitness for Duty Certification form. This form needs to be completed by a health care professional.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How does leave impact my timeline for promotion?
The use of time off and/or paid sick leave will not impact your clock.
Acting faculty: If you are an acting instructor or acting assistant professor, taking leave or reducing your FTE will not extend your timeline as acting faculty. You will be eligible to be in the acting titles for a total of six years, with no more than four years in either one of the titles, regardless of amount of time spent on leave during those years.
Assistant Professors: If you are an Assistant Professor and take a period of LWOP that is more than 50% time AND six months in length or more during an academic year, the mandatory promotion date is extended by one year.
How does leave impact my benefits?
Dependent upon the type and length of leave, your benefits may be impacted differently. Please contact the Benefits Office at uwhr@uw.edu or 206-543-4444 about retention of benefits during leave.
If you are on approved FMLA leave, the University will continue to pay their portion of your benefits during this time. If you are on LWOP, you will need to maintain a minimum of 5% FTE to retain benefits. You will also maintain regular benefits when using your paid sick time or paid annual leave.
I’m appointed at 50% FTE, how much paid sick time do I have available?
You can take up to 90 days of paid sick leave, paid at 50% FTE.
I’ve adopted a child/my partner just gave birth. How much paid time off do I get?
You can’t use paid sick leave for parental bonding. You may use your annual time off or take unpaid leave. However, you may be able to use paid sick time if you are caring for a newborn with a serious health condition, or to care for your partner during their incapacity due to childbirth.
When does the leave clock “reset”?
FMLA: Prior to January 1, 2016, FMLA time is allotted per academic year, July 1 to June 30.
During the year 2015, your FMLA eligibility will be calculated using whichever method benefits you the most: either by rolling calculation, or with your FMLA eligibility resetting July 1, 2015.
Effective January 1, 2016, all FMLA will be calculated on a rolling basis, by adding up total use of FMLA time during the previous 12 months.
Paid sick leave: Paid sick leave resets every July 1, at the beginning of a new academic year. Time cannot be accrued or carried over.
Paid Professional leave: You can take paid professional leave in your seventh year of service, or in your seventh year after a previous paid professional leave.
Military leave: Military leave eligibility runs October 1 to September 30 every year. Time cannot be accrued or carried over.
Unpaid parental leave: Must be taken within one year of birth or placement of a child.
RESOURCES
FMLA
- Family member’s serious health condition
- Personal serious health condition
- Parental/Maternal Leave - Birth Parent
- Parental Leave - Non Birth Parent
- Military – Serious Injury or Illness of a Military Family Member
- Military – Military Family Qualifying Exigency
Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) – State Paid Leave Program
- Paidleave.wa.gov – Preparing to Apply for PFML
- Paidleave.wa.gov – PFML Application Checklist
- Approval for PFML is retroactive, so employees must often adjust previously approved absence requests to recode paid time off as a supplemental benefit rather than a wage. Please reach out to us at apleaves@uw.edu . if you have questions.
- Once approved for PFML, send a scan of the approval letter or screenshot from the website to hrleaves@uw.edu for Workday entry.
- To use UW time off as a supplemental benefit while approved for PFML and collecting PFML pay, enter the UW time off as Sick Time Off – PFML, Vacation Time Off – PFML, etc.
Additional Resources
- Disability accommodation: The University provides reasonable accommodation for employees who have a medical condition that affects their ability to perform their job duties.
- CareLink: CareLink provides free and confidential counseling, legal and financial advice, child and adult/elder care consultation, and referrals for a variety of services. For more information, refer to the website or call 1-866-598-3978 (TDD: 1-800-697-0353).
- Telework agreement: If you plan to work intermittently while on FMLA, make sure you have a current telework agreement on file with your manager.
- UW Shared Leave Program: Employees on some types of leave are eligible to receive shared leave donations from UW colleagues or employees of other state agencies. To use shared leave donations, an employee’s own Vacation Time Off and Sick Time Off balances must be near or below 40 hours each.