Sick Leave Policy

Responsible Unit: Human Resources | Executive lead: CHRO 
Created: 2018 | Reviewed/Revised: 9/23/2019, 3/28/2023 | Effective: 03/28/2023 
Compliance: RCW 49.46.210, NWCCU 2.F.1 
Approving Body: PAC | Classification: Institution-wide 


Policy:  
Employees are eligible for sick pay after 30 days of completed employment. 

All eligible employees may earn and accrue sick leave that may be used for paid sick leave when necessary. Sick leave credit will be earned based on the appointment and employment type of the individual. 

Sick leave is the authorized absence from duties due to: 

  1. Personal illness, injury, or temporary disability 
  2. Exposure to contagious disease which could be communicated to other members of the University community 
  3. Illness or injury in the employee’s immediate family—immediate family is defined by the Family Care Act to include a dependent child, spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent 
  4. Medical, dental, psychological, or optical examination or treatment of an employee or a member of his or her immediate covered family member 

Sick leave is granted on the approval of the unit supervisor to whom the individual reports; such a request should be made on the first day of absence or in advance if possible. The individual, upon return to work, must complete a leave request form. Should an individual use more than three consecutive scheduled work days of sick leave, the University reserves the right to require that individual to: 

  1. Furnish medical evidence of illness, including providing medical releases 
  2. Provide medical verification regarding ability to return to work 
  3. Provide other appropriate necessary information, e.g. proof of medical care of family member 

A consecutive period of sick leave includes all normally scheduled workdays except holidays observed by the University during an employee’s appointment period. No employee shall be charged with more than five sick leave days in any seven-day period. 

The benefit will accumulate at the rate of one day per full calendar month worked, or 12 days per year for all full-time employees, working full time hours, 0.7 to 1.0 FTE. Part time employees, 0.5 FTE to 0.69 FTE, earn 0.5 days per full calendar month worked. The accrual is based on worked FTE. Time spent on vacation, paid military leave, faculty fellowship leaves, paid professional leave, or sick leave will not count toward accumulation of benefits. There will be no accumulation of benefits while on an unpaid leave of absence. Sick leave begins accruing at time of hire date or change to eligible status. The maximum accrual is 960 hours. 

The period covered by use of accumulated sick leave benefits is all consecutive, normally scheduled University work days exclusive of the University’s holidays during the period of sick leave. 

An employee retiring at the age of 62 or older, in good standing (compliant with PNWU policies and standards) with 10 or more years of continuous service may be compensated for one-fourth of their accrued but unused sick leave not to exceed 30 days, or 240 hours total. Payment is based upon the employee’s rate of pay at the time of regular retirement. Such payment may be made only once to an employee and only to those employees who are on the active payroll of the University at the time of retirement. 

In the event of the death of an employee who is 62 or older with 10 or more years of continuous service, payment will be made to the employee’s survivors or to the employee’s estate in accordance with the Revised Code of Washington. 

Definitions: 
Unpaid leave of absence is the use of sick leave beyond an individual’s accumulated balance. 

Procedure: 
N/A 

Related documents: 
N/A