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UW/SEIU 925 Healthcare Professional / Laboratory Technical Contract Article 10
Sick Leave/Bereavement Leave

10.1 Sick Leave.

(a) Accrual. Full-time employees (prorated for part-time) accrue eight (8) hours credit for each month of completed regular monthly service.

(b) Sick-Leave--Use. Sick leave shall be allowed an employee under the following conditions. The Employer reserves the right to require medical verification or appropriate proof when sick leave is requested for any reason listed below. The Employer will not make unreasonable requests for sick leave verification.

  1. Because of and during illness, disability or injury which has incapacitated the employee from performing required duties.
  2. By reason of exposure of the employee to a contagious disease during such period as attendance on duty would jeopardize the health of fellow employees or the public.
  3. Because of emergencies caused by serious illness or injury of a family member as defined in 10.4, fifteen (15) years of age and over that require the presence of the employee to provide immediate necessary care of the patient or to make arrangements for extended care. The Vice President for Human Resources may authorize sick leave use as provided in this subsection for other than family members as defined in 10.4. The applicability of "emergency," "necessary care" and "extended care" shall be made by the Vice President for Human Resources.
  4. To care for a child (as identified in 10.4) under the age of eighteen (18) with a health condition that requires treatment or supervision, or to make arrangements for extended care.
  5. Because of illness or injury of a family member as defined in 10.4 who is a person of disability and requires the employee's presence to provide short-term care or to make arrangements for extended care.
  6. To provide emergency child care (as identified in 12.6(e) and 10.7) for the employee's child (as defined in 10.4). Such use of sick leave is limited to three (3) instances per calendar year not to exceed twenty four (24) hours (hours prorated for part-time), unless extended by the Director of Human Resources Operations and shall be used only as specified in Article 12.6(e) and 10.7.
  7. Because of the death of a family member as defined in 10.4 that requires the assistance of the employee in making arrangements for interment of the deceased.
  8. For personal medical, dental, or optical appointments or for family members' (as defined in 10.4) appointments when the presence of the employee is required, if arranged in advance with the employing official or designee.

(c) Sick leave may be granted for condolence or bereavement.

(d) Use of Vacation Leave or Compensatory Time Off for Sick Leave Purposes. An employee who has used all accrued sick leave may be allowed to use accrued vacation leave and/or compensatory time off for sick leave purposes when approved in advance or authorized by the employee's departmental supervisor.

(e) Restoration of Vacation Leave. In the event of an incapacitating illness or injury during vacation leave, the employee's supervisor may authorize the use of sick leave and the equivalent restoration of any vacation leave otherwise charged. Such requests shall be in writing, and a medical certificate may be requested.

(f) No Abuse of Sick Leave. Both parties agree that neither the abuse nor the arbitrary denial of sick leave will be condoned. The Employer and the Union agree to work cooperatively toward the resolution of mutually identified problems regarding the use of sick leave.

10.2 Sick Leave Cash Out. Eligible employees may elect to receive monetary compensation for accrued sick leave as follows:

Only in January of each year an employee whose sick leave balance at the end of the previous year exceeds four hundred eighty (480) hours may elect to convert the sick leave hours earned in the previous calendar year, minus those hours used during the year, to monetary compensation. No sick leave hours may be converted which would reduce the calendar year-end balance below four hundred eighty (480) hours. Monetary compensation shall be paid at the rate of 25% and shall be based upon the employee's current salary. All converted hours will be deducted from the employee's sick leave balance.

Employees who separate from University service due to retirement or death shall be compensated for the unused sick leave accumulation from the date of most recent hire in a leave eligible position with the State of Washington at the rate of 25%. Compensation shall be based upon the employee's wage at the time of separation. For the purpose of this section, retirement shall not include vested out of service employees who leave funds on deposit with the retirement system.

Former eligible employees who are re-employed within three (3) years of their separation from service shall be granted all unused sick leave credits, if any, to which they are entitled at time of separation.

10.3 Bereavement Leave. An Employee shall be granted three (3) days of bereavement leave for each death of an immediate family or household member as defined in 10.4. Bereavement leave beyond three (3) days may be approved in accordance with Article 10.1(c) based on individual circumstances, such as relationship of the employee to the deceased family member, employee responsibility for making funeral arrangements and/or distance of travel out of the area.

10.4 Definitions.

Family Members. Individuals considered to be members of the family are the employee's spouse or same or opposite sex domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sister or brother. It also includes individuals in the following relationships with the employee's spouse or domestic partner: child, parent and grandparent. "Child" also includes any child residing in the employee's home through foster care, legal guardianship or custody. Family members include those persons in a "step" relationship.

10.5 Reasonable Accommodation Due to Disability. An employee who is unable to perform the work of their position due to mental, sensory or physical incapacity may be separated from service after the institution has made good faith efforts to reasonably accommodate the employee's disability in accordance with applicable state and federal law.

10.6 Shared Leave. Employees shall participate in the University's shared leave program in accordance with state law and University policy as set forth in the Administrative Policy Statements 45.10.

10.7 Choice of Leave. In accordance with RCW 49.12 and WAC 296-130, employees shall be allowed to use any or all of their choice of sick leave or other paid time off to care for a family member, as defined in 10.4 who has a serious health condition or an emergency condition. Employees shall not be disciplined or otherwise discriminated against because of their exercise of these rights.