Employees who have worked previously for the UW or another Washington state agency in monthly-paid positions are eligible to receive credit toward a higher annual leave accrual rate based upon overall length of state service. Additionally, these employees may also be eligible to reinstate a previous balance of sick leave. An employee's eligibility for sick leave reinstatement will depend on his/her employment type and how long he/she has been separated from qualifying state service.
In order to receive credit for prior service, employees must complete the Request for Crediting of Previous Washington State Employment form (pdf version) and submit it for review and processing by their department's area HR Operations office. Once the request is authorized, it is the responsibility of both the employee and the department to ensure that the employee's Online Work/Leave System (OWLS) record is adjusted to reflect the information provided on the completed crediting form. The crediting form is a supporting document, and must be filed and retained according to the retention schedule.
If prior service credit is less than 48 months, the employee's initial annual leave rate will not change immediately. When total combined service, past and present, reaches 49 months, the annual leave accrual rate and accrual month in the OWLS will be automatically changed to reflect this credit.
When you receive the approved request form from HR, you will need to make the adjustment in OWLS. To do this, open the employee's record and perform the following steps:
6. Review the summary of changes.
9. Click the 'Submit Month and Send PERM' button to re-submit each month to be updated with the correct accrual rates and leave balances.
To learn more about crediting of prior state employment, visit the Prior Service Credit page.
If you need to request prior service credit, download the Request for Crediting of Previous Washington State Employment form.