ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

GENERAL TOPIC: Human Resources

DATE ISSUED: January 2018

UPDATED: September 2023

SUBJECT: Use of Sick Leave for Temporary Hourly and Student Employees

RESOURCE CONTACT: Vice President for Human Resources

I. PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION

This document outlines Pierce College’s procedure for providing paid sick leave to non-represented part-time employees beginning January 1, 2018 in accordance with Pierce College policy and RCW 49.46.210.

II. SCOPE

This procedure applies to temporary hourly and student employees only. Classified, administrative exempt and faculty employees must refer to applicable policies and/or the employee’s collective bargaining agreement(s).

III. DEFINITIONS

See WAC 296-128-600.

IV. PROCEDURE

Accrual of Paid Sick Leave

All temporary hourly and student employees will accrue paid sick leave at the rate of one (1) hour of paid sick leave for every forty (40) hours worked. Sick leave balances will be calculated in quarter hour increments.

Paid sick leave for employees who are employed on or before January 1, 2018, will begin accruing for all hours worked beginning on January 1, 2018. Employees hired after January 1, 2018, will begin accruing paid sick leave upon the start of their employment.

There is no cap to the amount of paid sick leave hours an employee may earn; however, employees may only carry over 40 hours or less to the following calendar year (January 1–December 31).

Unused sick leave balances in excess of 40 hours will be automatically adjusted to 40 hours on December 31st.

Temporary hourly and student employees who transfer from one department to another or work in multiple departments will retain unused accrued sick leave hours which are available for immediate use.

Temporary hourly and student employees who transfer from a position that accrues sick leave under this policy to a classified, admin-exempt or faculty position will be eligible to use the sick leave accrued under this policy in their new position.

Depletion of temporary hourly and student sick leave will occur prior to the use of any sick leave accrued in the new position. The requirements for the accrual, use and carry over of sick leave will be in accordance with RCW 49.46.210 for temporary hourly and student employees.

Authorized Use of Paid Sick Leave

Employees are entitled to use paid sick leave for the following purposes:

  1. An absence resulting from an employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; to accommodate the employee's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care;
  2. To allow the employee to provide care for a family member with a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; care of a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or care for a family member who needs preventive medical care; and
  3. When the employee's place of business has been closed by order of a public official for any health-related reason, or when an employee's child's school or place of care has been closed for such a reason.
  4. For an absence(s) that qualify for leave under the domestic violence leave act, chapter 49.76 RCW.

For purposes of this section, "family member" means any of the following:

  1. A child, including a biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis, is a legal guardian, or is a de facto parent, regardless of age or dependency status;
  2. A biological, adoptive, de facto, or foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of an employee or the employee's spouse or registered domestic partner, or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child;
  3. A spouse;
  4. A registered domestic partner;
  5. A grandparent;
  6. A grandchild; or
  7. A sibling.

Documenting Use of Paid Sick Leave  

Employees will document sick leave using the ctclink Employee Self-Service Time Reporting tile in quarter hour increments. For example, if an employee uses 1 hour and 15 minutes of paid sick leave, the employee will document 1.25 hours in ctcLink.

Employees must use their accrued sick leave when requesting time off to cover an absence that qualifies for paid sick leave. Once an employee’s paid sick leave balance reaches zero (0) hours, sick leave will be documented as Leave-Without-Pay (LWOP) during the remainder of that shift/period.

Sick leave for temporary hourly and student employees is not intended to extend the number of approved hours in a scheduled shift or the number of approved workdays in the year. Sick leave may only be reported when an employee is unable to work a regularly scheduled or previously planned shift.

Employees may request approval through their supervisor to work additional hours or trade shifts with another employee in lieu of using available paid sick leave for missed hours that qualify for the use of paid sick leave.

Payment of Paid Sick Leave

Paid sick leave will be paid to employees at their normal hourly compensation until an employee’s paid sick leave balance reaches zero.

Employees will use the Employee Self-Service Time Reporting tile to view accrued sick leave and to document sick leave used for that pay period. Employees must submit their time and leave reporting to their supervisor for approval in accordance with payroll instructions.

Reasonable Notice

If the need for paid sick leave is foreseeable, the employee should provide reasonable notice at least 10 days, or as early as practicable, in advance of the use of paid sick leave.

Employees are not required, as a condition of using paid sick leave, to search for or find a replacement worker to cover the hours during which the employee is using paid sick leave.

If the need for paid sick leave is unforeseeable, the employee must provide notice to their supervisor as soon as possible (typically two (2) hours) before the scheduled start of their shift, unless it is not practicable to do so.

In the event it is impracticable for an employee to provide notice to their employer, a person on the employee's behalf may provide notice to the employer.

Verification for Absences Exceeding Three Days

If an employee is seeking to use or has used paid sick leave for authorized purposes for more than three (3) consecutive days during which the employee is/was required to work, the employee may be required to provide verification that establishes or confirms that the use of paid sick leave is for an authorized purpose.

Supervisors must work with Human Resources in requesting such verification from an employee.

Separation and Reinstatement of Accrued Paid Sick Leave upon Rehire

If an employee separates from employment, there will not be a financial or other reimbursement to the employee for any unused paid sick leave at the time of separation.

Temporary hourly and student employees unused sick leave balances will be reinstated in accordance with WAC 296-128-690 when an employee who separates from employment is rehired within twelve months of their separation date into a similar temporary hourly or student position. An employee who is rehired after a period of twelve months into a classified, admin-exempt or faculty position will not be eligible to use any remaining sick leave that was accrued while employed as a temporary hourly or student worker.

Upon rehire, Pierce College will provide an accrued sick leave summary to the employee within five (5) business days from the date of rehire.

Retaliation

Pierce College prohibits any discrimination or retaliation against an employee for lawful exercise of their paid sick leave rights. Employees will not be disciplined for the lawful use of paid sick leave.

If an employee feels they are being discriminated or retaliated against, the employee may contact Human Resources.

Shared Leave Program

Employees covered under this procedure are not eligible to participate in the Pierce College Shared Leave Program.

Notification Requirements

A copy of the Sick Leave Policy and Procedure will be published and made readily available to all existing and new non-represented part-time employees.

Notification detailing the amount of paid sick leave accrued and the paid sick leave reductions, and any unused paid sick leave available for use by the employee will be made available in the Self-Service Employee Time tile in ctcLink.

Contact Information

Employees with questions about paid sick leave may contact Human Resources.

Review and Revision History

Date Reviewed/Revised By Description of any revision, action taken
September 2023 Human Resources Changes: Non-compensable sick leave use when transitioning from hourly/student to classified position
November 2017 District Policy and Governance Cabinet Approved for 1st Reading
December 2017 District Policy and Governance Cabinet Policy Approved