What is leave share?

The state of Washington’s Shared Leave Program allows employees to donate their accrued leave to another employee who is experiencing a severe, extraordinary, or life-threatening health crisis or other qualifying circumstance. Donated leave is intended to help employees in these circumstances manage absences financially, after they have exhausted their own paid leave. In most cases, the medical conditions that qualify for leave share, follow the same guidelines which are found on the FMLA for Employees Own Serious Health Condition page. If you have need further clarification regarding this program, please contact the Human Resources Leave and Accommodations Analyst and visit the leave share FAQ page. 

Recipient eligibility

Any employee of the Puyallup School District shall be eligible to receive leave share under the following conditions:

 • The employee’s job is one in which sick leave and/or vacation can be used and accrued.
 • The employee’s use of sick leave has conformed with District policies.
 • The employee has exhausted, or will soon exhaust, his or her sick leave and/or vacation.
 • The employee’s absence and use of leave share are justified (see “Documentation required” below).

If you have specific questions about your eligibility for the Leave Share program, please contact the Human Resources Leave and Accommodations Analyst. 

To be considered eligible for leave sharing, a person’s medical condition must be judged to be extraordinary or severe. RCW 41.04.665, which relates to “leave sharing” legislation. This states that extraordinary or severe is defined as “serious or extreme and/or life threatening.” Eligible employees are responsible for securing leave donations on terms of this purpose. 

Such donations will be credited only to the eligible employee’s account and will revert to the donor(s) if not utilized by the intended recipient. 

Donation of sick leave and/or vacation 

An employee may donate sick leave and/or vacation using the following criteria:

 • The employee must be in a job in which sick leave and/or vacation is accrued. 
 • The employee must have accrued more than 22 days of sick leave or more than 80 hours of vacation.
 • Employees may not donate an amount of leave that will result in his or her sick leave account going below 22 days or vacation going below 80 hours. 

All leave must be donated voluntarily. No employee shall be coerced, threatened, intimidated or financially induced into donating leave.

Documentation required

The District shall require the employee or his or her legal representative to submit, prior to approval or disapproval, documentation from a licensed physician or other authorized health care practitioner, verifying the severe or extraordinary nature and expected duration of the condition.

Calculation of leave share benefit - proration

The leave recipient shall be paid his or her regular rate of pay; therefore, one hour of shared leave may cover more or less than one hour of the recipient’s salary. The dollar value of the leave shall be converted from the donor to the recipient. The leave received shall be coded as shared leave. and shall be maintained separately from all other leave balances. In the event that there is unused shared leave, it shall be returned to leave donor(s) on a pro-rated basis.