Leave F.A.Q.

 

Important Note: Any unpaid leave of absence, including PFML, may affect salary placement, retirement service credits, and SEBB eligibility. Refer to your collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or your Human Resources strand specialist if you have questions about salary placement.

Is my job protected while on Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)?

The district ensures full compliance with the law regarding job protected leave.

Due to the high volume of leave requests, please note that the district will closely monitor cases where staff do not have FMLA job protection. For those individuals, if unprotected PFML is utilized and no other leave protections are available under their bargaining agreement, the district will not be able to hold their position. We encourage these staff members to reapply when they are ready to return to work.

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act provides eligible employees job and benefit protection during an approved leave for qualifying family and medical reasons.  The protection does not provide for compensation.  Often, employees will utilize their own paid leave balances (sick, personal, etc.) to continue to receive compensation during their period of FMLA leave.  In Washington State, Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) is a state-run insurance program that provides eligible employees with paid time off for qualifying events.  Employees could opt to utilize this pay during a period of FMLA protection rather than utilizing their own paid leave benefits. 

Beginning January 1, 2026, updates to Washington’s PFML law goes into effect that eliminates “stacking” (using one leave after the other) of FMLA and PFML. Under this change, the district will implement concurrent use of these leaves. This means FMLA and PFML will run at the same time, providing up to a combined maximum of 12 weeks (for one qualifying event) or 16 weeks (for two different qualifying events) of job-protected leave under both laws.

Leave counted against any permitted period of employment protection under the PFML program and the FMLA, and the use of unpaid leave does not affect your eligibility for benefits in the PFML Program.

How is my pay processed while on a District unpaid leave?

Skyward will be updated when a staff member takes a District unpaid leave, such as Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). This is the process.

Important Note: Return dates may impact payroll processing.

If a staff member takes a District-paid leave, such as FMLA using sick leave, no action will be required in their Skyward account, and their pay will remain unaffected.

• Leave Initiation: When a staff member goes out on leave, we end their current assignment, and their earned balance will be paid out.
• Return from Leave: Upon their return, an additional assignment line will be created from the date of their return through the end of their school year calendar.
• Balance Distribution: The earned balance will be evenly distributed over the remaining months of the school year, including through the August payroll.
• Assignment Details: Each assignment line will reflect the employee’s total pay for that specified time frame.

Leave forms can be found here.

For additional questions, please contact Cindi Battram, the Leaves Specialist. She would be happy to assist you. She can be reached at 253-931-4916 or by email at cbattram@auburn.wednet.edu.