When must a higher education employer allow a part-time employee to use accrued holiday credit?
Higher education employers must allow a part-time employee as defined in WAC
357-01-2290(2) to use accrued holiday credit for the following reasons:
(1) Employees must request to use accrued holiday credit in accordance with the employer's leave policy. When considering employees' requests to use accrued holiday credit, employers must consider their business needs and the wishes of the employee.
(2) An employee must be granted the use of accrued holiday credit to care for a spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent of the employee who has a serious health condition or an emergency health condition, or to care for a minor/dependent child with a health condition that requires treatment or supervision. In accordance with the employer's leave policy, approval of the employee's request to use accrued holiday credit may be subject to verification that the condition exists.
(3) An employee must be granted the use of accrued holiday credit if the employee or the employee's family member, as defined in chapter
357-01 WAC, is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking as defined in RCW
49.76.020. An employer may require the request for leave under this section be supported by verification in accordance with WAC
357-31-730.
(4) In accordance with WAC
357-31-373, an employee must be granted the use of accrued holiday credit to be with a spouse or registered domestic partner who is a member of the armed forces of the United States, National Guard, or reserves after the military spouse or registered domestic partner has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty, before deployment, or when the military spouse or registered domestic partner is on leave from deployment.
(5) An employee must be granted the use of accrued holiday credit when requested as a supplemental benefit while receiving a partial wage replacement for paid family and/or medical leave under Title
50A RCW as provided in WAC
357-31-248. Leave taken under this subsection may be subject to verification that the employee has been approved to receive benefits for approved paid family and/or medical leave under Title
50A RCW.
(6) Employers may require that accumulated holiday credit be used before vacation leave is approved, except in those instances where this requirement would result in loss of accumulated vacation leave.
(7) If the employee requests to use their accrued holiday credit when granted a temporary leave of absence for legislative service in accordance with WAC
357-31-374(2).
(8) When a high-risk employee seeks an accommodation to protect themselves from the risk of exposure to an infectious or contagious disease and the employer determines no other accommodation is reasonable besides the use of leave.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
41.06.133. WSR 23-24-021, § 357-31-027, filed 11/28/23, effective 1/1/24. Statutory Authority: RCW
41.06.133,
41.04.120, and chapter
49.100 RCW. WSR 22-24-027, § 357-31-027, filed 11/30/22, effective 1/1/23. Statutory Authority: Chapter
41.06 RCW. WSR 22-01-022, § 357-31-027, filed 12/3/21, effective 7/1/22.]