• For a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition or if you need a medical diagnosis or preventative medical care.
• If a family member needs care for a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, or needs a medical diagnosis or preventative medical care. (Please see below for which family members paid sick leave can be used for.)
• If your workplace or your child’s school or place of care has been closed for any health-related reason by order of a public official or after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government.
• If you are absent from work for reasons that qualify for leave under the state’s Domestic Violence Leave Act (DVLA).
• To prepare for, or participate in, a judicial or administrative immigration proceeding involving yourself or your family member.

What family members may I use paid sick leave to care for?

Family member means a child, grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, or spouse of an employee, and also includes any individual who regularly resides in the employee’s home or where the relationship creates an expectation that the employee care for the person, and that individual depends on the employee for care. Family member includes any individual who regularly resides in the employee’s home, except that it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation that the employee care for the individual.

• Child: This may include a biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, a child’s spouse, or child for whom you are legally responsible for.
• Parent: This may include your biological, adoptive, or foster parent, your step-parent, someone who was your legal guardian or their spouse or registered domestic partner, or an individual who was legally responsible for you when you were a child.
• Spouse: Means a husband or wife, as the case may be, or state-registered domestic partner.
• Grandparent: Means a parent of the employee’s parent.
• Grandchild: Means a child of the employee’s child.
• Sibling.
• Any individual who depends on the employee for care.

Vacation time is accrued by full-time employees. All employees are required to make a request, using the SmartLinx Go mobile app, at least two weeks prior to the requested vacation time off. (Available on the Apple & Android app stores)

• Any conflict in vacation requests will be decided based on Company needs and the needs of the People We Support
• All exempt employees are required to take their PTO in 4-hour increments. All non-exempt PTO employees are able to utilize their PTO in increments of 15 minutes.

This PTO benefit provides certain employees with one bank of paid leave that can be used for multiple purposes, including vacation, personal, and sick leave. 

• If an employee chooses to use their PTO for purposes other than those authorized under paid sick leave laws and a need for paid sick leave later arises, the Company is not required to provide additional PTO.
• If PTO is requested for illness or other unforeseeable circumstances, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. If you are unable to notify your supervisor, have another person make the notification for you as soon as possible.
• All exempt employees are required to take their PTO in 4-hour increments. All non-exempt PTO employees are able to utilize their PTO in increments of 15 minutes.

If you are taking a leave of absence for medical, to care for a family member, or parental reasons you may qualify for Washington State Paid Leave. To learn more or apply click here (https://paidleave.wa.gov/) or contact Human Resources.

Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for the following reasons under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA):
• The birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care;
• To bond with a child (leave must be taken within 1 year of the child’s birth or placement);
• To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a qualifying serious health condition;
• For the employee’s own qualifying serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job;
• For qualifying exigencies related to the foreign deployment of a military member who is the employee’s spouse, child, or parent.

Leave entitlements are based on a 12-month period. In all cases except leave taken by a servicemember’s caregiver, this Company measures the 12-month period in which an employee is entitled to leave by a “rolling” 12-month period measured backward from the date an employee uses any FMLA leave.

A leave of absence (leave) is defined as an unpaid approved absence from work for a specified period of time for medical, parental, military, or other approved reasons. If an employee finds that he she must be out of work for more than three days, he or she should contact the Human Resources department to determine if a leave of absence may be necessary.