Staff Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave of Absence FAQ

It is 12-weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons that may be used in a rolling 12-month period. 

Please see the link to the University policy for FMLA: Family Medical Leave Act Policy

All staff members who have been employed 1 year and who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 month period immediately preceding the start of the leave are eligible to apply.

  • Below are the steps to apply for FMLA leave with the University's administrator, Lincoln Financial Group (Lincoln). Requests for leave should be submitted prior to the leave's start date or as soon as possible.
  • Complete the University Leave of Absence Request Form
  • Initiate your claim with Lincoln and provide appropriate medical documentation as required. Please be clear that you are requesting to open an FMLA claim. Also, be ready to provide anticipated dates of your leave and whether the leave will be continuous or intermittent.

There are a few options on how to be paid while on leave:

  1. You can use your University accrued-but-unused sick and vacation leave.
    1. Your sick and vacation leave balance can be found on the bottom of your paycheck. To estimate your future accrued vacation amount, check here.
  2. You can apply for Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave (WAPFML)
    1. WAPFML is administered through Washington state's Employee Security Department (ESD). More information can be found at this link.
    2. Below are the highlights of WAPFML:
      1. You must have worked at least 820 hours in WA in the qualifying period.
      2. If approved, you may receive up to 90% of your weekly pay up to a maximum of $1,427 per week.
      3. You are eligible for up to 12-weeks of continuous or intermittent leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. You may be eligible for up to 16 weeks of combined medical and family leave if you have events covered by both in the same claim year or up to 18 weeks of combined medical and family leave if you experience a condition in pregnancy that results in incapacity.
    3. How does WAPFML work with University payroll?
      1. The University does not supplement WAPFML
      2. You enter into an unpaid status with the University
      3. If you choose this option, you must notify benefits@pugetsound.edu to update your payroll status.
  • You may have benefits continuation while on an approved FMLA leave.
  • You may have benefits continuation while on an approved WAPFML leave as long as there is at least a 1-day overlap with FMLA leave.
  • Please note that you are responsible for paying the employee share of benefits while on a leave of absence.

If on leave for a medical reason related to your job, you must provide a work release from your health care provider to HR/Benefits with any applicable restrictions. If an accommodation is required to support your return-to-work, please contact HR/Benefits and visit this site for more information.

The University also has a Long Term Disability policy that is administered through Lincoln. More details, including whether or not this may be applicable to you, is located on the HR website at Life & Disability Benefits. To apply for Long Term Disability, please complete this form.