FMLA and PFMLA

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides eligible employees with job-protected leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces the FMLA for most employees. FMLA leave is not paid leave, but you may choose, or be required by your employer, to use any employer-provided paid leave if your employer’s paid leave policy covers the reason for which you need FMLA leave.

Every employee of the district who has worked for the district at least one year and for at least 1,250 hours in the preceding year is entitled to twelve (12) workweeks of family leave during any twelve (12) month period to do the following:

A. Care for a newborn child, an adopted child of the employee who is under the age of eighteen at the time of placement for adoption, or a newly placed foster child;

B. Care for a spouse, parent or child of the employee who has a serious health condition, or the employee may obtain leave for his or her own serious health condition if it renders the employee unable to perform his or her job; or

C. Respond to a qualifying exigency occurring because the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent is on active duty or has been notified of pending active duty in support of a contingency operation

Please contact our HR Manager, Pam Hiles at philes@steilacoom.k12.wa.us to start the process.

You do not have to share a medical diagnosis but must provide enough information to your employer so we can determine whether the leave qualifies for FMLA protection. You must also inform your employer if FMLA leave was previously taken or approved for the same reason when requesting additional leave. Your employer may request certification from a health care provider to verify medical leave and may request certification of a qualifying exigency.

Paid family and medical leave are benefits administered by the Washington State Employment Security Department. Employees interested in applying for these benefits must follow the process described in Chapter 192-610 WAC. Employees who have questions regarding the application process may contact the Employment Security Department or visit its website at paidleave.wa.gov. 

Employees who have worked 820 hours during the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters or the last four completed calendar quarters are eligible for paid family and medical leave.
Reasons for leave Family leave means leave taken by an employee from work for the following reasons:

A. To participate in providing care, including physical or psychological care, for a family member made necessary by a serious health condition of the family member;

B. To bond with the employee’s child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth, or the first 12 months after the placement of a child under the age of eighteen with the employee; or

C. Because of any qualifying exigency as permitted under the federal family and medical leave act for family members as defined by RCW 50A.05.010(10). Medical leave means any leave taken by an employee from work made necessary by the employee’s own serious health condition as defined by RCW 50A.05.010(20).

Please contact our HR Manager, Pam Hiles at philes@steilacoom.k12.wa.us to start the process.

An employee must provide the district at least 30 days written notice before paid family or medical leave is to begin if the need for the leave is foreseeable based on an expected birth, placement of a child, or planned medical treatment for a serious health condition. An employee must provide the district written notice as soon as practicable when 30 days notice is not possible because of a lack of knowledge of approximately when leave will be required to begin, because of a change in circumstances, or because of a medical emergency. An employee must provide the district written notice as soon as is practicable for foreseeable leave due to a qualifying military exigency, regardless of how far in advance such leave is foreseeable. The notice must be in writing and contain at least the anticipated timing and duration of the leave.