SHARED LEAVE DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are specific to the terms of the shared leave procedure and do not modify or revise similar terms as used in related procedures.

Approved Emergency Worker: An employee is considered to be an "approved emergency worker" when:

1. The federal or any state government has declared a state of emergency anywhere within the United States; and,
2. The employee has the skills needed to assist in responding to the emergency or its aftermath, and volunteers his or her services to either a governmental agency or to a nonprofit organization engaged in humanitarian relief in the devastated area; and, 
3. The governmental agency or nonprofit organization accepts the employee's offer of volunteer services

Child: A biological, adopted, foster child, stepchild, legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, a child of a legal guardian, or a child of a de facto parent, regardless of age or dependency status.

Domestic Violence: a) Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members as defined in RCW 26.50.010 (2); (b) sexual assault as defined in RCW 70.125.030 (7) of one family or household member by another family or household member; or (c) stalking as defined in RCW 9A.46.110 of one family or household member by another family or household member.  For the purpose of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, family member also includes a domestic partner as defined in RCW 26.60.020 or a person with whom the employee has a dating relationship as defined in RCW 26.50.010 (3).

Donee: The employee receiving the donation of the leave.

Donor: The employee making the donation of the leave.

Employee: Wenatchee Valley College employees who are entitled to accrue sick leave or vacation leave and for whom the college maintains leave records.

Extraordinary or Severe Illness or injury: The criteria for an illness or injury under shared leave is different from those for FMLA.  Examples of “extraordinary or severe” situations that typically meet the criteria for shared leave include:

• Major surgery with inpatient hospital stay
• Outpatient surgery for severe condition
• Cancer and treatment
• Hospitalization for a severe physical or mental condition
• Enrollment in an ongoing behavioral health treatment program (inpatient or day) requiring continuous leave from work
• Bed rest due to high-risk, pregnancy-related complications

Conditions that do not typically meet the criteria include:

• Flu
• Chicken pox
• Sprained ankle
• Elective cosmetic surgery

Intermittent leave for chronic, ongoing medical conditions

The college uses the information provided by you or your family or household member’s health-care provider to determine whether the medical condition meets the definition of “extraordinary or severe.”

Household Member: A person who reside in the same home and who provides reciprocal personal and financial support to the employee. This term shall include, but is not limited to, foster children and legal wards. The term does not include persons sharing the same general house when the living style is primarily that of a dormitory or commune.

Parental Leave – Birth Parent: For the purposes of shared leave usage, parental leave means leave to bond and care for a newborn child after birth or to bond and care for a child after placement for adoption or foster care, for a period of up to 16 weeks of continuous leave following the time allowed for pregnancy disability, if applicable, and in accordance with RCW 41.04.655(3).

Parental Leave – Non-Birth Parent: For the purposes of shared leave usage, parental leave means to bond and care for a newborn child after birth or to bond and care for a child after placement for adoption or foster care, for a period of up to 16 weeks of continuous leave after the birth or placement, in accordance with RCW 41.04.655(3).

Relative: An employee's spouse, registered domestic partner, child, stepchild, grandchild, great-grandchild, grandparent, great-grandparent or parent.

Service in the Uniformed Services: The performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in a uniformed service under competent authority and includes active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time national guard duty including state-ordered active duty, and a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the fitness of the person to perform any such duty.

Sexual Assault: See Domestic Violence.

Stalking: See Domestic Violence.

Uniformed Services: The armed forces, the army national guard, and the air national guard of any state, territory, commonwealth, possession, or district when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time national guard duty, or state active duty, the commissioned corps of the public health service, the coast guard, and any other category of persons designated by the President of the United States in time of war or national emergency.