Business Policies and Procedures Manual
Chapter 60: Personnel
Payment for Unused Sick Leave
BPPM 60.41
For more information contact:
Human Resource Services
509-335-4521
Payroll Services
509-335-9575
Annual Attendance Incentive
Each year eligible employees may request payment for 25 percent of the unused sick leave accrued during the year if the employee maintains a 480 accrued hour balance. (WAC 357-31-150 and RCW 41.04.340)
At retirement, an eligible employee or the employee’s beneficiaries may receive either benefits from the Voluntary Employee’s Benefit Association Medical Expense Plan (VEBA MEP) or payment for the accrued sick leave. (WAC 357-31-375, RCW 41.04.340) See Retirement Attendance Incentive and BPPM 55.49.
Employee Eligibility
The Office of Financial Management has approved classes of eligible employees who satisfy the following criteria, in accordance with SAAM 25.40.30 and RCW 41.04.340.
- Teaching and research faculty are not eligible.
- Student and non-student hourly employees are not eligible.
- Employees must earn sick leave.
- Accurate records of sick leave records must be maintained.
- Sick leave subject to compensation is not accumulated at a rate in excess of one day per month.
Civil Service Employees
All civil service employees are eligible.
Collective Bargaining Unit Employees
Employees covered by a collective bargaining unit agreement are to refer to the appropriate agreement for eligibility information.
AP Employees
All administrative professional (AP) employees are eligible.
Faculty
Research and teaching faculty are ineligible for the sick leave payment program.
Hourly and Student Employees
Hourly employees, student and non-student hourly, are ineligible for the sick leave payment program.
Sick Leave Balance
The employee or the employing department deducts the sick leave hours which are the basis of the claim from the employee’s sick leave balance.
480 Hour Minimum
Employee’s December 31st sick leave balance must exceed 60 days (480 hours).
The employee must maintain a 480 hour minimum sick leave balance. The claim cannot reduce the sick leave balance below 480 hours (see the table below).
Pay Rate for Eligible Hours
Employees receive one hour’s pay for each four hours of eligible sick leave. Payroll Services determines the hourly rate by dividing the employee’s January monthly salary by 174.
January Claim
WSU honors only those claims for payment for unused sick leave which meet the January Payroll Documents Calendar deadline. Claims are processed only in January.
Partial Claim
Employees may not claim less than the number of eligible hours, e.g., an employee who earned but did not use 24 hours during the previous year may not base his claim on 20 hours.
Procedures
January Claim
The January Payroll Documents Calendar includes the deadline for submitting a claim for unused sick leave payment.
To view the January Payroll Documents Calendar, go to Payroll Services.
Select Departmental Payroll Users, then
Select Workday Payroll Documents Schedule.
Applicable Workday Process
Employees use the Workday Time and Absence business process to initiate claims for payment of unused sick leave.
See the Workday Annual Attendance Incentive Payout reference guide for completion and routing instructions regarding claims for payment of unused sick leave.
Payment
Payroll calculates the payment and includes it on the employee’s second January paycheck.
Retirement Attendance Incentive (VEBA MEP)
The employee does not personally choose between the VEBA MEP and sick leave payment. The decision to participate in the VEBA MEP is decided by a simple majority vote of each employee group and is binding each succeeding year until a request for a new vote is submitted. Contact HRS for information regarding participating employee groups.
Ten percent of employees eligible for sick leave payout, in any one of the eligible groups, may request a new vote for the ensuing year. Contact Human Resource Services to initiate the voting process.
Collective bargaining unit employees refer to the applicable bargaining unit agreement regarding payment of accrued sick leave.
Refer to BPPM 55.49 for additional information regarding sick leave payment.
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Revisions: December 2020 (Rev. 559); Aug. 2008 (Rev. 326); Sept. 2007 (Rev. 304); July 2005 (Rev. 262); Mar. 1987 (Rev 66); Mar. 1983 (Rev 51); Nov. 1980 (Rev. 41); Dec. 1979 – new policy (Rev 37).