The department of personnel and other personnel authorities shall adopt rules or policies governing the accumulation and use of sick leave for state agency and department employees, expressly for the establishment of a plan allowing participating employees to pool sick leave and allowing any sick leave thus pooled to be used by any participating employee who has used all of the sick leave, annual leave, and compensatory leave that has been personally accrued by him or her. Each department or agency of the state may allow employees to participate in a sick leave pool established by the department of personnel and other personnel authorities.

     (1) For purposes of calculating maximum sick leave that may be donated or received by any one employee, pooled sick leave:

     (a) Is counted and converted in the same manner as sick leave under the Washington state leave sharing program as provided in this chapter; and

     (b) Does not create a right to sick leave in addition to the amount that may be donated or received under the Washington state leave sharing program as provided in this chapter.

     (2) The department and other personnel authorities, except the personnel authorities for higher education institutions, shall adopt rules which provide:

     (a) That employees are eligible to participate in the sick leave pool after one year of employment with the state or agency of the state if the employee has accrued a minimum amount of unused sick leave, to be established by rule;

     (b) That participation in the sick leave pool shall, at all times, be voluntary on the part of the employees;

     (c) That any sick leave pooled shall be removed from the personally accumulated sick leave balance of the employee contributing the leave;

     (d) That any sick leave in the pool that is used by a participating employee may be used only for the employee's personal illness, accident, or injury;

     (e) That a participating employee is not eligible to use sick leave accumulated in the pool until all of his or her personally accrued sick, annual, and compensatory leave has been used;

     (f) A maximum number of days of sick leave in the pool that any one employee may use;

     (g) That a participating employee who uses sick leave from the pool is not required to recontribute such sick leave to the pool, except as otherwise provided in this section;

     (h) That an employee who cancels his or her membership in the sick leave pool is not eligible to withdraw the days of sick leave contributed by that employee to the pool;

     (i) That an employee who transfers from one position in state government to another position in state government may transfer from one pool to another if the eligibility criteria of the pools are comparable and the administrators of the pools have agreed on a formula for transfer of credits;

     (j) That alleged abuse of the use of the sick leave pool shall be investigated, and, on a finding of wrongdoing, the employee shall repay all of the sick leave credits drawn from the sick leave pool and shall be subject to such other disciplinary action as is determined by the agency head;

     (k) That sick leave credits may be drawn from the sick leave pool by a part-time employee on a pro rata basis; and

     (l) That each department or agency shall maintain accurate and reliable records showing the amount of sick leave which has been accumulated and is unused by employees, in accordance with guidelines established by the department of personnel.

     (3) Personnel authorities for higher education institutions shall adopt policies consistent with the needs of the employees under their respective jurisdictions.

[2006 c 356 § 1.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2006 c 356: "This act takes effect July 1, 2007." [2006 c 356 § 2.]