I. Reporting employee absence

A. When an employee is absent from work for any reason, an Employee  Absence Report Form is to be completed by the employee.

B. It is essential that this report be filled out completely and correctly.

C. The following directions apply to the use of the form:

1. All district employees must complete this form immediately upon returning to work. Whether a person needs a substitute or not does not affect the reporting of the absence on the form.

2. The administrator is to review each completed form and sign in the space provided.

3. The yellow copy of the completed form is to be retained and attached to the timesheet at the appropriate time. The white copy is to be forwarded to the Human Resources Department IMMEDIATELY. The pink copy is for your file.

4. The employee should provide enough information in the "state reason for absence" section so that the absence can be processed in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

5. A copy will be returned to the employee only if a change has been made in the disposition of the absence.

6. Additional Absence Report Forms are available on request from the Boulevard Park Warehouse and can be ordered by completing a Forms Order Sheet.

II. Procedures for classified personnel requesting vacation/personal business leave

A. The following procedures are to be followed when an employee requests a vacation or personal business leave:

1. Each time an employee requests a leave for vacation or personal business, they must complete the form entitled Classified Personnel Vacation/ Personal Business Request.

2. Immediately upon returning from vacation or personal business leave, every employee must complete the Employee Absence Report Form. A copy must be attached to the appropriate timesheet.

3. Vacation may not be authorized beyond that which has been accrued.

4. Vacation authorization must be in compliance with time lines and related factors as outlined in appropriate collective bargaining agreements.

5. Vacation or personal business should be scheduled only when a substitute is not necessary and at a time when work flow warrants the employee's absence without undue impact upon that office or department work load.

6. Vacation and/or personal business leave should be planned so that phone coverage continues in those office work areas where the work flow continues during the absence of the employee on vacation or personal business leave.

7. Eleven (11) month employees scheduled to work from  August  1 through June 30 must schedule their vacation during this August 1 through June 30 work year.

8. Signature lines on the authorization form allow for authorization by the superintendent, assistant superintendent, director, principal or  supervisor.  The level of administrator making final authorization on leaves is a matter of decision by the superintendent or by the assistant superintendent according to management procedures developed for that division.

9. All classified employee requests to carry vacation accrual over from one year to the next must be authorized by the Director of Human Resources or designee. An employee will not be considered as carrying vacation over for any vacation planned through August 31 of a given year. Accrued vacation carried beyond August 31 must receive carry-over authorization.

B. Each division or department will receive a monthly data processing run of vacation accrual for all employees in that department. This will serve as a reference point to insure that an employee is not requesting vacation beyond that which has been accrued.

C. The vacation/personal business request form has been designed so that the responsibility for listing accrued vacation rests with the employee requesting vacation based upon vacation accrual indicated on the salary warrant deduction stub. It is recommended that supervisors do not accept vacation requests until the form is completely filled out by the employee.

III. Procedures to be used by employee organizations and other agencies such as HEA, WEA, NEA, HASSP, HCPSE, PSEW, HAWSP, SPI, ESD, etc., to request prior approval for release time:

A.  Agency Request:

When such agencies request a district employee be provided release time, the following procedure is to be used:

1. All requests must be in writing from the requesting agency (not the individual) to the superintendent for his approval.

2. Upon approval, the superintendent will notify the following:

a) the requester (employee organization or agency),

b) the individual to be released,

c) the principal or supervisor who will arrange for a substitute, if needed,

d) the human resources director,

e) the director of budgeting and accounting.

B. District Request:

Any release time requests at district expense for employees must be channeled through the appropriate assistant superintendent for his/her approval.

IV. Notification procedures for building principals' absences

When a principal is to be absent from his/her building for the major portion of a school day, the principal or the school office manager will report such to the area administrator who will, in turn, inform the superintendent and other area administrators.

Highline School District 401
Approved by the Superintendent: March 17, 1988
Revised by the Superintendent: 08.00, 06.04