Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

When you or a family member experiences a serious health condition that requires you to take time off from work, the stress from worrying about keeping your job may add to an already difficult situation. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may be able to help. Whether you are unable to work because of your own serious health condition, or because you need to care for your parent, spouse, or child with a serious health condition, the FMLA provides unpaid, job-protected leave. Leave may be taken all at once, or may be taken intermittently as the medical condition requires.

 

You are eligible for the FMLA program if you meet the following criteria:

 

  1. You have been employed with the County for at least 12 months and have worked a minimum of 1250 hours during the 12 months immediately prior to the start date of your Leave.
  2. You have not exhausted your 12-week FMLA entitlement balance per 12-month period measured forward from the first use of an FMLA-qualified time off. 
  3. The Leave is for Self, Spouse, Parent, or Child (the child being under age 18 and/or incapable of self-care

Please see the Administrative Guidelines for Family Medical Leave Chapter 3.67.

FAQs

Contact HR Leave

Resources

How to apply for FMLA:

Step 1


  • 30 days prior to your planned leave start date, create a Workday Employee Self Start Leave Request.
  • Check your remaining FMLA Balance on the Absence Calendar in Workday.  


Step 2


  • Complete Section II of the appropriate Certification of Health Care Provider form and give to your treating physician, surgeon, or health specialist to fill out the rest.
  • Health Care Provider can fax completed form to (253) 798-8558.
    • Please do not upload any medical documents into Workday.
  • See the list below:
If Family Leave is for...Complete the Certification of Health Care Provider form below.
Employee's own health conditionCertification of health care provider for employee's serious health condition
Family member's health conditionCertification of health care provider for family member's serious health condition
Injury / illness of covered military service memberCertification for serious injury or illness of covered service member for military family leave
Qualifying exigency for active-duty military family memberCertification of qualifying exigency for military family leave
 Injury / illness of military veteranCertification for serious injury or illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver leave

  • We recommend that you also provide your treating physician, surgeon, or health specialist with your job description or list of essential job duties, physical requirements, and work environment information for them to provide a work status release for light duty or full duty.

  • A doctor’s note may suffice in lieu of the Certification of Health Care Provider form if it supports your absence period.

  • If you already have docs, you can send them to HR Benefit Specialist via [email protected].


Step 3


  • Within 15 calendar days after submitting your Leave Request, provide the HR Leave Administrator with the supporting “Certification of Health Care Provider” if not already provided.
    • Note: If medical documents are not received by due date, the requested leave may be denied.
    • Please communicate to HR Benefit Specialist if an extension is needed.
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Fax: (253) 798-8558.


WA Paid Family and Medical Leave (Optional)


  • You can apply for the optional WA Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML) benefits program, through the WA State Employment Security Department (WA ESD). 
  • Applying for PFML would allow you to use unpaid time offs. After applying please send to your "WA PFML Benefit Application Summary” from your WA ESD PFML Account to  [email protected].
    • This should include for whom the leave would be taken and WA PFML period start and end dates. 
  • Prior to providing HR with the PFML documentation, you may redact personal information, such as:
    • Social Security Number 
    • Birthdate
    • Ethnicity
  • Provide a written notice to your supervisor and timekeeper ahead of time regarding which absences should be paid/unpaid and which accruals to use, if any.   
  • With our new Workday Employee Leave Self Start process, you can now enter the PFML leave notification directly into Workday. Once @HRLeaveAdmin receives your documentation, they will review and update the Workday PFML leave record as appropriate.  
  • Paid time Off cannot be corrected to Unpaid time Off AFTER the pay cycle completes.

Additional Resources and FAQs

If you would like more information, please see the links below.