There are a great many variables in every instance of a maternity or paternity leave.  Below are a few things we will need from you to prepare for your time away.

We will process the leave using the baby’s due date as your first day away from work. When we get closer to the due date and your physician determines that it is medically necessary for you to quit working sooner, we will need a note from him/her at that time that states, for medical reasons, you should be away from work sooner.

For the new mom, your office manager and principal should follow the long-term sub process to find a replacement for your position. Once they have selected a substitute, you can assign the selected person as your sub when you enter your absences to Frontline Absence Management.

We will need the following documents in order to process your leave:

• Leave of Absence form - This is completed by you and returned to the benefits office.
• Medical Certification for FMLA protection - This is completed by your physician and returned to the benefits office. The physician’s office can fax directly to 425-385-4135.

Please work on submitting these documents as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days prior to your due date.

As far as your time away, you will be paid by the district using your sick and/or personal leave. At the time you run out of paid leave here with the district your contract will be “paid off”. For more information, please reach out to the benefits team to go over that process. 

The district allows you to take up to one year childcare leave, which can be a combination of paid and/or unpaid time.  If you are on an approved leave at the beginning of the contract year, you will not be frontloaded accrued leave until you return to work.

It is also possible for you to qualify for Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML).

The Difference Between FMLA and PFML

FMLA, is the federal Family Medical Leave Act, and is your federal right to protect your wage- the amount you make per hour, job- the type of position you hold, and benefit- your health insurance, protection for 60 working days. To qualify for FMLA, an employee must have been employed with the employer for 1 year and worked 1250 hours in the past rolling year. The 60 working day FMLA period will begin the first day of your leave and is shared with your spouse if they also work for Everett Public Schools and are taking leave for your new baby. The benefits office runs FMLA eligibility on every maternity and medical leave filed and will notify you of your eligibility and the time frame for which you will qualify once your leave is processed.

PFML, is the new Washington State Paid Family and Medical Leave. This program is administered by the state of Washington and is not a part of the leave process with the district, though it is taken while you are on a leave of absence. You are eligible to apply for PFML if you have worked 820 hours in the past 52 weeks (for any Washington employer). The district does not determine approval for that state benefit. You will need to apply and receive notification of a decision through the State of Washington’s PFML website. If you are approved, you should be eligible for at least 12 weeks with this kind of leave (11 are paid as there is a 1 week waiting period), though final determination will come from PFML. Additionally, while you are receiving PFML, you may not be able to receive any pay from your employer. That means, even if you are approved and carry a sick leave balance, you will be on leave without pay during the dates of your approved PFML time and be responsible for self-paying your benefits and will not receive retirement service credits for this unpaid time.

You can learn more about their program and how to apply here: https://esd.wa.gov/paid-family-medical-leave

Information on your Health Benefits

Most of your benefits are administered by the SEBB Program, under the direction of the Washington State Health Care Authority.

If you have not yet worked the 630 hours required for SEBB eligibility at the time your leave begins, but are anticipated to do so,

the district will continue to pay the insurance premiums while you remain in a paid status with the district (receiving sick, personal or shared leave).

If you are eligible for federal FMLA protection and you run out of paid leave options, your contract will be paid off but you will need to continue to pay your portion of your benefit premiums directly to the payroll office.

If you do not qualify for federal FMLA protection, or after your FMLA coverage period has ended, and you have run out of paid leave options, and you are no longer anticipated to work 630 hours in the school year, you will have the option to pay SEBB for Continuation Coverage (COBRA) in order to keep your benefits active during your leave.

Your normal benefits will be reinstated on the 1^st of the month following your return to work.

If you have already worked the 630 hours required for SEBB eligibility at the time your leave begins,

your coverage will remain intact for the remainder of the school year (until 8/31) without the need for SEBB Continuation Coverage (COBRA).  However, if you run out of paid leave options during your leave period, you will need to pay your insurance premiums directly to the payroll office.

At the time of your return to work, if you would have worked 630 hours in the school year had it not been for your leave of absence, you will be eligible for regular benefits to begin again the month following your return.

Adding New Baby to your Coverage

You will have 60 days from the birth of the baby to add them to your SEBB coverage. You will need to log in to SEBB My Account to add the baby by completing a Special Open Enrollment. We can provide you with more information about that process at that time.

Further questions and clarifications can be referred to the Benefits line at 425-385-4115 or benefits@everettsd.org.

Shared Leave

Application to Receive Shared Leave

Revising Your Leave

If, at any point during your leave, you need to change the parameters outlined in your initial request (the most common being to change the beginning or ending dates of your leave), please complete a Request to Change Leave of Absence form and submit as soon as you anticipate the change. If your leave is of a medical nature, for yourself or family member, and changes the dates of leave you will additionally need an updated Medical Certification form (links above) from your medical provider substantiating the revised leave dates.  

Request to Change Leave of Absence

Completed forms can be sent to benefits@everettsd.org, faxed to a confidential fax machine at 425-385-4135 or delivered directly to the benefits office at the Community Resource Center offices at 3900 Broadway, Everett, 98201.  

All medical documentation must be faxed directly to 425-385-4135 or emailed directly to benefits@everettsd.org from your providers' office.