Family Crisis Leave Exchange

Family Crisis Leave Exchange is a negotiated benefit between WCPS and WCTA. See the language below and accompanying rules, procedures, and forms for the information needed to understand the purpose of FCLE and to access it, if needed. WCTA manages the FCLE requests for employees, but WCTA does not approve leaves of absence. While WCPS and WCTA work closely together to coordinate leave coverage through FCLE, it is the employee’s responsibility to inform all relevant parties of the needed leave of absence. Failure to provide timely notification may result in inaccuracies in pay and/or benefits. Questions? Ask Jamie or contact your principal or HR.

Article 21.1 Family Crisis Leave Exchange

Family Crisis Leave Exchange: Rules

1. A request for leave may be made only in connection with a catastrophic and life-threatening illness or injury of a unit member’s immediate family as defined as follows, or one that stands in the same status as determined by the FCLE Committee. Immediate family means the unit member’s spouse, child, or parent, or partner. The partner must reside in the same household.
2.  The unit members shall not be gainfully employed in any other capacity during the  covered period.
3.  The maximum grant shall be forty-five (45) workdays.
4.  A unit member may receive a maximum grant only once in any three (3) year period.
5. Contributors are limited to a maximum contribution of one (1) earned day in any individual case.

Family Crisis Leave Exchange: Procedures

1. An application must be made in writing by the unit member to the FCLE Committee, in care of the WCTA office, stating the details of the circumstances and the likely duration.
2. The WCPS Department of Budget and Finance shall verify the unit member’s leave status to the FCLE Committee.
3. A written statement detailing the condition, treatment plan, and diagnosis must be submitted by the attending physician(s) before any FCLE can be granted.
4.  The FCLE Committee shall notify the superintendent or designee, the building principal, the Human Resources Department, and the appropriate central office supervisor of the unit member and seek any input that they may have concerning the request.
5. The FCLE Committee shall approve or deny the request by a majority vote of the committee. The FCLE Committee’s decision may be appealed to the WCTA Board of Directors within ten (10) workdays. The WCTA Board of Directors’ decision shall be final and binding upon all parties at interest.
6. The FCLE Committee shall notify the unit member of its decision, in writing, within ten (10) workdays.
7. Upon approval, the FCLE Committee will first notify unit members at the unit member’s worksite/school of the request for voluntary leave donations. Unit members at other worksites/schools can be contacted if additional volunteer leave donations are needed.
8. Unit members who wish to donate any earned sick leave must complete and sign the Family Crisis Leave Donation Form and return the form to the WCTA office.
9. WCTA shall establish a database system to track the donations with their utilization.
10.  WCTA shall provide the Human Resources Department written notice of names of contributors, number of days donated, and names of recipients.
11. Donated days will be granted in the order they were received.
12. Should the unit member exhaust their grant or return to work or should they qualify for any other leave, any remaining contributions shall be returned to those who contributed them in the reverse order they were received. The exchange balance shall remain at zero (0) until the next request.
13.  The FCLE Committee will function on an as needed basis.
14. The FCLE Committee will consist of at least three (3) unit members selected by the WCTA President, and approved by the WCTA Board of Directors, and two (2) employees selected by the superintendent or designee.

FCLE Forms

• FCLE Physician Form for WCTA (Fillable)