Skip To Main Content

Leaves of Absence

Person typing on a computer

Springfield Public Schools recognizes that circumstances due to a personal or family illness or other life events may arise and require you to be away from work for an extended period.

The District provides leaves of absence options when you need to take time away from work. If you need to be away from work for an extended period of time that exceeds five consecutive workdays, start the protected leave of absence process. This does not apply if you are on a short work break or taking a planned vacation. 

You may request a leave of absence for birth or adoption, your own medical condition, your qualified family member’s medical condition, caring for a military family member, or needing time off related to domestic violence or bias related crimes. You may also request a leave for personal and military reasons. 

 

Taking Leave

SPS offers a variety of leaves of absence, paid time off plans and disability benefits that provide employees approved time away from work. We must first determine the type of leave you need, in order to follow the correct process.

To find out how much vacation and/or sick time you have available, use the SPS Portal or contact your Payroll administrator.

  • Because federal and state laws change frequently, please only use the Protected Leave Application. Please throw away any old forms at your school.
  • Contact Leaves Team, within Human Resources at leaves@springfield.k12.or.us or by phone at (541) 726-3203 with any questions about leave.
     

Sick Leave

For absences five (5) days or less, due to a medical condition for yourself or a family member, you have a few options depending on your leave accruals.

  • If you have enough accrued sick leave, personal leave, or vacation days to cover this absence, you are not required to apply for Protected Time Off.  Please complete and submit to your school administrator an Employee Exception Time Report for your absence. (Available from HR or your school secretary.) HR does not need a copy of this.
  • If you do not have enough accrued leave to cover your entire absence, the District requires that you apply for Protected Time Off (see section below) 
  • If your situation qualifies for Protected Time Off, you have the option of applying regardless of the length of your absence.  Even if you expect to take off less than six (6) days, it may be a good idea to apply because it is not uncommon for a medical absence to extend further than initially expected.

 

Length of Absence Returning On Enough Leave Accruals? Forms How to Submit and to Whom
1-5 days Day 6 or before Yes

Option 1: Employee Exception Time Report

 Submit paper form to your Supervisor
      Option 2: Request Protected Time Off Electronic Form goes to Leaves Team
1-5 days Day 6 or before No Required: Request Protected Time Off Electronic Form goes to Leaves Team
6 + consecutive days Day 7 or later Yes Required: Request Protected Time Off Electronic Form goes to Leaves Team
6 + consecutive days Day 7 or later No Required: Request Protected Time Off Electronic Form goes to Leaves Team

 

Protected Family and Medical Leave

If you will be off work more than five (5) days due to a serious health condition, to take care of someone else with a health condition, to welcome a new family member, to make arrangements in relation to domestic violence or bias crime, or to care for a military member, you must apply for protected leave.  Submit a Protected Leave Application to start the process of protecting your leave.

  • After you submit your Application, HR has five (5) business days to process the form and respond with your eligibilities/options and next steps.
  • Please review the Protected Time Off page for general information and reach out to the Leaves Team with any additional questions.

You must also apply for protected leave if one or more of the following apply to you:

  • You do not have any accrued sick leave or personal leave to cover the absence.
  • You do not have enough accrued sick leave or personal leave to cover the entire absence.
  • It is unknown if you have enough accrued sick leave or personal leave to cover the entire absence. 
  • Your absence ends up extending more than five (5) days.

Bereavement Leave

Paid bereavement does not use accumulated leave balances and applies to all regular employees. Inform your supervisor(s) as as soon as possible and follow your building/department's standard call-in procedure for reporting unexpected absences (including reporting it in Frontline, if relevant).

Bereavement leave covers the following relationships:

  • A spouse or domestic partner.
  • A child, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild of the employee, or their spouse.
  • The spouse of any of the members listed above.
  • Residents of the employee's home, such as: foster children, exchange students, and roommates.

Length of maximum bereavement leave, depends on the location of the event and the number of events that occurred.

  • Maximum of three (3) days for in-state deaths.
    • Two (2) additional days may be used for multiple simultaneous in-state deaths.
  • Maximum of five (5) days for out-of-state deaths.
    • Three (3) additional days may be used for multiple simultaneous out-of-state deaths..
  • If bereavement time above is less than a week, an employee may use up to an additional two (2) days of sick leave to make a one-week block of time.

If you need additional time beyond these periods, please contact the eaves team to understand your options for additional, protected time off. 


Religious Leave (Licensed Employees)

In accordance with the licensed agreement, licensed staff members may take up to three (3) days of Religious Leave for the purpose of observing religious holiday(s). Licensed staff members are required to report the absence and obtain a substitute when applicable. For each Religious Leave day taken, the licensed staff member will have the option of either:

  • Using an available Professional Development day, or
  • Having the gross pay of the teacher be deducted for this leave at the substitute rate of pay. 

To request time-off for observance of religious holiday(s), please fill out the Request for Religious Leave form.

 

Unpaid Leave Request

Requests for Short or Long-Term Leave are approved based on certain criteria, as referenced in the bargaining agreements. Please refer to the relevant bargaining agreement for more information.

Please complete and submit an Employee Exception Time Report to your administrator, and then email or fax a signed and approved copy to HR with a completed Unpaid Leave Request Form.

Short-Term

Certified: Employees may request up to six (6) days of unpaid leave during any three (3) year period.

Classified: Employees may request up to six (6) days of unpaid leave during any three (3) year period.

Long-Term

Certified: An employee may request up to one (1) year (school year) of unpaid leave in a five (5) year period.

Classified: An employee may request up to one (1) year (school year) of unpaid leave in a three (3) year period.