Additional Retirement Savings Options

Are you looking for additional ways to put away money for your retirement?  Here are a few options:

A 403b Plan - See the flyer concerning 403b Universal Availability Notice for helpful information.

Check out the OMNI 4th Quarter Update Newsletter for more information; or a

A Deferred Compensation Program.  Check out the DCP brochure or the Enrollment Guide for more information.

Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave

Starting Jan. 1, 2020, employees who have worked 820 hours in the qualifying period (equal to 16 hours a week for a year) will be able to apply to take paid medical leave or paid family leave. The 820 hours are cumulative, regardless of the number of employers or jobs someone has during a year. All paid work over the course of the year counts toward the 820 hours, including part-time, seasonal and temporary work. While on leave, you are entitled to partial wage replacement. That means you will receive a portion of your average weekly pay. The benefit is generally up to 90 percent of your weekly wage, with a minimum of $100 per week and a maximum of $1,000 per week. You will be paid by the Employment Security Department rather than your employer. Unlike the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employees of small businesses may take Paid Family and Medical Leave if they meet the standard eligibility requirements. More information on applying for benefits will come in 2019. Please go to paidleave.wa.gov for more information.

What protections are there for me?

Employees who return from leave under this law will be restored to a same or equivalent job if they work for an employer with 50 or more employees, have worked for this employer for at least 12 months, and have worked 1,250 hours in the 12 months before taking leave (about 24 hours per week, on average). You can keep your health insurance while on leave. If you contribute to the cost of your health insurance, you must continue to pay your portion of the premium cost while on leave. Your employer is prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against you for requesting or taking paid leave.

Annual Sick Leave Buy Back Opportunity

ANNUAL SICK LEAVE BUY BACK OPPORTUNITY

It's that time of year again when you may have the opportunity to buy back your 2019 unused sick leave. 

To be eligible to buy back your unused sick leave you must:

·      Have a balance of at least 60 days of sick leave as of 12/31/19

·      And have not used all of the sick leave that you earned in 2019

Here are some Sick Leave Buy Back Commonly Asked Questions that may be helpful in making your decision. 

If you are eligible, and choose to take advantage of this benefit, please sign and return the Annual Sick Leave Buyback Application

This application must be received in Payroll no later than January 31, 2020.

This policy is in accordance with WAC 392-136-015.