Overview

University of Washington faculty may apply for a full or partial leave without pay (Note: In some cases, leave without pay may be referred to as unpaid time off, LWO, or personal leave). Requests require prior departmental-level approval, and may be granted for up to 1 academic year at a time for a maximum of 2 consecutive years. Note: Any duration of leave without pay used within an academic year counts toward the 2 consecutive year limit.

Submit the Leave without Pay Form to your local unit administrator to apply. Whenever possible, requests should be submitted at least 30 calendar days before the leave begins.

Types of Leave without Pay

Extended medical, parental (including adoption and foster placement) and family care leave
These leave without pay types may be full-time with no pay or part-time with prorated pay. A faculty or academic staff member may request these types of leave without pay if one of the following applies:

  • State or federal leave entitlements are not applicable or have been exhausted
  • Paid sick time off allotment has been exhausted
  • Condition does not qualify for paid sick leave use

For more details on parental leave without pay, please check with your unit. They may require that parental leave be taken as one continuous period of time away from work.

Outside Professional Work for Compensation

Faculty may be required to request leave without pay to perform work outside their University duties if engaging in professional activities for compensation. In addition to receiving an approval for a leave without pay, employees are required to comply with the Outside Professional Work Policy, Executive Order 57, through the UW Office of Research.

Personal Leave (Non-Medical)

This type of leave without pay pertains to circumstances that require time away from the University on a full or part-time basis. This includes, but is not limited to, family obligations or pursuing interests relevant to their job duties and responsibilities.

Note that leave without pay for this reason is generally not allowed in the mandatory year of promotion and tenure review for clock-managed ranks.