Commission adopts organ-donor leave and extends funeral and voting leave to job appointments

The State Civil Service Commission voted July 1 to adopt a new organ-donor leave rule and to amend funeral and voting leave rules to include job appointments.

General counsel (Miss Gregoire) presented the proposed changes and said the organ-donor leave was modeled on the commission’s parental-leave rule, including a 1250-hours-in-12-months eligibility standard and compensation at 100% of base pay for full-time employees for up to 30 consecutive calendar days commencing the day after surgery. The proposal expanded eligibility language for funeral and voting leave to cover employees serving under a job appointment, probationary or permanent status to make administration more consistent.

Commissioners clarified policy elements: the 30-day period for organ-donor leave begins the day after the donation surgery and pre-surgery testing and appointments remain subject to the employee’s existing leave balances. Miss Gregoire said part-time employees were included and the rule requires employees to follow agency leave procedures and, where applicable, use FMLA concurrently.

One commissioner asked whether adopting the rule removes employers’ rights to discipline for unrelated causes; Miss Gregoire and another staff member confirmed that organ-donor leave does not protect employees from termination for reasons unrelated to leave violations or noncompliance with policy. After public comment was called and none offered, the commission moved and approved the funeral/voting leave amendments and adopted the organ-donor leave rule (11.37) as presented.