Leave of Absence

New (October 2025)! Please review the General Information on Extended Leave of Absence to plan your leave at least 30 days in advance.

Leave of Absence requests are entered by Employees online using Workforce.  For detailed instructions on submitting your leave request, please review the Employee Self-Service Guide.

A Leave of Absence is an extended absence from work, generally, more than 5 consecutive workdays. Human Resources approves a Leave of Absence for a variety of qualified reasons, such as the birth of a child, medical emergency, sabbatical, or personal leave. 

Time Off Requests, such as sick days due to flu or COVID, bereavement, vacation, and jury duty, are generally not considered a Leave of Absence. Employees should use RedRover to enter a Time Off Request. 

Leaves of Absence are reviewed and approved by the Human Resources department using Workforce. Workforce is software formerly known as EmpowerSF. 

Please note that the San Francisco Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance does not apply to the San Francisco Unified School District. “Rule 1.6. The “City” does not include the San Francisco Unified School District, which is a government entity separate from the City.”

General Leaves information: Link to this section

Summary of Family & Medical Leaves (FMLA and CFRA)

Medical Coverage during a Leave of Absence Link to this section

• You must notify the San Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS) when going out on a paid or unpaid Leave of Absence.
• There are several types of Leaves of Absence that have different health benefit eligibility requirements. Start by finding which type of Leave of Absence applies to your situation.
• Learn more about medical coverage during a paid or unpaid leave of absence.

Vacation & Sick Leave Donations Link to this section

• UESF/SFUSD Sick Leave Bank Donor Application (Certificated)
• UESF/SFUSD Sick Leave Bank Donor Application (Classified)
• City & County of SF/SFUSD Donor's Sick Pay/Vacation Transfer Form

• Submit a ticket through Zendesk at eis.sfusd.edu. Under “How can we help,” select “I have a question related to my leave of absence (LOA). To upload a document, click “Add File” in the Attachments field.
• Call 415-241-6101 ext. 1258 for Front Desk and ask to be connected to the Leaves Team. Please don't use the Phone Tree (we are working on fixing it).
• Schedule a virtual appointment at https://go.oncehub.com/SFUSDHRLeaves
• Schedule a walk-in appointment (see SFUSD HR Walk-In Services).