To request time off as a Hawaii Department of Education employee, you file one of two paper leave of absence forms: Form DOE OTM 300-001 if you’re a certificated school-level employee (teacher, principal, or vice-principal), or Form G-1 if you’re an educational officer or classified civil service support employee. The Hawaii DOE leave of absence form collects your identifying information, the leave type, the exact start and end dates, and any required documentation, then routes through your principal or supervisor to the Personnel Regional Officer for final approval.
Which Form You File
Picking the wrong form is the most common reason a leave request stalls. Certificated school-level employees use Form DOE OTM 300-001, titled “Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees.”1Department of Education. Hawaii Department of Education Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees State and district educational officers, along with all civil service support personnel, use Form G-1, the general “Application for Leave of Absence” maintained by the Department of Human Resources Development.2Department of Human Resources Development. HRD G-1 Form Application for Leave of Absence
If you’re not sure which category you fall into, your school’s administrative office or your Personnel Regional Officer can confirm before you start filling anything out.
Where to Get the Form
Both forms live on the DOE’s internal SharePoint site, which requires an intranet login.3Hawaii DOE Office of Human Resources. New Teacher Orientation – Leaves and Benefits Your school’s administrative office keeps printed copies if you can’t get to SharePoint. Some school websites also post Form DOE OTM 300-001 as a downloadable PDF, but the version there may lag the current revision, so check the date in the footer against the intranet copy before using it.
Completing Form DOE OTM 300-001
Start with your legal name and DOE Employee ID. Verify the ID against a recent pay stub. A single transposed digit sends your paperwork to a stranger’s personnel file.
Mark whether the leave is with pay or without pay, then enter the calendar “From” and “To” dates for your requested absence. Those dates have to be the actual days you’ll be out, not the pay period they fall in.
Check the box for the type of leave: sick, health, vacation, personal, leave without pay, or whichever category applies to you. If you’re taking leave without pay for health reasons, you’ll also need to complete Section IV at the bottom of the form, which is the physician’s statement, or attach a signed doctor’s note in its place.1Department of Education. Hawaii Department of Education Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees
Sign and date the form. Your signature is a declaration that everything you’ve written is accurate. Attach your supporting documents in the order the form references them. A clean, legible packet moves through the approval chain faster than one with missing pages that force an administrator to call you.
Documentation by Leave Type
Every leave request requires your DOE Employee ID and the exact start and end dates.1Department of Education. Hawaii Department of Education Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees What you attach beyond that depends on why you’re taking leave.
Sick or Health Leave
Sick leave for more than five consecutive working days requires a licensed physician’s statement or a signed doctor’s note confirming the condition.1Department of Education. Hawaii Department of Education Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees Leave without pay taken for health reasons requires a physician’s statement no matter how short the absence. Section IV of Form DOE OTM 300-001 is the physician’s section, and a separate signed note is also acceptable.
If your leave also qualifies under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the DOE can ask for certification covering the date the condition started, its expected duration, relevant medical facts, and a statement that you can’t perform your job functions. The DOE can’t require a specific diagnosis, and your direct supervisor is barred from contacting your healthcare provider; only a human resources professional, leave administrator, or management official may do so for clarification.4U.S. Department of Labor. FMLA Frequently Asked Questions
Military Leave
Under USERRA, the DOE can’t require you to produce written military orders before approving a leave of absence for uniformed service. You do have to give advance written or oral notice, with exceptions when military necessity prevents it or when notice would be impossible or unreasonable.5U.S. Department of Labor. USERRA – A Guide to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act Supporting documentation can only be requested when the absence exceeded 30 days and you’re seeking reemployment.
Family Leave
Hawaii’s family leave law provides up to four weeks of unpaid leave per calendar year for the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for a child, spouse, reciprocal beneficiary, or parent with a serious health condition. You need six consecutive months of state employment to qualify.6Justia. Hawaii Code 398-4 – Unpaid Leave Permitted You can substitute accrued vacation or sick leave for part of the unpaid period, though only sick leave in excess of the 15 days required under the state’s temporary disability benefits plan counts toward family leave.7Department of Human Resources Development. Family and Medical Leave The DOE provides combined FMLA and Hawaii Family Leave Law reference materials and forms through its intranet.8Hawaii State Department of Education. Family and Medical Leave Act and Hawaii Family Leave Law Reference Materials and Forms
How the Form Gets Approved
For certificated school-level employees, the approval chain is three steps. First, you submit the completed form and attachments to your principal or immediate supervisor. The principal reviews the request against the school’s operational needs and makes a recommendation. If it’s favorable, the principal forwards the original form and attachments to the Personnel Regional Officer.1Department of Education. Hawaii Department of Education Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees
The Personnel Regional Officer reviews for compliance with departmental policies and takes final approval action. After approval, the original form and attachments go to the Office of Talent Management, Certificated Employee Records and Transactions Section, which updates your personnel file.1Department of Education. Hawaii Department of Education Application for Leave of Absence Certificated School-Level Employees Keep a photocopy of everything you submit. The approved copy that comes back to you is your official proof of excused absence, and you’ll want it if a payroll question surfaces later.
The HIP Entry Is Not a Substitute
Salaried employees also enter leave in the Hawaii Information Portal: log in, open the Time tile, then Manage Absences, enter your start and end dates, and submit. The request routes to your supervisor for electronic approval.9Hawaii Information Portal. How To Submit A Leave Request The HIP entry handles payroll tracking, but it does not replace the paper Form DOE OTM 300-001 or G-1 for a formal leave of absence. File both.
Sabbatical Uses a Different Form
If you’re applying for sabbatical, you’re not filing Form DOE OTM 300-001. Sabbatical applications use Form DOE OTM 100-001, submitted on a separate timeline, with a written plan of coursework or research, recommendations from your principal and colleagues, and proof of eligibility. You need at least seven years of service in Hawaii’s public schools to qualify, and the compensation is full salary for a one-semester leave or half salary for a full school year.10Justia. Hawaii Code 302A-614 – Sabbatical Leaves Authorized
For a full year, your plan must include at least 15 semester credits of approved university coursework, research, or other professional activity, with the equivalent of at least a half-year on professional educational coursework. A one-semester sabbatical requires at least eight semester credits. The DOE grants at least 50 sabbaticals per year.11Department of Human Resources Development. Agreement Between the State of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Teachers Association Deadlines fall months before the sabbatical begins, and late applications aren’t accepted. For school year 2026–27, the deadline was February 27, 2026, with all materials submitted by email.
If Your Leave Is Unpaid, Watch Two Things
Leave without pay has consequences beyond the missing paycheck. Health insurance premiums and retirement service credit both change the moment the paid leave runs out.
Health Insurance
If your leave without pay is expected to last longer than 30 days, you have two choices through the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund. You can cancel your health plan enrollment by submitting Form EC-1 (or EC-1H for HSTA VB members) within 45 days of your authorized leave date, then re-enroll with the same form within 45 days of returning. Or you can keep your coverage active by paying the full premiums yourself, due to the EUTF by check, electronic check, credit card, or ACH payment by the end of each month.12EUTF. What Are My Options for Insurance Coverage When I’m on Leave Without Pay
If you do neither, your plans are cancelled for non-payment, and you may not be able to re-enroll until the next open enrollment period or a qualifying life event. For FMLA leave without pay, cancellation takes effect on the due date on the shortage notice. For USERRA leave, cancellation is retroactive to the leave-of-absence date.12EUTF. What Are My Options for Insurance Coverage When I’m on Leave Without Pay Even a short leave under 30 days can create a premium shortage, so check your pay stub to see if a partial payment is due.
Retirement Service Credit
Under the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System rules, a partial month counts as a full month of service credit if you worked at least 15 days (14 in February). For teachers, if unpaid absences total two and a half months or more in one semester, an additional month is excluded from your service credit calculation.13Department of Budget and Finance. ERS Chapter 21 – Hawaii Administrative Rules Factor that into any decision about whether to exhaust your accrued paid leave before going unpaid.
Returning to Work
If you took leave for health reasons, expect to provide fitness-for-duty clearance before resuming your position. The Department of Human Resources Development authorizes appointing authorities to require medical examinations, including physical or mental evaluations, to confirm fitness for duty, at no cost to you.14Department of Human Resources Development. Medical, Physical, and Mental Requirements
For FMLA-protected leave, the DOE can require periodic reports on your status and intent to return. If your expected return date shifts in either direction, the DOE can require reasonable notice, generally within two business days of learning the circumstances have changed.15U.S. Department of Labor. Family and Medical Leave Act Advisor Employees returning from USERRA-covered military service are entitled to reemployment in their former position or one comparable in seniority, status, and pay, provided the cumulative service limits are met.5U.S. Department of Labor. USERRA – A Guide to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
Hang onto your approved copy of Form DOE OTM 300-001 or G-1 after you return. It’s your official record of excused absence, and it’s what resolves disputes over payroll, leave balances, or seniority calculations that may surface weeks or months down the line.