(a) The employee may elect to take leave for a period or periods of a particular duration, not to exceed the duration of the anticipated medical treatment; or

(b) The employee may elect to transfer temporarily to an available alternative position that better accommodates recurring periods of leave than the regular position of the employee. The teacher must be qualified for the alternative position, and the position must have pay and benefits that are equivalent to the pay and benefits of the employee’s regular position.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of ORS 659A.150 to 659A.186, if a teacher commences a period of family leave for the purpose specified in ORS 659A.159 (1)(c) more than five weeks before the end of an academic term, the employer of the teacher may require that the employee continue on family leave until the end of the term if:

(a) The leave is of at least three weeks’ duration; and

(b) The employee’s return to employment would occur during the three-week period before the end of the term.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of ORS 659A.150 to 659A.186, if a teacher commences a period of family leave for one of the purposes specified in ORS 659A.159 (1)(a) or (b) during the five weeks before the end of an academic term, the employer of the teacher may require that the employee continue on family leave until the end of the term if:

(a) The leave is of at least two weeks’ duration; and

(b) The employee’s return to employment would occur during the two-week period before the end of the term.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of ORS 659A.150 to 659A.186, if a teacher commences a period of family leave for one of the purposes specified in ORS 659A.159 (1)(a), (b) or (e) during the three-week period before the end of the term, and the duration of the leave is greater than five working days, the employer of the teacher may require that the employee continue on family leave until the end of the term.

(5) The provisions of this section apply only to an employee who is employed principally in an instructional capacity by a public kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school or education service district. [Formerly 659.488; 2013 c.384 §5]