Parental Leave
Parental leave is paid leave provided by the University to an employee for the purpose of bonding with a newly-born, adopted, or newly-assigned foster child, and to make necessary arrangements for the care of the child. This policy is administered in compliance with the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, as Amended, which requires supporting documentation. If employees qualify, parental leave runs concurrently with family medical leave.
If an employee has nine or more months of continuous service at the time of parental leave the University will provide six weeks of consecutive paid parental leave from the date of the baby鈥檚 birth. Those employees whose continuous service is more than three months, but less than nine months, will qualify for one week of paid parental leave for each full month of continuous service, beginning with the fourth month. The leave must be taken consecutively and will begin on the date of the baby鈥檚 birth. Please see the chart below:
- 4 months of employment = 1 week of paid leave
- 5 months of employment = 2 weeks of paid leave
- 6 months of employment = 3 weeks of paid leave
- 7 months of employment = 4 weeks of paid leave
- 8 months of employment = 5 weeks of paid leave
- 9 months or more of employment = 6 weeks of paid leave
Employees whose period of actual medical disability (as determined by a physician) exceeds six weeks will be able to use accumulated sick or vacation leave to extend the period of paid leave. Should an employee have insufficient sick or vacation leave to cover an extended medical disability, an employee would be entitled to unpaid parental leave up to 12 weeks with supporting documentation. The maximum amount of parental leave requested cannot exceed 12 weeks in any continuous 12-month period for any individual or married couple, if both are employed by the University.
Eligible faculty members may apply for one semester of paid parental leave. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook for additional information including eligibility details.
Application for parental leave is made to the supervisor/department chair, and authority to grant the leave is shared by the supervisor/department chair in consultation with the benefits and wellness unit. The maximum amount of parental leave may not exceed 6 weeks of parental leave in any one 12-month period. These policies are administered in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, as Amended, which requires supporting medical documentation. For more information, please contact the benefits and wellness unit (ext. 1365) or refer to your Policy manual.