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III-22.8 Parental Leave and Accommodation Policy

III-22.8 Parental Leave Policy

Effective August 1, 2023, this policy has been revised. For the most current version without redlining, return to III-22.8.

  1. Purpose. To provide parents time off to care for and bond with a child newly added to the family and, to the extent permitted by state law, to be paid during such leave. To adapt an employee's work schedule and/or duties to help reduce conflict with parental obligations.
  2. Leave eligibility: faculty, professional and scientific staff, and non-organized merit system staff.
    1. A birth mother (i.e., an employee who gives birth) An employee who gives birth is entitled to leave for any period of pregnancy-related temporary disability, to be charged against accrued sick leave. Based on current medical practice, a leave of 6 weeks or less following the birth would not require the employee to provide disability documentation. If an employee's accumulated sick leave is insufficient to cover the 6-week period of disability, the leave balance will be charged, at the employee's request, to vacation time (as applicable), compensatory time (as applicable), available donations through the Catastrophic Leave Program (III-22.9), or a leave of absence without pay. Any request for non–medically necessary absence beyond the 6-week period of disability is considered as a leave of absence without pay  or as vacation.
    2. A newly adoptive parent is entitled to 1 week (5 days) of paid adoption leave to be charged against accrued sick leave. Departments are encouraged to practice flexibility when working with employees to meet the needs of their growing family using available leave accruals. Time not charged to accrued sick leave may be charged to accrued vacation (as applicable), compensatory time (as applicable), or taken as leave without pay.
    3. It is the employee’s responsibility to inform their supervisor at the earliest possible time about the number of days required for leave.
    4. Recognizing the wide variety of family types that exist, the University strongly encourages departments and units to be flexible in granting additional time off beyond what is described above to be supportive of the emotional and physical well-being of the employee and/or their family.
  3. Reasonable accommodations and/or adaptation to employment duties/schedule.
    1. The university will provide reasonable accommodations to an employee’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause undue hardship to the university.
    2. Probationary faculty. For each minor child newly added to the family of a probationary faculty member (e.g., biological, adopted, stepchild, or by guardianship) during the probationary period or within 2 years prior to the initial appointment, the faculty member shall be eligible for extension of the probationary period as provided in III-10.1a(4)(e)(1).
    3. Departments are strongly encouraged to work with faculty and staff to modify schedules and duties, such as travel, to assist new parents.
  4. Family Caregiving Leave. See III-22.3 above.

(See also III-24 Flexible Scheduling.)