Parental Leave and Parental Medical Leave
Eligible employees will be granted paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child. • The purpose of Parental Medical Leave is to provide a birth parent with time off for childbirth and to bond with the child. • The purpose of Parental Leave is to provide a mother, father, domestic partner, or adoptive parent with time off to bond with a newborn or newly adopted child. • It is the intent of this policy to provide faculty and staff with a paid leave benefit that runs concurrently with Family Medical Leave (FML) to the extent FML is available to the employee. • Use of this benefit of employment shall not have a negative impact on employment status or opportunities. • Parental Medical Leave and Parental leave is available to full- and part-time (who work 1,250 or more hours) benefit eligible employees with one or more years of service.
Scope
All financial and administrative policies involving community members across campus, including volunteers are within the scope of this policy. If there is a variance between departmental expectations and the common approach described through college policy, the college will look to the campus community, including volunteers to support the spirit and the objectives of college policy. Unless specifically mentioned in a college policy, the college’s Board of Trustees are governed by their Bylaws.
Policy
Parental Medical Leave
Parental medical leave generally commences following the birth of a child, but in some instances, may occur before the event when deemed medically necessary, provided all eligibility requirements are met.
Parental medical leave for faculty birth parents will generally commence at the start of the block in which the birth is anticipated.
Parental medical leave is to be used at one continuous period of time immediately after the birth.
Effective 4/1/2022, a birth parent who is a regular full or part-time employee who has less than a year of service with the college and who will give birth before reaching a year of service may take up to six weeks of paid leave (based on their regular work schedule) for the birth and recovery. The birth parent must use all of her accrued sick and vacation leave and the college will provide additional paid leave to reach the full six weeks.
Parental Leave
Parental leave generally commences following the birth or adoption of a child, but in some instances, may occur before the event when requisite to fulfill the legal requirements for an adoption, provided all eligibility requirements are met.
Parental leave is to be used at one continuous period of time during the first 12 months (for staff) and the first two semesters (for faculty) following the birth or adoption event.
Parental leave will run concurrently with Family Medical Leave (FML) to the extent FML is available to the employee. This policy and all college policies are in full compliance of FMLA. This policy does not provide additional benefits for leave outside of FMLA.
One leave benefit is available per employee per birth or adoption event. If both parents are employed by the college, each employee is eligible for the applicable parental medical and parental leave benefit per birth or adoption event. The number of children involved does not increase the length of leave granted for that event.
Notification procedures
Employee responsibilities
When use of leave is anticipated, the employee must consult with their supervisor and provide written notice to the supervisor, division head and human resources as far in advance as possible. Ordinarily, in the case of a birth, this is no later than four months before the estimated due date. For other events, such as adoption, this is ordinarily 30 days’ advance notice when the leave is foreseeable.
Submit an application for leave form in conjunction with any other appropriate documentation, pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy.
Coordinate with supervisor/department head regarding workload during the absence. Replacements will not normally be hired.
Ensure that an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership is on file with human resources for use of parental leave as a domestic partner.
Supervisor responsibilities
Ensure that human resources is notified of the impending leave.
Manage leave requests effectively to provide flexibility for individuals to use the leave when appropriate, while balancing remaining workloads within the department.
Human resources responsibilities
Consult with individuals and supervisors on appropriate use of leave and other applicable leave programs.
Consult with employee to assist with understanding of all benefits.
Consult with departments to ensure that leave is managed effectively for the birth parent domestic partner, or adoptive parent and on work-coverage arrangements.
Approval for leave
Staff
Approval for leave resides with the supervisor, department head, division head, and human resources. For exempt staff, the president or designee approves the leave.
Faculty
Approval for leave resides with the dean of the faculty and the president. Requests are to be routed to human resources and the dean of the faculty, and the planned absence discussed with the department chair.
Pay status during leave
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Employee birth parent – birth during appointment period |
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Parental medical leave |
Parental leave |
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Faculty |
Two blocks paid off (Block 1-7) |
None |
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Faculty |
One block paid off (Block 8) |
One block paid off to be taken within two semesters (fall and spring) of the birth |
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Staff |
Six weeks paid off (or more depending upon medical need) |
None |
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Employee Birth Parent – birth occurs outside of or at the beginning/end of an appointment period |
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Parental medical leave |
Combination of leave |
Parental leave |
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Faculty |
Determined by the number of days that are medically required during appointment period– Could be one or two blocks paid off |
Parental leave of one block paid off if parental medical leave is only one block |
If no use of parental medical leave during appointment period, one block paid off within two semesters (fall and spring) of birth |
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Staff |
Determined by the number of days that are medically required during appointment period– Could be up to six to eight weeks paid off |
Parental leave not paid if parental medical leave is equal to or exceeds three weeks of paid leave |
If no use of parental medical leave during appointment period, three weeks paid off |
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Faculty |
No parental medical leave as birth occurred outside of appointment |
No combination |
One block paid off within two semesters (fall and spring) of birth |
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Staff |
No parental medical leave as birth occurred outside of appointment |
No combination |
Three weeks paid off to be taken within 12 months of the event |
All other care-givers, including adoptive parents
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Parental leave |
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Faculty |
One block paid off to be taken within two semesters (fall and spring) of the event |
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Staff |
Three weeks paid off within 12 months of the event |
Procedures
None
Definitions
Adoption: a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relationship between persons not related by blood; the adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a biological child of the adoptive parents.
Adoptive parent: a parent who has taken a child into one’s family, through legal means, to raise as one’s own child.
Adopted child: a child up to 18 years of age who is adopted through public, private, domestic, international, or independent means and who is not the stepchild of the adoptive parent or the child of the adoptive parent’s domestic partner or spouse.
Birth: the emergence and separation of offspring from the body of the birth parent.
Birth parent: a person who gives birth to a child.
Domestic partner: a same- or opposite-sex adult partner (of the employee or is the employee) who has met the requirements of and has a completed Affidavit of Domestic Partnership on file with Human Resources.
Father: a male who is legally responsible for child rearing as a parent.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to “eligible” employees for certain family and medical reasons.
Medical certification: includes that date the condition began, its expected duration, and a brief statement of treatment.
Mother: a female who is legally responsible for child rearing as a parent.
Off block: no teaching or administrative responsibilities
Parental leave: a period of leave for the purpose of caring for and bonding with a newborn or newly adopted child that is not parental medical leave.
Parental medical leave: a period of leave for the purpose of childbirth and for time to bond with a child, as specified by a certified medical provider.
Year of service: the 12-month period immediately before the date of birth or adoption event, during which the employee has obtained at least 1,250 hours of active pay status for FMLA eligibility.