Printed on: 06/23/2017. Please go to http://policy.umn.edu for the most current version of the Policy or related document.

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY

Parental Leave for Academic Employees

Responsible University Officer(s):

  • Vice President for Human Resources

Policy Owner(s):

  • Director of Total Compensation

Policy contact(s):

Date Revised:

May 2008

Effective Date:

May 2008

POLICY STATEMENT

The University provides for paid and unpaid parental leave for eligible academic employees related to the birth or adoption of children in accordance with Minnesota statutes and the provisions of this policy.

Provisions and Terms

Scope

This policy governs paid and unpaid parental leave for faculty, academic professional and administrative (P&A), graduate assistant, and select professionals-in-training employees. Excluded from coverage under this policy are: (1) union-represented faculty and staff employees whose rights are governed by collective bargaining agreements, (2) civil service employees, (3) professionals-in-training who hold appointments in 9550 to 9599 classifications, (4) student employees, and (5) “without salary” appointments. Trainees holding an appointment in a 956x or 958x classification who receive stipends may be prohibited from receiving parental leave benefits under the terms of their awards. These individuals are afforded parental leave if a provision is provided through the parameters of their funding sources.

General Information

Eligibility

Parental leave provided by this policy is available to eligible academic employees who have been employed by the University for at least nine months and who are either full-time employees or part-time employees who provide an average of 20 or more hours of service per week. Employment in faculty, P&A, civil service, and student/professional training positions will be counted toward the nine-month eligibility period.

Teaching appointments (instructors of record and teaching assistants) in summer session and CEE must be recognized in determining eligibility for parental leave. Summer session appointments will be counted at the percentage time for the dates shown on the employee's Notice of Appointment or, if pay is hourly, on the actual hours paid. Appointments in extension classes paid on a credit hour basis will be counted as 30 hours per term for each credit taught. Noncredit courses will be computed on the basis of ten contact hours in the classroom as being equal to one credit. If the appointment is on a clock hour basis, the actual hours paid will be used to determine eligibility. Short-term conferences, seminars, workshops, and independent study activities are not counted.

Paid and Unpaid Parental Leave Available

  1. Eligible faculty (94xx) and P&A employees (93xx, 96xx, and 97xx):
    • A female academic employee may, upon request, take up to six weeks leave with pay related to the birth of her child. The employee need not prove actual disability during this six-week period. To the extent this leave exceeds six weeks for disability, it will be covered under the Administrative Policy: Paid Medical Leave and Disability Benefits for Faculty and Academic Professional and Administrative Employees.
    • A male faculty or P&A employee may, upon request, take up to two weeks leave with pay and four weeks leave without pay related to the birth or adoption of a child.
    • A female faculty or P&A employee may, upon request, take up to two weeks leave with pay and four weeks leave without pay related to the adoption of a child.
  2. Eligible graduate assistant (select 95xx) and post-doctoral associate (9546) employees:
    • A female graduate assistant or postdoctoral associate employee may, upon request, take up to six weeks leave with pay related to the birth of a child and up to two weeks paid leave related to the adoption of a child.
    • A male graduate assistant or postdoctoral associate employee may, upon request, take up to two weeks leave with pay related to the birth or adoption of a child.
  3. Departments may choose, at their option, to adopt a policy for professionals-in-training classifications (select 95xx) that do not have access to the parental leave as covered under this policy. This provision may provide for up to six weeks paid leave to female professionals-in-training related to the birth of a child and up to two weeks paid leave related to adoption of a child. Male professionals-in-training may be provided up to two weeks paid leave related to the birth or adoption of a child.
Timing of Leave

The parental leave may begin at a time requested by the employee, but no later than six weeks after the birth or adoption and no sooner than two weeks before the birth or adoption. In the case where the child must remain in the hospital longer than the mother, the leave must begin no later than six weeks after the child leaves the hospital. A request to use parental leave must be submitted to the responsible administrator/supervisor at least four weeks in advance, except in unusual circumstances.

Leave Requirements

The parental leave must fall within the regular term of appointment. It must be taken consecutively and without interruption. In all cases, paid leave must be taken in conjunction with and/or prior to unpaid leave.

Note: Parental leave during summer session and extension class teaching appointments will be without pay.

Employee Benefits

During the parental leave, coverage will continue to be available for the employee and any dependents under any group insurance policy, group subscriber contract, or health care plan in existence at time of leave. While on paid leave, the continued coverage will be provided on the same basis as available to the employee during the course of employment. While on unpaid leave, the continued coverage will be available at the employee’s expense.

REASON FOR POLICY

This policy implements Board of Regents Policy: Employee Work-Life and Personal Leaves. The University provides parental leave to eligible academic employees to permit time away from work for bonding related to the birth or adoption of a child. For the birth mother, the parental leave also incorporates additional time for physical recovery from the birth.

PROCEDURES

There are no procedures associated with this policy.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

There are no forms associated with this policy.

APPENDICES

There are no appendices associated with this policy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Can a birth mother take six weeks of paid medical leave for physical recovery from the birth and then, after the medical leave, take an additional six weeks of paid parental leave?

    No. The birth mother cannot take more than a total of six weeks paid medical and parental leave combined in connection with the birth of her child, unless the mother qualifies for additional time under the paid medical leave for her physical recovery. As stated under the Reason for Policy section of the parental leave policy, the six weeks of paid parental leave for the birth mother is for the purposes of both bonding with the child and recovery from the physical disability associated with the birth.

  2. Is paid leave extended when a holiday occurs during parental leave for academic employees?

    The parental leave policy language refers to weeks leave with pay, rather than work days leave with pay. Thus, no additional paid days are added when a holiday occurs.

CONTACTS

Subject
Contact
Phone
Fax/Email
General Information or Procedural Assistance for Faculty and P&A employees
  • Primary: Responsible administrator/supervisor
  • Secondary: Local campus, college, or administrative unit HR administrator
  • Other (as needed): Office of Human Resources specialist or consultant
Office of Human Resources Specialist and Consultant List
Office of Human Resources Specialist and Consultant List
General Information or Procedural Assistance for 95xx graduate assistant or professionals-in-training employees
  • Graduate Assistant Employment and Services
    200 Donhowe Building
    319 15th Ave SE
    Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-7070
612-625-9801 (fax)
Email: gaesinfo@umn.edu
Document Processing
  • Office of Human Resources Call Center
612-625-2016

DEFINITIONS

There are no definitions associated with this policy.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Academic Employees
  • Request leave in advance, except in unusual circumstances.
Responsible Administrator/Supervisor
  • Respond to parental leave request.
  • Provide additional information with regard to the FMLA leave Administrative Policy: Family and Medical - FMLA Leave and extended unpaid leave under the Administrative Policy: Unpaid Personal Leaves for Faculty and Academic Professional and Administrative Employees .
  • Ensure that parental leave is documented in the Human Resources Management System (HRMS).

RELATED INFORMATION

HISTORY

Amended:
May 2008 - Policy converted to the new University-wide format for administrative policies.
Amended:
February 2007 - Policy moved from a Board of Regents policy to an Administrative Policy with edits.
Amended:
November 1990, August 1988, May 1985
Adopted:
June 1983
Effective:
May 2008
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