6 - 11.12
Administrative policy regarding paid parental leave for staff who are not in a recognized bargaining unit
- Purpose. To provide a maximum of six weeks of paid parental leave to eligible employees to recover from childbirth and/or to care for or bond with a child.
- Eligibility. This policy applies to all eligible employees who are not in a recognized bargaining unit.
- In order to be eligible for paid parental leave, an employee must have become a new parent as a birth mother, birth father, domestic partner, an adoptive parent, or foster care parent with legal custody or guardianship, or domestic partner.
- Normally, an employee must have completed at least one full year of full-time service prior to the date paid parental leave is to commence. However, an employee who becomes eligible for paid leave within the first six weeks of taking unpaid leave can switch over to paid leave for the remainder of that initial six week period (meaning, for example, an employee who takes FMLA leave following the birth of their child and then becomes eligible for paid leave two weeks into their FMLA leave, would then be entitled to four weeks of paid leave).
- One paid parental leave benefit is available per employee, per birth, adoption, or foster care placement event, no matter the number of children involved.
- Eligible parents who are both employed with the university are individually entitled to use paid parental leave.
- There shall be no limit placed on the age of a newly adopted or foster care child for purposes of eligibility to utilize paid parental leave.
- Procedures.
- Paid parental leave is paid at one hundred per cent of the employee’s regular base rate of compensation at the time leave is taken.
- An employee must provide the university with at least thirty days advance written notice of intent to use paid parental leave unless such notice is not practicable, in which case the employee must give notice as soon as practicable.
- An employee must exhaust paid parental leave and accrued sick and vacation leave prior to using any unpaid leave to which they may be entitled.
- Paid parental leave shall run concurrently with all types of unpaid leave, including FMLA leave, and shall be calculated using the same twelve month rolling period as provided in rule 3342-6-11.11 of the Administrative Code.
- Paid parental leave must be used on a continuous leave basis, but breaks in the continuous leave may be used as long as the parental leave occurs within the first twelve weeks of the event.
- Unless otherwise permitted as an accommodation, paid parental leave under this policy should begin immediately upon the birth, adoption, or foster placement of the child.
- An additional six weeks of leave either from the employee’s own accumulated total sick leave and/or vacation or time transferred to the employee from leave that is donated in accordance with university policy 3342-6-11.4 of the Administrative Code, may be used to supplement the paid parental leave benefit so that the parent is able to maintain income the entire twelve weeks of FMLA eligibility following childbirth, adoption, or foster care placement, for the purpose of recovery from childbirth, and bonding.
- Paid parental leave shall be used during the twelve weeks immediately following the birth, adoption or foster care placement. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and the employee's request is subject to approval by the vice president for the division of people, culture and belonging or their designee.
- An employee who uses paid parental leave is required to return to full-time work for at least one full year following the conclusion of the paid parental leave. If the employee does not fulfill this obligation, he/she must reimburse the University for the compensation that he/she received during the leave. This requirement may be waived if the employee is unable to return to work due to a disabling medical condition, to care for a newborn with a serious medical condition(s), or other circumstances beyond the employee's control.
- Employees will continue to be on active pay status during their six weeks of paid parental leave. During the period the employee is using paid parental leave, there shall be no accrual of sick leave and/or vacation.
- Paid parental leave is a benefit of employment and its use shall not have a negative impact on the employee's evaluation, promotion, or employment status.
Policy Effective Date:
Aug 30, 2025
Policy Prior Effective Dates:
1/1/2017, 12/03/2018