INTRODUCTION

UAB/UAB Medicine is committed to creating and maintaining a work culture that supports faculty and staff in their efforts to balance their work responsibilities with the demands of personal and family life. This is critical for the organization if it is to continue the path to preeminence, achieve the goals of diversity, and maintain competitiveness in the successful recruitment and retention of the brightest and the best faculty and staff. The Paid Parental Leave Policy supports these goals and values by allowing parents additional flexibility and time to bond with their new child, adjust to their new family situation, and balance their professional obligations.

SCOPE

Employees must meet eligibility requirements for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in order to be eligible for Paid Parental Leave. Eligible Employees must have been employed at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months with UAB/UAB Medicine. Employees are eligible to use Paid Parental Leave anytime during the first six months following the birth or adoption of a child.

DEFINITIONS

For purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:

Eligible Employee: UAB/UAB Medicine faculty or staff member in a benefit eligible category who meets FMLA eligibility. Employee must have been employed for one year and worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months with UAB/UAB Medicine. (See Paid Parental Leave Eligibility Requirements.)

Family and Medical Leave Act or FMLA: The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2611 et. seq.

Parent: A UAB/UAB Medicine faculty or staff member who is a legal parent of a newborn or newly adopted child. A legal parent is one whose name appears on the child's birth certificate, a legal document establishing paternity, or a legal document establishing adoption.

Paid Parental Leave: A period of paid leave of absence (that does not reduce an Eligible Employee's balance of any accrued benefit time such as sick, vacation, PTO/ETO, or personal holidays) for the purpose of recovery from the birth of a child and/or to bond with a newborn or with a newly-adopted child who is under the age of 19. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Paid Parental Leave runs concurrently with an Eligible Employee's FMLA leave.

POLICY STATEMENT

UAB/UAB Medicine will provide up to four work weeks (20 days/160 hours maximum) Paid Parental Leave to an Eligible Employee during the first six months following birth or adoption. Paid Parental Leave may be taken continuously or intermittently within the first six months following birth or adoption.

Departments should be flexible in managing Paid Parental Leave requests to allow faculty and staff to handle career and family responsibilities effectively and efficiently.

With the request of intermittent Paid Parental Leave, workload and scheduling must be reviewed and approved in advance by the appropriate supervisory authority.

Eligible Employees may utilize Paid Parental Leave once during a rolling 12-month period based on the date of the birth or adoption.

Leave Provisions

All Paid Parental Leave described in this Policy is based on full-time regular status and/or prorated based on full-time equivalency for part-time regular status and shall be available for a 6-month period following birth of a child or the date of adoption or placement for adoption.

The Paid Parental Leave will generally begin immediately following the birth or adoption of a child. Paid Parental Leave will be paid at 100 percent of an Eligible Employee's straight-time, regular base pay (based on full-time equivalency/FTE) for the specified amount of time outlined in this policy.

The fact that a multiple birth or adoption occurs (for example, the birth or adoption of twins) does not increase the length of Paid Parental Leave granted for that event.

An Eligible Employee who is the birth or adoptive parent of a newborn or newly adopted child may receive up to four work weeks (160 hours maximum) of Paid Parental Leave for recovery from childbirth and/or to bond with the newborn or newly adopted child. This leave must be taken within six months of the birth or adoption.

If both Parents are employed by UAB/UAB Medicine, each Parent may receive up to four work weeks (160 hours maximum) of Paid Parental Leave within six months of the birth or adoption.

Nine-month Faculty and Staff

Eligible Employees on nine-month appointments may receive four work weeks of Paid Parental Leave during the regular contractual period, typically 15-Aug through 14-May. Paid Parental Leave can be taken continuously or intermittently within the first six contractual months following the birth or adoption. The non-contractual period does not normally count toward the six months of eligibility for using Paid Parental Leave. If birth or adoption occurs during the non-contractual period, eligibility for Paid Parental Leave will begin with a new contractual period. Nine-month faculty will receive holiday pay in lieu of a Paid Parental Leave during fall break, spring break, and the time between fall and spring semesters provided the Eligible Employee is in a paid status the day before and the day after the official designated holiday.

Nine-month faculty or staff who have a summer contract or are compensated by UAB may elect to be eligible for and utilize Paid Parental Leave (either continuously or intermittently) during that time period, with supervisor approval. If so, that time will count toward the six months of eligibility for using Paid Parental Leave.

Intermittent and Reduced Schedule Leave

Paid Parental Leave may be taken during the first six months following the birth or adoption on a continuous, intermittent (separate blocks of time), or reduced schedule (reduced number of work hours per day or per week) basis. Intermittent or reduced schedule Paid Parental Leave requires supervisory approval. An Eligible Employee must consult with their supervisor and make a reasonable effort to schedule intermittent or reduced schedule Paid Parental Leave so as not to unduly disrupt the department's or unit's operations.

Concurrent with the FMLA Leave

Family and Medical Leave remains 12 work weeks in duration.
FMLA will not exceed 12 work weeks.
Paid Parental Leave counts toward the 12 work week FMLA entitlement.
Paid Parental Leave is a paid portion of FMLA which does not extend the number of work weeks available for use.

Notice

An Eligible Employee shall initially notify their supervisor of the need for Paid Parental Leave and the timing, duration, and schedule of the Paid Parental Leave. If the need for Paid Parental Leave is foreseeable, an Eligible Employee must give their supervisor at least 30 calendar days advance notice of the need for leave, if practicable. If the need for Paid Parental Leave is not foreseeable, an Eligible Employee or their representative must give notice of the need for leave to the Eligible Employee's supervisor and the Leave of Absence Coordinator or designated representative as soon as practicable. An Eligible Employee shall follow up the request for Paid Parental Leave in writing on an appropriate leave request form. If the Eligible Employee is requesting intermittent or reduced schedule Paid Parental Leave, the Eligible Employee's supervisor must approve the request.

Holidays

If an employee receives designated holidays and an official holiday occurs during the Eligible Employee's Paid Parental Leave, the Eligible Employee will receive holiday pay in lieu of a Paid Parental Leave day, provided the Eligible Employee is in a paid status the day before and the day after the official designated holiday.

Group Health Insurance

UAB/UAB Medicine will continue to pay its share of the cost of an Eligible Employee's group health insurance during a Paid Parental Leave. The Eligible Employee's share of the premium will be deducted from the Eligible Employee's pay in accordance with normal practice.

Medical Documentation

An Eligible Employee is required to furnish appropriate medical documentation for the birth of a child. Since Paid Parental Leave runs concurrently with FMLA, medical certification requirements for FMLA govern. The medical documentation should be completed and signed by the appropriate health care provider. If Paid Parental Leave is due to the birth of a child, the birth mother must obtain a return-to-work statement from her health care provider and present it to Employee Health or designated HR Representative prior to or upon returning to work.

Adoption Documentation

An Eligible Employee will be required to furnish appropriate adoption documentation, such as a letter from an adoption agency or from the attorney, in cases of private adoptions.

Coordination of Paid Parental Leave with Other Leave

Paid Parental Leave may be used in conjunction with a variety of paid and unpaid leaves such as sick time, vacation, PTO/ETO, and personal holidays. An Eligible Employee should consult with the Leave of Absence Coordinator or with their HR Consultant or Representative for assistance when planning a Paid Parental Leave.

IMPLEMENTATION

The UAB Office of the Vice President for Financial Affairs and Administration and UAB Medicine Leadership are responsible for procedures to implement this policy.