Postdoctoral Fellows Parental Leave
Pursuant to Policy 6-309, Academic Staff, Educational Trainees, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Medical House staff, and Rule 6-309A, Postdoctoral Fellows Parental Leave, eligible University Postdoctoral Fellows may receive Parental Leave Benefits with full pay for a period of up to a total of eight (8) weeks to care for a child born, adopted, or fostered on July 1, 2022, or after.
Requesting Postdoctoral Parental Leave
Postdocs should complete the Postdoctoral Fellows Parental Leave form. Completed forms should be submitted at least 90 days before the anticipated birth or as soon as reasonably possible before adoption or foster placement.
Highlights of Postdoctoral Fellows Parental Leave
The University provides parental leave benefits for the birth, foster placement, or adoption of children by Postdoctoral Fellows in all academic units.
The Postdoc may work part-time during parental leave, which may extend beyond eight calendar weeks. However, the paid leave time under this rule is limited to a cumulative eight weeks in total.
Eligible Postdoctoral Fellows should apply for Parental Leave at least 12 weeks before the leave is expected to begin or as soon as reasonably possible before an adoption or foster placement.
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will forward any Postdoctoral Fellow’s Parental Leave requests to HR Absence Management Team for FMLA consideration.
The Postdoctoral Fellow and their faculty advisor must have a written agreement that outlines the Postdoctoral Fellow's duties and how they will fulfill them after taking parental leave, including the length of leave and whether part-time work will be required.
External postdoctoral fellowships may need formal notification and approval from the funding agency for an extension beyond the standard duration as stipulated in the fellowship award terms, in certain cases.
After taking a paid parental leave under this rule, a Postdoctoral Fellow is entitled to return to their position with the same rate of pay and benefits as if they had not taken the leave. Failure to return to their position may lead to termination of employment and loss of pay and benefits.
A paid parental leave of absence (including both Disability Leave Benefits and Caregiving Leave Benefits) taken under this rule runs concurrently with leave available under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and does not extend or defer FMLA leave.
Postdoctoral Fellows are not eligible for parental leave benefits if they do not become the legal parent or guardian of the child after arrival. However, the person who gives birth may be eligible for benefits under other University regulations related to health-related leave and the Family Medical Leave Act.