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The University provides paid leave to eligible University employees to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition, including the employee’s spouse, child, parent, sponsored adult dependent, or the child of a sponsored adult dependent with a serious health condition, as certified by a healthcare provider.

If any part of this policy does not reflect the Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR), the provisions of the CRR will govern.

HR Policy Provisions

HR-422 policy provisions below are in accordance with CRR 340.015 (Bd. Min. 9-7-22):

1. Purpose – Provide paid time away from work to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition, including an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital or other medical facility; any period of incapacity due to pregnancy or for prenatal care; or other serious health condition as defined in policy HR-407 FMLA Paragraph C (CRR 340.010 Paragraph C).
2. Eligibility – Regular benefit-eligible administrative, service and support employees and certain non-regular academic employees as approved by the Chancellor and President.
3. Time Off Available
   
   1. Eligible employees may receive up to a total of two (2) workweeks of approved caregiver leave over a rolling 12-month period.
      
      1. Two workweeks are defined as a cumulative total of 80 hours. Employees working on the basis of 75 percent – 99 percent full-time equivalency will be eligible for prorated caregiver leave hours.
      2. A rolling 12-month period is defined as the 12 months measured backward from the date an employee uses caregiver leave. With this “rolling” method, each time an employee uses caregiver leave, the remaining time off available is the leave balance the employee did not use during the immediately preceding 12 months.
   2. Caregiver leave is available in any increments, including for continuous absences, reduced work schedules, and intermittent absences, provided a health care provider certifies the expected duration and schedule of such leave.
   3. Employees must follow the department's procedures for requesting time off and calling in absences when on reduced work schedule or intermittent caregiver leave. Failure to do so may result in caregiver leave pay not being approved for those days.
4. Compensation and Benefits
   
   1. Caregiver leave benefits provide 100% pay based on the employee’s Annual Base Benefit Rate (ABBR) when the leave begins, subject to ABBR maximums allowed.
   2. Employees requesting time off in excess of approved caregiver leave pay may request time off using other available leave (e.g., PTO).
   3. Additional leave of absence (LOA) information
      
      1. Employees continue to accrue paid time off (PTO) during paid LOAs.
         

         1. The period of paid and unpaid leaves of absence are counted as length of service in computing PTO accrual rates.

         2. PTO accruals become available to the employee after returning to work in an active status.

      2. Employees eligible for other available leave during approved LOAs (e.g., holiday pay, winter break pay) are eligible to receive such pay during a paid LOA. However, in no case should the combination of paid leaves exceed the employee’s base pay.
      3. During a paid and unpaid LOA, employees are eligible to continue participation in the University's employee benefit programs (medical, dental, life, vision, etc.). Employees are responsible for their portion of the premium costs for coverage to continue.
      4. During a paid LOA, employee contributions to retirement programs and other required deductions (e.g., garnishments) will continue. Voluntary deductions will continue unless approved or directed to stop by the authorizing organization (e.g., parking, union dues).
      5. Whether or not an LOA is pension credible towards vesting, service, or salary credit for members of the Defined Benefit Plan or Hybrid Plan is based on the type of leave granted (e.g., FMLA Leave or Personal Leave) in accordance with CRR 530.010. For participants in the Defined Contribution Plan, the leave period is not considered a break in service in calculating vesting service.
5. Coordination of caregiver and parental leave - Employees who are approved for both caregiver leave and parental leave pursuant to HR-423 for the same qualifying reason (e.g., the birth of a child) will receive eligible pay in the following order unless otherwise requested:
   

   1. Caregiver leave
   2. Parental leave

6. Procedure Information
   
   1. Employees must work with their supervisor to plan for time off due to a caregiver qualifying leave.
   2. Employees must submit written notification to the �������ϲʹ������� System Human Resources benefits office within thirty (30) calendar days before the anticipated need or as soon as practical. Employees may need proof of relationship confirming the family member for which the requested leave is eligible under the policy.
   3. Official documentation of the need for leave is required before the approval of caregiver leave pay.
      
      1. Official documentation includes notice from a health care provider as defined by FMLA regulations. Examples include a doctor of medicine or osteopathy who is authorized to practice medicine or surgery by the state in which the doctor practices; podiatrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, optometrists, physician assistants, chiropractors, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and clinical social workers authorized to practice in the state in which they practice and performing within the scope of their practice; and Christian Science practitioners listed with the First Church of Christ, Scientist.
      2. Delays in submitted appropriate documentation and fulfilling other required procedures may delay the approval and submission of caregiver leave pay.
   4. Caregiver leave runs concurrently with other applicable leave types and is subject to approval by the University in accordance with applicable leave.
      
      1. Other leave types include Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) or personal leave.
      2. If applicable, time off will count against the employee’s FMLA entitlement.
   5. Time off for caregiver leave must be recorded in the University’s timekeeping system as part of the regular payroll processing cycle.

See Also

HR-422 Caregiver Leave Q&As
HR-423 Parental Leave
HR-407 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Date Effective: Posted 10-01-2023 with an effective date of 01-01-2024
Date Revised: