Medical leave, teaching relief for child rearing, parental leave, and caregivers leave

Faculty guidelines on teaching relief for child rearing, parental leave, and medical leave

Note: These guidelines apply to faculty in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and all professional schools except the School of Medicine (which includes the School of Public Health). Information for Medical School and Public Health faculty is available from its Office of Academic and Professional Development. These guidelines are interpretations of the Faculty Handbook, section XIX; the Handbook is the official University policy.

Yale policies on medical and parental leave accord with federal and Connecticut family and medical leave laws (FMLA).

Quick links to policies below:

PAID LEAVES AND TIME OFF

Teaching Relief for Child Rearing (TRC)

How to apply:

Use the same request form that is used for applying for research leaves.  It is posted under step 1 on the following page:  https://facultyadmin.yale.edu/academic-career-events/leaves-teaching-relief. 

In the Comments field enter the actual or anticipated date of the birth or adoption.

Which faculty are eligible? Fulltime ladder and non-ladder instructional faculty.

This benefit provides: one semester with no teaching responsibilities, for the purpose of providing – at least half-time during normal working hours – substantial and sustained care of a newborn or newly adopted child under the age of 6 years. During the semester of TRC, the faculty member remains responsible for non-instructional duties as are consistent with the purpose of the benefit. Parents who give birth during the semester of TRC may take short-term medical disability (SMD), during which they have no obligations to Yale. SMD for childbirth is normally concurrent with the semester of TRC. Only one semester of TRC may be taken per birth event.

Compensation & fringe benefits: during a semester of TRC, the faculty member continues to receive the full amount of their regular compensation and their regular benefits.

Timing: the semester of TRC can be taken within one year of birth or adoption.

If both parents are Yale faculty: each faculty parent is eligible for the full benefits applicable to their respective appointments.

Relation to FMLA and state paid family and medical leave programs (PFML): TRC is not a leave – it grants only teaching relief. For this reason, it does not count as time under FMLA or state PFML.

Relation to Yale policies on leaves: TRC does not count as a semester of teaching toward eligibility for triennial leave of absence or other paid leave. It does not count as a semester of leave when considering the policy in Section XIX.A.7 that “no member of a University faculty may be on leave, whether paid or unpaid, more than four semesters in a seven-year period.”

Relation to extensions of ladder appointments (i.e., the tenure “clock”): tenure-track ladder faculty who take one semester of TRC are eligible to receive a one-year extension of the maximum time in the non-tenure ladder ranks (up to a maximum of two such extensions in a faculty member’s time at Yale). The extension is applied to the current appointment. Note that a faculty member who is currently being reviewed for reappointment or promotion will only be eligible for the extension if the outcome of the review is successful. See the Faculty Handbook section III.F for this policy.

Faculty Handbook reference: see section XIX.D. 4. Teaching Relief for Child Rearing for Ladder and Non-ladder Instructional Faculty.

Parental Leave for Research Faculty

How to apply:

Step one:  Use the same request form that is used for applying for academic leaves.  It is posted under step 1 on the following page:  https://facultyadmin.yale.edu/academic-career-events/leaves-teaching-relief. 

In the Comments field enter the actual or anticipated date of the birth or adoption.  

Step two: Upon receipt of approval, go to https://www.ctpaidleave.org/Claims?language=en_US to apply for the funding from Connecticut Paid Leave (CTPL).

Step three:  Send the CTPL account number to Diane Rodrigues, Director of Faculty Administrative Services (OFAS) at diane.rodrigues@yale.edu to complete the Employment Verification Form that is required for the PFML application.

Which faculty are eligible? Benefits-eligible research faculty on multi-year appointments or who have held continuous appointments for more than one year.

This benefit provides: eight weeks of leave for the purpose of providing – at least half-time during normal working hours – substantial and sustained care of a newborn or newly adopted child under the age of 6 years. An additional eight weeks may be taken as part-time work at part-time compensation.  Paid parental leave is available only once for each birth event or adoption.

Compensation & benefits: this is a paid leave during which the faculty member will be eligible for 100% of regular compensation from a combination of Yale payroll and income replacement from state paid family and medical leave program (CTPL). During this leave, the faculty member’s first source of compensation is Connecticut (or other state) paid leave funding, and the second source of compensation is Yale salary.

In order to receive 100% of regular salary, the faculty member who is eligible for funding from the state CTPL program must apply for funding from the state. Click here (https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US) for information on applying for CTPL funding. Yale will pay only the portion of regular salary above the amount of funding that the faculty member is eligible to receive from the state’s PFML program. For example, if the faculty member is eligible to receive $941.40 per week from the state CTPL program, Yale will pay the regular salary minus $941.40 per week. No one may collect more than 100% of salary from the combination of state CTPL funds and Yale salary. During the leave, the faculty member’s regular University benefits will continue. 

Timing: this leave can be taken within one year of birth or adoption.

If both parents are Yale faculty: each faculty parent is eligible for the full benefits applicable to their respective appointments. 

Relation to FMLA and CTPL: this leave counts as time under FMLA and state CTPL.

Faculty Handbook reference: see section XIX.D.5. Parental Leave for Research Faculty.

Short-term medical disability (SMD)

How to apply:

Step one:  Obtain a letter from your attending physician documenting the nature and duration of the disability.  The letter must be on letterhead from the physician’s practice and contain the following details:

•   Start and anticipated end dates of the period of incapacity
•   Job functions that are affected by the medical condition or its treatment
•   Confirmation that the employee is unable to perform essential functions of his or her job
•   Frequency of time off – intermittent or continuous (if intermittent, the number of hours per day and/or number of days per week)
•   Accommodations needed, if any

Step two: Email the physician’s letter to Diane Rodrigues, Director of Faculty Administrative Services (OFAS), at diane.rodrigues@yale.edu.

Step three:  Upon receipt of approval, go to https://www.ctpaidleave.org/Claims?language=en_US to apply for the funding from Connecticut Paid Leave (CTPL).

Step four:  Send the PFML account number to Diane Rodrigues, Director of Faculty Administrative Services (OFAS) at diane.rodrigues@yale.edu to complete the Employment Verification Form that is required for the PFML application.

Which faculty are eligible? All benefits-eligible faculty.

This benefit provides: if a planned or emergency medical disability prevents the eligible faculty member from meeting their responsibilities, they will be relieved of those duties during the period of incapacity for up to six months. After six months, the University’s policy on long-term disability applies (Policyholder: Yale University).

Compensation & benefits: this is a paid leave during which the faculty member will be eligible for 100% of regular compensation from a combination of Yale payroll and income replacement from state paid family and medical leave program (CTPL).  During this leave, the faculty member’s first source of compensation is Connecticut (or other state) paid leave funding, and the second source of compensation is Yale salary.

In order to receive 100% of regular salary, the faculty member who is eligible for funding from the state CTPL program must apply for funding from the state. Yale will pay only the portion of regular salary above the amount of funding that the faculty member is eligible to receive from the state’s CTPL program. For example, if the faculty member is eligible to receive $941.40 per week from the state PFML program, Yale will pay the regular salary minus $9.41.40 per week. No one may collect more than 100% of salary from the combination of state CTPL funds and Yale salary. During the leave, the faculty member’s regular University benefits will continue.

Relation to FMLA and CTPL: time on short-term medical disability counts as time under FMLA and state CTPL.

Relation to Yale policies on leaves: short-term medical disability does not count as a semester of teaching toward eligibility for triennial leave of absence or other paid leaves. It does not count as a semester of leave when considering the policy in Section XVII.A.7 that “no member of a University faculty may be on leave, whether paid or unpaid, more than four semesters in a seven-year period.”

Relation to extensions of ladder appointments (i.e., the tenure “clock”): tenure-track ladder faculty who take six weeks or more of SMD are eligible to receive a one-year extension of the maximum time in the non-tenure ladder ranks (up to a maximum of two such extensions in a faculty member’s time at Yale). The extension is applied to the current appointment. Note that a faculty member who is currently being reviewed for reappointment or promotion will only be eligible for the extension if the outcome of the review is successful. See Faculty Handbook section III.F. Maximum Time in Non-tenure Ladder Ranks for this policy.

Faculty Handbook reference: section XXIII.F. Short-term and Long-term Medical Disability.

UNPAID LEAVES

Child-Rearing Leave

How to apply:

Step one:  Use the same request form that is used for applying for academic leaves.  It is posted under step 1 on the following page:  https://facultyadmin.yale.edu/academic-career-events/leaves-teaching-relief. 

In the Comments field enter the actual or anticipated date of the birth or adoption.  

Step two (optional - if you wish to receive funding): Upon receipt of approval, go to https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US to apply for the funding from Connecticut Paid Leave (CTPL).

Step three, if applying for funding from the state:  Send the CTPL account number to Diane Rodrigues, Director of Faculty Administrative Services (OFAS) at diane.rodrigues@yale.edu to complete the Employment Verification Form that is required for the CTPL application.

Which faculty are eligible? All members of the faculty.

This benefit provides: up to one semester of unpaid leave for the purpose of caring for a newborn or newly adopted child under the age of 6 years.

Compensation & benefits: this is an unpaid leave. The University will continue to pay its share of health and any noncontributory insurance premiums for the faculty member on leave.

During this unpaid leave, the faculty member may be eligible for income replacement under the state paid leave program (CTPL). Click here (https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US) for information.

Timing: this leave can be taken within one year of birth or adoption.

If both parents are Yale faculty: each faculty parent is eligible for the full benefits applicable to their respective appointments.

Relation to FMLA and CTPL: this leave counts as time under FMLA and state CTPL.

Relation to Yale policies on leaves: this leave may be taken in addition to a semester of Teaching Relief for Child Rearing. This leave does not count as a semester of teaching: it does not count as a semester of teaching toward eligibility for triennial leave of absence or other paid leave, and it does not count as one of the terms of full-time teaching required between leaves. It does not count as a semester of leave when considering the policy in Section XIX.A.7 that “no member of a University faculty may be on leave, whether paid or unpaid, more than four semesters in a seven-year period.”

Relation to extensions of ladder appointments (tenure “clock”): tenure-track ladder faculty who take a semester of child-rearing leave are eligible to receive a one-semester extension of the maximum time in the non-tenure ladder ranks (up to a maximum of two such extensions in a faculty member’s time at Yale), but note that only one extension is granted per birth event (i.e., only one extension is granted even if the faculty member takes both TRC and an unpaid child-rearing leave). The extension is applied to the current appointment. Note that a faculty member who is currently being reviewed for reappointment or promotion will only be eligible for the extension if the outcome of the review is successful. See Faculty Handbook section III.F. Maximum Time in Non-tenure Ladder Ranks for this policy.

Faculty Handbook reference: see section XIX.D.2. Child-Rearing Leaves.

Caregivers Leave

How to apply:

Step one:  Obtain a letter from the attending physician documenting the nature and duration of the need for care.  The letter must be on letterhead from the physician’s practice.

Step two:  Use the same request process that is used for applying for academic leaves.  It is posted under step 1 on the following page:  https://facultyadmin.yale.edu/academic-career-events/leaves-teaching-relief. 

Add the letter from the physician to the e-form.

Step three (optional - if you wish to receive funding from the state): Upon receipt of approval, go to https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US to apply for the funding from Connecticut Paid Leave (CTPL).

Step four, if applying for funding from the state:  Send the CTPL account number to Diane Rodrigues, Director of Faculty Administrative Services (OFAS) at diane.rodrigues@yale.edu to complete the Employment Verification Form that is required for the CTPL application.  

Which faculty are eligible?  All members of the faculty.

This benefit provides: up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a one-year period for the purpose of providing medical care for family members as defined by the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). As delineated by FMLA, upon return from an approved FMLA leave, the faculty member is entitled to reinstatement to the position held prior to going on leave, or to one substantially similar, with no loss of seniority benefits or other privileges of employment.

Compensation & benefits: this is an unpaid leave. The University will continue to pay its share of health and any noncontributory insurance premiums for the faculty member on leave.

During this unpaid leave, the faculty member may be eligible for income replacement under the state paid family leave program (CTPL). Click here (https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US) for information.

Relation to FMLA and CTPL: this leave counts as time under FMLA and state CTPL.

Relation to Yale policies on leaves: this leave does not count as a teaching: it does not count as a semester of teaching toward eligibility for triennial leave of absence or other paid leave, and it does not count as one of the terms of full-time teaching required between leaves. It does not count as a semester of leave when considering the policy in Section XIX.A.7 that “no member of a University faculty may be on leave, whether paid or unpaid, more than four semesters in a seven-year period.”

Relation to extensions of ladder appointments (i.e., the tenure “clock”): tenure-track ladder faculty who take a semester of caregivers leave are eligible to receive a one-semester extension of the maximum time in the non-tenure ladder ranks (up to a maximum of two such extensions in a faculty member’s time at Yale). A single event may give rise to only one extension. The extension is applied to the current appointment. Note that a faculty member who is currently being reviewed for reappointment or promotion will only be eligible for the extension if the outcome of the review is successful. See Faculty Handbook section III.F. Maximum Time in Non-tenure Ladder Ranks for this policy.

Faculty Handbook reference: see section XIX.D.3. Caregivers Leaves.