Parental Leave
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT: PARENTAL LEAVE
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 2022
Approval Authority: Vice Chancellor for Administration
Responsible Administrator: Associate Vice Chancellor
Responsible Office: People Experience, Engagement Consulting
Policy Contact: Senior Director, Engagement Consulting
POLICY STATEMENT/REASON FOR POLICY
To assist and support new parents with balancing work and family commitments, Vanderbilt University provides Paid Parental Leave to eligible employees. Paid Parental Leave is a period of paid time off for activities related to the care and well-being of an employee’s newborn or adopted child.
THIS POLICY APPLIES TO
This policy applies to all full-time staff.
For information on parental leaves for postdocs, see People Experience Leave Policies for Postdocs .
POLICY
To assist and support new parents with balancing work and family matters, Vanderbilt University provides eligible employees with up to eight weeks of paid time when the employee is absent due to activities related to the care and well-being of their newborn or adopted child. This paid time is distinct from, and in addition to, any paid leave that the employee may also have available through their accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) and/or Legacy Sick leave banks.
This paid benefit runs concurrently with unpaid job-protected leave entitlements for which the employee may be eligible under the federal Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or the state of Tennessee’s Maternity Leave Act (TMLA). For more information on FMLA and TMLA, see the university policy on FMLA and TMLA Leave .
- Eligibility
Full time employees whose standard work schedule is 30 hours per week or more are eligible to receive Paid Parental Leave. Employees are eligible to use Paid Parental Leave during the first four (4) months following the birth or adoption of a child.
Limited-term, part-time, and temporary employees are not eligible. Postdocs should refer to the postdoctoral leave policies; see People Experience Leave Policies for Postdocs . - Benefit
Vanderbilt will provide up to eight (8) weeks of Paid Parental Leave to eligible employees per birth or adoption. Multiple births or adoptions (e.g., the birth of twins or adoption of siblings) does not increase the eight weeks of paid parental leave. Employees will receive eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave in a rolling 12-month period, regardless of whether more than one birth or adoption occurs within that 12-month timeframe. Parental leave can be used any time during the first four (4) months following the birth or adoption.
Each week of paid parental leave is compensated at 100 percent of the employee’s (regular) weekly pay.
DEFINITIONS
Parent
An eligible parent is defined as a birth parent, non-birth parent, or a new adoptive parent. An employee who adopts a spouse’s child(ren) is not eligible for this benefit.
Weekly Pay
The eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave will be calculated based on the employee’s base rate and standard weekly work schedule. For example, for an employee whose standard schedule is designated as 40 hours per week (1.0 FTE), a week is equivalent to 40 hours and the total eight-week benefit would be 40 days (8 hour days) for exempt and 320 hours for non-exempt employees. For an employee with a standard schedule of 30 hours (.75 FTE), a week is equivalent to 30 hours and the total eight-week benefit would be 40 days (6 hour days) for exempt employees and 240 hours for non-exempt employees.
CONSEQUENCES OF NON-COMPLIANCE
Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
PROCEDURES
These are the procedures for the Paid Parental Leave Policy. Please review the following link for the Paid Parental Leave Policy.
Eligible employees are able to use eight (8) weeks of Paid Parental Leave any time after the date of birth or adoption of the child through four (4) months after the birth/placement of the child. It is important that employees coordinate their Paid Parental Leave with other pay options that are available including, legacy sick, PTO and short-term disability benefits (see paid leave options below).
- Prior to the birth of child or adoption of the child, employees must inform their supervisor, department HCM and the WC and Leave team how they would like to use their paid time while they are on leave.
- Non-exempt (hourly) employees will report the use of Paid Parental Leave in Oracle through their timecard and will be paid through Vanderbilt payroll on regular payroll dates.
- Exempt (salaried) employees will report the use of Paid Parental Leave in Oracle through manage absence records and will be paid through Vanderbilt payroll on regular payroll dates.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How do employees apply for Paid Parental Leave?
A: Employees do not need to do anything to apply for Paid Parental Leave. However, they must be eligible for the benefit and must be approved for leave (FMLA, TMLA, Non-FMLA, Parental Leave) in order to use the benefit.
The employee also needs to work with their supervisor and unit HCM Specialist as appropriate to map out their anticipated paid leave, and to enter Paid Parental Leave in Oracle before each payroll cutoff date.
Q: How do employees receive Paid Parental Leave pay?
A: Employees enter the Paid Parental Leave in Oracle for the period of time that they are out of work, and it is received as part of their regular pay cycle.
Q: I am eligible to receive short term disability benefits for the birth of my child. Can I use Paid Parental Leave as well?
A: Yes, you will be eligible to receive Paid Parental Leave in addition to your short term disability benefits. Note that the Paid Parental Leave and short term disability cannot be used concurrently.
Q: I want to take time off to bond with my new baby who was birthed by a surrogate. Can I still use the paid parental leave?
A: Yes, paid parental leave is available to both parents for bonding time with the new baby, however that baby has come into your life (surrogate, adoption, gestational carrier, etc.).
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS
|
Subject |
Contact/Position |
Office |
Phone |
|
Leave and Disability Questions |
WC and Leave Team |
People Experience |
(615) 343-4125 |
RELATED POLICIES/DOCUMENTS
Personal Leave of Absence Policy
HISTORY
Issued: 05/xx/20
Reviewed:
Comment
Amended:
Comment
Disclaimer : The policies and procedures that guide employment practices are intended to assist in consistent administration and compliance. Vanderbilt reserves the right to modify its policies and practices, in whole or in part, at any time. Revisions to existing policies and procedures, and the development of new policies and procedures, will be made from time to time at the discretion of the University. When new policies are implemented or existing policies are revised, the University will notify members of the University community as soon as practicable. However, where differences occur, the most recent policy as reviewed and approved by the University will take precedence. The policies and procedures do not create a contract, implied or expressed, with at will employees at Vanderbilt.
KEYWORDS
Leave, FMLA, TMLA, Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Baby, Birth of Child, Paid Leave, Paid Parental Leave, Parental Leave, Adoption of a Child, Family Leave, Time Off for Birth or Adoption, Paid Time Off for Birth or Adoption