The Provost’s Office is working to address the absence of formal parental leave benefits for faculty at VCU. While this policy issue is being explored and addressed, per the Provost’s Office request, CHS will observe the interim measures below and work with your unit’s HR team.

Overview

CHS, working with chairs and directors, will offer as much flexibility and creativity as possible regarding assignments/work loads for faculty who need time off for parental reasons, maintaining equity and consistency across the unit and taking into consideration how practices for parental accommodations have been applied previously within the unit. Attentiveness to the situation for newer faculty members who have accrued very little leave is of paramount importance.

For additional guidance please contact Catherine Ingrassia, interim dean, at chsdean@vcu.edu, or Danielle Hairston, director of HR, at dnhairston@vcu.edu. 

FMLA Guidelines

In accordance with FMLA guidelines, childbearing faculty may use 100% of any sick leave balance during the time of medical disability (typically 6-8 weeks).

Additional Guidelines

In addition, the Provost’s Office authorizes that faculty may use sick leave as follows:

• Childbearing individuals in the Traditional Sick Leave Plan may take additional sick leave equating to a maximum of 12 total weeks of leave including the disability period, even if this additional leave exceeds 33% of their remaining balance. (33% is the current policy limitation for additional faculty sick leave to bond with/care for a child.)
• Non-childbearing faculty in the Traditional Sick Leave Plan may access 100% (or up to 8 weeks) of their sick leave to bond with/care for a child, even if this leave exceeds 33% of the balance. This leave must be used within one year from the birth or placement of the child and may be used consecutively or intermittently.
• Childbearing individuals in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) Leave Plan may apply for short-term disability for the period of medical disability, and may use 100% of their remaining VSDP sick and/or VSDP personal/family leave to bond with/care for a child, not to exceed a maximum of 12 total weeks of leave including the disability period.
• Non-childbearing faculty in the VSDP Leave Plan may use any amount of their VSDP sick leave and VSDP personal/family leave to bond with/care for a child, within one year of the birth or placement of the child. This leave can be used consecutively or intermittently.
• 12-month faculty in either leave plan may also use annual leave for parental absences.