An optimized family leave program for all stages of life.
Whether you’re managing a personal medical issue, supporting a loved one in their time of need or welcoming a new member of the family, our enhanced family leave program provides you the flexibility to deal with life’s challenges on your terms. Beginning in 2021, UF will provide 8 full weeks of leave over a 24 month period for qualifying events to support improved work-life balance and to protect against income loss during major life events.*
These eight weeks count towards your FMLA entitlement. Employees can use this time in one of two ways:
- Parental: to cover absences related to parental leave (birth, adoption, fostering)
- Medical: a personal illness/injury, or an immediate family member’s illness/injury
Employees are not required to exhaust their accrued leave in order to use this benefit.
The 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave is based on a 1.0 FTE.
*Contingent upon contract ratification
Parental Leave
Parental Leave is available to all faculty and staff upon beginning work with the University of Florida. A maximum of eight weeks of parental leave is available to both parents or legal guardians in cases of birth, adoption, or placement for fostering. This leave must be taken within 12 months of the birth or placement of a child and may be used intermittently.
Medical Leave
Medical Leave is available to all faculty and staff after 12 months of continuous service with the University of Florida. In order to qualify for medical leave, an employee must provide certification from a medical provider for an FMLA qualifying event. Prior to accessing medical leave, employees must first use 10 days (80 hours) of PTO. Once 80 hours of PTO has been used, a maximum of eight weeks of paid medical leave will become available to the employee, to be used in one-week increments.
Note: Paid Family Leave (either parental or medical) may be used once every 24 months. Parental and medical leave can be used in combination with each other, not to exceed 8 weeks.
Town Hall
Your questions answered…
- Is voluntary short-term disability going away?
- No, we still offer short-term disability and encourage you to think about the benefits short-term disability offers you in addition to the new paid family leave (i.e., consider how often you may need to access a short-term disability benefit).
- Why is there a waiting period for medical leave and not parental leave?
- The waiting period is similar to the way a short-term disability plan is structured; however, this plan covers employees and immediate family members, whereas a traditional disability plan only covers the employee.
- If I participated in the parental leave payback program, will I continue to have to pay back leave starting in January 2021?
- As of December 31, 2020, hours owed will be forgiven.
- How does this work for people on parental leave leading up to the January effective date?
- They may be eligible for the full 8 workweeks. If they have borrowed leave, the benefit will be adjusted. For example, if an employee has borrowed 240 hours of leave, which will be forgiven in January, they would be eligible for another two weeks for a total of eight weeks.
- How will the FMLA hours used be tracked?
- FMLA hours are tracked in the myUFL system.
- Is intermittent FMLA going away?
- No. Intermittent FMLA is still available to employees. Employees can use their own accrued leave to cover these intermittent absences.
- After the 8 weeks, can you go back and tap into your sick leave savings account?
- Yes. For leaves in excess of 8 weeks, you may use hours accrued in your sick leave savings account or PTO for the entire period of approved absence.
- Is an employee able to use their sick leave savings account for the 80 hours before using the paid medical leave?
- Yes, employees can use either accrued PTO or hours in their sick leave savings account.