Leave of Absence

• Family/Medical Leave: According to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employees taking sick, vacation, or other leave with pay because of personal illness, birth of a child, or placement of an adopted or foster child, to take care of an ill child, spouse or parent, or are eligible for up to 12 workweeks of leave.  During those 12 workweeks, the employee’s health insurance premium will be paid by NC A&T, provided that the employee has been employed by NC A&T for at least one year AND has worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 months.  The employee must also return to work at the end of his/her approved leave.  The employee retains responsibility for any health insurance premium that is normally deducted from his/her check for spouse’s and/or children’s medical insurance.  At the end of the 12-workweek period, the employee will also be responsible for his/her own insurance premium.  Requests can be made for Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL) for the donation of VSL if the employee, as a result of a serious medical condition of self or his/her immediate family, faces prolonged absences from work, resulting in a potential financial hardship for the employee. 
• Faculty Serious Illness and Disability Leave: It is the responsibility of the faculty member to request this type of leave as soon as possible upon learning of the need for leave.  Faculty members must complete the FMLA medical certification form.  If the request is for the purpose of caring for a faculty member’s family member or dependent, medical verification of the illness or disability of that person is required.  To facilitate the gathering of necessary verification, the Department Chair may request the assistance of the Benefits Office in the Department of Human Resources.  A faculty member who has a medically verifiable extended illness or serious disability is entitled to a salary continuation for up to sixty calendar days, starting from the first day of the related absence.  The Department Chair is responsible for securing, to the extent possible, substitute personnel for the duration of the faculty member’s leave.  Any adjustments in work schedules within the department are at the discretion of the Department Chair with the approval of the Dean, and are subject to departmental and institutional needs and resources.
• Family Illness Leave: Family Illness Leave is leave without pay provided for an eligible employee to care for the employee’s child, parent or spouse where that child, spouse or parent has a serious health condition.  It is not provided for the employee’s illness.  FMLA must be exhausted prior to application of Family Illness Leave.  Eligibility shall be based on the employee’s months of service and hours of work as of the date the leave is to commence.  An employee is eligible if he/she has twelve (12) months total service with the State and has been in pay status at least 1040 hours during the previous twelve (12) months.  Temporary employees are not eligible for Family Illness Leave.  An eligible employee (full-time or part-time) is entitled to up to 52 weeks of leave without pay during a 5-year period to care for the employee’s seriously ill child, spouse or parent.  Although this leave is without pay, an employee may elect to cover some or all of the period of leave taken under this policy by using vacation, bonus, sick or voluntary shared leave.  Leave earned under the Compensatory Time Off policy may also be used.  
• Military Leave: Covered employees: Full-time or part-time (half time or more) permanent, probationary, trainee and time-limited employees are eligible for military leave.  This type of leave may be used for: Active Duty Training and Inactive Duty Training; Physical Examination; Reserve Active Duty; Extended Active Duty and Other Military Leave without Pay; Civil Air Patrol and State Defense Militia; or Reinstatement.  
• Educational Leave: An approved course should be taken on the employee’s own time.  If a course can be taken only during working hours, eligible employees must request paid leave prior to the beginning of the course allowing sufficient time for the leave request to be reviewed.  Educational Leave with Pay may be granted unless the supervisor identifies responsibilities or assignments that will not permit the employee to be absent.  Supervisors are encouraged to develop alternate work arrangements to complete the work assignments and grant educational leave.  Reasonable travel time as determined by the supervisor may be permitted to attend approved courses.  If management approves educational leave with pay, it shall not be charged to the employee’s accrued leave and shall be recorded as “Educational Leave” and approved by management in the payroll system of record.  Educational leave during work hours shall not exceed one course up to five hours’ academic credit per academic term.  
• Leave without Pay: Leave without pay may be granted for illness, education purposes, vacation, or for any other reasons deemed justified by the College or Division head.  Special provisions for leave without pay for military, family and medical, and workers’ compensation are covered in these respective policies in this Section of the Personnel Manual.  Parental leave without pay for employees not eligible for FMLA leave is covered at the end of this policy. 
• Paid Parental Leave: On Sept. 20, 2019, the UNC Board of Governors approved a Paid Parental Leave program for eligible university employees. North Carolina A&T State University will offer a Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit, effective as of Feb. 1, 2020. PPL provides eligible employees dedicated leave time to care for and bond with a newborn or a newly-placed child, under the age of 18, by adoption, foster care placement, or other legal placement.  

1: Employee completes the electronic “Extended Leave of Absence Form” listing the most accurate begin and end dates known for their leave, and submits it to their supervisor for review and first line approval. An employee must complete the form as soon as practicable upon learning of the need for their leave of absence (30 days is an ideal amount of notice).  An employee must complete a new form for each extension of leave.

2: Employee completes the necessary FMLA medical certification form, (for employee’s serious health condition) and the FMLA Family medical certification form (for family member’s serious health condition). Employees should complete this medical certification form even if their leave may not qualify under the FMLA provisions. For example, an employee may have exhausted their 12 work weeks of designated FMLA leave, but still have a documented medical need to be absent.  If an extension is being requested for medical reasons, employees must complete a new electronic form, and also send in an updated medical certification form.

3: Employee maintains responsibility for continuing payments for health insurance and/or flexible benefits premiums for themselves and applicable spouses/dependents to ensure coverage, when/if they exhaust paid leave.

4: HR receives and reviews the electronic LOA form.

5: HR creates a leave agreement letter and prepares a calendar for the employee, indicating the length of leave, what type of leave will be used for the duration of leave, and if any portion of the leave will be unpaid.

6: HR sends the information to all applicable departments via email.

7: HR reviews the LOA database daily, and contacts employees who are due to return within one to two weeks, in addition to those who indicate that leave dates or other revisions are necessary.

8: HR uses the LOA information, particularly about leave balances and leave without pay, to inform and update payroll processing.

9: HR creates new leave agreements and calendars as needed.