Maternity and Dependent Care Leave Policies

Introduction

This booklet was created to bring together the various policies, as well as some resources, at the University of Michigan which address maternity and dependent care for the Faculty at the Medical School. Much of the information included in this guide was taken from the UM Standard Practice Guide, which can be accessed on the World Wide Web (www.umich.edu/~spgonlin) or from the department offices. Several of the most frequently cited policies are included in Appendix C.

This guide does not create or modify University policy. Since University policies are subject to change, and benefits may vary among different faculty tracks and ranks, faculty members are urged to consult the Regents' Bylaws, the Standard Practice Guide, and other primary sources.

Funding for this project was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health, through the University of Michigan National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, Women's Academic Leadership Plan. Ms. Kara Kobrzycki designed this booklet and compiled the policies described herein.

As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions. Please feel free to contact me at jthorson@umich.edu or 763-0253.

Jayne Thorson, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs
Director, Faculty and Staff Resources

Maternity Policies
Sick Leave
The University of Michigan does not specifically have a maternity leave, but it does provide maternity benefits under the sick leave plan. Sick leave may be used for incapacity caused or contributed to by pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, or childbirth.

Through the use of short-term and long-term sick leave, faculty members are eligible to be paid during the time a physician determines they should be off work. The amount of sick leave available to faculty members varies depending on their rank, their length of service with the University, and the amount of sick leave they have already used.

All regular and supplemental faculty members receive up to three weeks (15 days) of short-term sick leave annually at their regular salary, which may be used for incapacitation due to pregnancy or childbirth. After faculty members have exhausted all fifteen days of their short-term leave, individuals with two or more years of service at the University are entitled to use extended sick time. (Years worked in a medical residency at UM count toward faculty members' years of service.) During extended sick leave, faculty members are paid their full salaries for up to six months and then are paid half-salaries for an additional six months. Professors and Associate Professors with ten or more years of UM service are eligible to be paid for one year at regular salaries and one additional year at half of their regular salary. Requests for extended leave must be submitted to the department chair or relevant dean accompanied by a physician's statement. The physician's statement must provide the number of weeks that the faculty member will be unable to work due to childbirth.

Faculty members who are unable to work because of disability related to pregnancy, but are not eligible for extended sick leave, and have exhausted their 15 days of short-term sick leave, have three options. They can use their paid vacation time, they can take an excused absence for up to three weeks without salary with the permission of the department chair or, for longer periods, they can take a medical leave of absence without salary for up to one year. (SPG 201.30-1)

If there is a question of whether or not a faculty member is incapacitated, the department chair or dean may require a statement from a physician or the faculty member may be required to be examined by a physician designated by the University at the University's expense. If the return date is unknown at the time the leave is requested, the department chair or dean should be notified, in writing, of the intended return date as soon as it is determined. A medical release should also be provided from a physician.

Benefits
For each month that faculty members receive full pay under the sick leave plan, their deductions and the University's contributions remain the same. For each month that only 50% pay is received under the sick leave plan, the University will continue to pay its share and, in addition, it will pay the faculty members' share of contributions to the retirement, group life insurance, and health insurance programs in which they were enrolled at the time of pregnancy.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, faculty members may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period. (This is offset by any sick leave usage during the 12-month period). The University will pay its regular portion of the monthly premium for health, dental and vision insurance. The faculty member will need to make arrangements to continue any additional coverage for family members, if applicable.

Faculty members who are new parents should remember that the form to add a new dependent to their insurance policies needs to be completed and returned to the Benefits Office within 30 days of the addition of the new family member (see Appendix A).

Modified
In 1992, the University adopted a policy of modified duties for pregnant faculty members. This innovative policy is most applicable to faculty women in other schools and colleges, for whom classroom teaching is a significant component of their faculty duties. For Medical School faculty, especially clinicians, this policy is of limited use, although it may provide the basis for individualized modified duties assignments.

The University policy is reprinted below:
The University's Sick Leave Policy provides faculty members with paid leaves for disability due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. However, the difficulties involved in delegating or reassigning teaching may effectively preclude full utilization of a sick leave period. To enable faculty to use sick leave to recover fully from the effects of pregnancy, childbirth or other related medical conditions, pregnant faculty members are granted, upon request, a period of modified duties without a reduction in salary.

For the purposes of this policy, modified duties for instructors, assistant professors, associate professors and professors means, at a minimum, that the relevant academic unit shall be responsible for arranging for relief from direct teaching responsibilities for the academic term which includes the anticipated sick leave period. Faculty on modified duties status will normally be expected to fulfill their other professional responsibilities which can be scheduled around the sick leave period.

This policy shall also apply to other instructional faculty for whom modified duties shall mean, at a minimum, that the relevant academic unit shall be responsible for arranging for coverage for direct teaching responsibilities for the period which they are eligible for sick leave.

Academic units may define modified duties status more broadly than the minimum requirements set forth in this policy.

A faculty member who wishes to request modified duties status should contact the relevant dean of her School or College concerning that unit's specific guidelines and procedures. All requests for modified duties status should be submitted in writing to the relevant dean with an informational copy to the Office of Academic Human Resources. (SPG 201.93)

Lactation Rooms
There are five lactation rooms throughout the medical campus to meet the needs of nursing mothers (see Appendix B for room numbers and directions). Each room contains an Ameda Engell electric pump for use by UMMS faculty, staff, and students. An adapter is needed to use the equipment; these can be purchased through MedEquip for $40.00 (see Appendix A for contact information).

Dependent Care Policies
Faculty members can take time off to care for ill or injured family members in several ways. Family members are defined as the faculty members' spouse or domestic partner with whom the faculty member shares living accommodations and expenses and, without regard to their place of residence, the child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or other related individual whose care is the responsibility of the faculty member, spouse, or domestic partner.

The first option is the use of a portion of the faculty members' own sick leave benefits to care for a child or other family member as part of the Family Care Policy. The second option is a leave of absence.

Family Care Policy
Effective September 1, 1989, the University instituted the Family Care Policy which allows faculty and staff to use a portion of their available short-term sick leave to care for incapacitated, ill or injured family members. As of January 1, 1999, the number of days available for use increased to six annually.

Child Care Leaves of Absence
An excused absence without pay for up to three weeks can be requested. If child care needs require an absence longer than three weeks, the absence must be covered by a leave.

A child care leave of up to one year may be granted to faculty members by the President upon the recommendation of the relevant dean. Leaves exceeding one year require approval by the Regents.

Child care leaves are available to both male and female faculty members following the births or adoptions of their children. A child care leave may be taken at any time during the 12 months following the child's birth or adoption, and must also be completed within that period. The duration of the leave can be up to one year from the date of the child's birth or the date of the adoption.

Although a child care leave is unpaid, if covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the University will pay its regular portion of the monthly premium for health, dental, and vision insurance premiums for up to 12 weeks in a 12 month period. Faculty members should contact the Benefits Office to arrange for continuation of benefits for themselves and their family members. If the child care leave is not covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Benefits Office must be contacted to continue coverage and the faculty members must pay the full costs of such coverage.

Personal Leave of Absence
Personal leaves of absence are also available to faculty members. A signed Request for a Leave of Absence form should be submitted with appropriate documentation to your department chair, dean or director. If the faculty member is giving birth, the request form should be accompanied by a Physician's Statement certifying her ability to return to work (establishing the starting date of the child care leave). Copies of these forms are available through your department or from the Faculty and Staff Records Office.

The department chair must be notified of the specific intended return date, preferably in writing. An early return to work is at the discretion of the department chair, dean or director and they should be contacted directly. The Benefits Office will reinstate all benefits the faculty member had prior to the leave if they were not continued through the leave. The Benefits Office should be contacted to add any newly acquired family members within 30 days of their birth or adoption.

It is the departments' responsibility to cover the teaching assignments of the faculty members during the leaves. (Although there is no set formula for covering teaching loads, several methods have been used in the past. These include the appointment of a teaching assistant or lecturer to teach the classes and the rearrangement of other faculty members' schedules to cover the classes. To discuss other ideas, it might be helpful to contact other faculty members who have worked out satisfactory arrangements, the Associate Dean who handles personnel matters for the school or college, or the Office of Academic Human Resources.) Faculty members are encouraged to notify the department chair, dean or director of plans for taking leaves as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

For personal, medical and family leaves, the employee may opt to take leave on an intermittent or reduced effort schedule (a leave schedule that reduces the usual number of days per workweek or hours per workday). In contrast, a child care leave must be taken all in one block of time, as per current policy.

Family Care Resources Program
The University of Michigan Family Care Resources Program facilitates informed choices by faculty, staff, and students about child care and elder care services in their communities and in the campus community. The office is responsible for providing information about dependent care services and dependent care policies, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Kids Kare at Home
To assist UM faculty, staff, and students in caring for sick children at home, the UM Family Care Resources Program has contracted with an established home health care agency from the community to provide Kids Kare at Home. Registered participants can call the number provided to them and a trained care giver will come to their home within 2 hours. For more information on this service contact the Family Care Resources Office at 998-6133 or access their web page at
http://www.umich.edu/~hraa/familycare.

Reimbursement Accounts
Reimbursement accounts provide a way to pay for child care or elder care with pretax dollars. Faculty and staff members can allocate a specific amount to be deducted pretax from their salaries every month. The University holds these funds in a special account and will reimburse the account holder upon presentation of original itemized receipts and a request for reimbursement. The University does not charge a fee for administering these accounts. For more information contact the Benefits Office or access their web page at http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/reimburs/accounts.htm

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was enacted on August 5, 1993. This law provides job guarantees for employees who need time off for medical or dependent care responsibilities.

The law requires the University of Michigan and other large employers to grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in each 12-month period with a job guarantee for faculty and staff. FMLA leaves may be taken due to birth, adoption or foster care placement; or the employee's serious illness; or the serious illness of an immediate family member. The University must continue to pay its portion of group health and dental insurance coverage for faculty and staff with at least 12 months continuous service prior to the leave.

Tenure Clock Considerations
In recognition of the competing demands faced by faculty members who experience pregnancy, childbirth or extraordinary family care responsibilities (such as caring for an aging parent) during the tenure probationary period, the University provides the opportunity to exclude one year from the countable years of service that constitute the tenure probationary period. Faculty members may benefit from this policy even if they work full-time throughout the tenure probationary period.

If a faculty member bears one or more children during her tenure probationary period, she shall be granted an exclusion of one year from the countable years of service that constitute her tenure probationary period. If a faculty member is experiencing significant demands of family care, he or she may be granted an exclusion of one year from the countable years of service that constitute the tenure probationary period.

To request the exclusion of one year, a request must be submitted in writing to the relevant dean. To promote University-wide consistency, a copy of all requests and responses made under this policy on the Ann Arbor campus are forwarded through the Office of Academic Human Resources to the Provost for review.

Under this policy (SPG 201.92) the tenure probationary period may generally be extended for only one year, regardless of the combination of circumstances.

APPENDIX A

Contact Information

• For questions about sick leave, child care leave, modified duties, childbearing and dependent care policies:
  
  • Your department administrator
    
  • Medical School Dean's Office at 763-0253, 3261 Medical Science Bldg. I, Box 0628 (Jayne Thorson, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs)
    
  • Academic Human Resources at 763-1284, 4030 Wolverine Tower, Box 1281 (Jeff Frumkin, Ph.D., Director)
    
• For questions about benefits coverage:
  
  • Benefits Office - Medical Campus at 764-6584, 300 N. Ingalls Bldg, NI8B03, Box 0416.
    
  • Benefits Office - Central Campus at 763-1217, G405 Wolverine Tower, Box 1278
    
• For questions about child care and dependent care referrals and for information on the Family and Medical Leave Act:
  
  • Family Care Resources Program at 998-6133, 715 North University #7, Box 1611.
    
• For questions about forms or status of records:
  
  • Records and Information Services at 764-9250, 4073 Wolverine Tower, Box 1281.
    
• For questions about lactation rooms:
  
  • Lactation Consultant at 764-8149 or e-mail b973@hospital.med.umich.edu.
    

APPENDIX B

Lactation Rooms

Med Sci I , 5309 Medical Science Bldg. I
Take the Medical Science I elevator to the 5th floor. Turn left, past
the 5330 Lecture Hall. 5309 is the women's restroom on your right, just past the stairwell. The lactation room is located in the handicap
restroom.

University Hospital East, 5309 University Hospital, Breastpump Room
East elevator to floor 5. Exit to your right. Follow signs to 5A Information Area A(to your right). At nursing workstation, turn left to Riverside hallway. Right at Riverside workstation. First door on right is 5309 Breastpump Room.

University Hospital West, 4608 University Hospital, Nursing Staff
West elevator to floor 4. Exit to your left to 4D Courtside (overhead Neuro ICU sign). Left at first hallway. Right at 4D Courtside hallway. Third door on right 4608 Nursing Staff. (Will need to ask at nursing station for entrance into the staff room.)

Mott Hospital, F5670 Mott, Breastpump Room
Take Mott elevator A to floor 5. Turn right through electronic double doors.

North Ingalls Building, 3337T NIB, Breastfeeding Facility
Use front entrance to 300 NIB. Take hall to left of the teal elevators. Turn left - Wing F to School of Nursing Building. Take elevator at end of this hallway to Floor 3. (You are now in the SON Building.) Turn left. Three doors on left to 3337T Breastfeeding Facility.

Maternity Policies

Benefits

Lactation Rooms

Dependent Care Policies

Family Care Policy

Child Care Leaves of Absence

Personal Leave of Absence