Beginning July 1, 2022, Temple University will provide up to a maximum of four (4) weeks of paid parental leave to eligible non bargaining employees following the birth of an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with an adoption. The purpose of paid parental leave is to enable the employee to care for and bond with a newborn or a newly adopted child. This policy will run concurrently with leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Eligibility
Eligible employees must meet the following criteria:
- Have been employed with the University for at least 12 consecutive months (and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the date that the leave would begin;
- Be employed as a full-time employee of the University (part-time and temporary employees are not eligible for this benefit); and
- If both parents are employees of the University at the time of the birth or adoption of the child, both parents are eligible for separate paid parental leave.
In addition, employees must meet one of the following criteria:
- Have given birth to a child, this does not apply to a surrogate or donor.
- Be the spouse of a woman who has given birth to a child.
- Be the biological parent, spouse or certified domestic partner of the biological parent of the child and the caregiver as described below; or
- Have adopted a child who is under the age of 18 years old. This provision does not apply to the adoption of a stepchild by a stepparent or the placement of a foster child.
Finally, eligible employees must use the paid parental leave for the purpose of caring for or bonding with the newborn or newly adopted child.
Coordination With Other Policies
Coordination With Pay
- If available, an employee recovering from the birth of a child will be paid sick time during the recovery period (6 weeks or 8 weeks). Once sick time is exhausted or the recovery period is over, the employee will be eligible to be paid in the following order: parental leave, vacation time, and personal time. Any remaining FMLA leave will be unpaid.
- An employee may not collect parental leave and short-term disability at the same time. If an employee is eligible for short-term disability and exhausts available sick time during the waiting period, paid parental leave may begin. However, parental leave will be suspended if eligible for short-term disability. Parental leave will be reinstated once short-term disability ends.
- An employee who has not given birth to the child will use paid parental leave, followed by any available paid time (vacation, personal, …). Any remaining leave will be unpaid.
- After returning to work from a paid parental leave of absence, employees are required to work a minimum of 6 months, or they must refund the amount received from the paid parental leave.
Coordination With Short Term Disability For Birth Mother
An employee cannot receive short-term disability benefits and paid parental leave benefits at the same time. However, if an employee is eligible for short-term disability benefits after giving birth to a child, she should apply for short-term disability benefits prior to giving birth and will be paid in the order described above.
Coordination with FMLA
The University’s Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) policy provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child for employees who have been employed for 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the year prior to requesting leave, provided the employee has not already exhausted his/her FMLA entitlement for the year.
Eligible employees can take paid parental leave during the first 12 weeks following the birth or adoption of a child (i.e., during what is typically the FMLA period if the employee has FMLA time available), or at any time within the first 120 calendar days after the birth or adoption event. If paid parental leave is taken while the employee is on an approved FMLA leave for the birth or adoption of a child, then the paid parental leave will run concurrently with the FMLA leave.
To give departments time to make necessary scheduling and work assignment planning, eligible employees are strongly encouraged to plan the use of paid parental leave in advance and discuss plans with Absence Management Department and their immediate supervisor or department head.
Coordination With Other Policies
The University will maintain all benefits for employees during the paid parental leave period just as if they were taking any other University paid leave such as paid sick leave or paid time off.
Apply For Parental Leave
To Apply
- To apply, log in and navigate to TUportal > Staff Tools tab > Employee Dashboard channel. Scroll down to Additional Links and select Leave of Absence Request; or call our office at 215-926-2282.
- After your request is received, the Absence Management Department will send you the necessary application leave packet.
Returning the Application Forms
The completed application forms can be returned to the Absence Management Department via
- Drop off in-person,
- Email to [click-for-email] or
- Fax to 215-926-2274.
After Absence Management receives the completed application forms, we will contact you within five (5) days as to the decision of your leave request.
Covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements/Unions
University staff and faculty members covered by collective bargaining agreements should refer to their specific collective bargaining agreements.
Medical School and Dental School Faculty Members
Medical School and Dental School faculty members are not covered by this policy for maternity leave but are eligible for 8 weeks of continuous paid maternity leave. Members of the Medical School and Dental School are eligible for paid parental leave for paternity and adoption reasons if they meet the above detailed criteria.
Contact Us
For questions regarding Parental Leave, call 215-926-2282 or email [click-for-email].