Approved: November 13, 2023
Monitor: Vice President for Business Affairs
Upon the birth or adoption of a child, eligible EIU employees may choose to deploy up to four (4) consecutive weeks of paid parental leave or up to 20 consecutive workdays. Parental leave may not be taken intermittently. Following parental leave, employees may use additional sick leave (or unpaid leave) as provided by the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). Parental leave is automatically counted toward the 12-week family and medical leave entitlement for eligible employees. FMLA eligible partners who are both full time non-negotiated employees at EIU are eligible to more flexibly utilize their parental leave within 25 consecutive days from the birth or adoption of a child. Similarly, as outlined in FMLA regulations, eligible partners who work for the same employer are limited to a combined total of 12 workweeks of leave in a 12-month period.
Individuals (and their eligible partners) who elect to deploy parental leave, in full or part, shall agree to serve at the University for at-least one year after the completion of the Parental Leave and are required to sign a promissory note to access this leave benefit. If the employee fails to complete one full calendar year of service upon return to work, the employee shall become liable to and pay University for the full amount of the Parental Leave that was paid to the employee. Employees are not required to utilize the Parental Benefit, or sign a promissory note, to receive a FMLA leave.
Full-time benefits eligible permanent administrative, professional, and non-negotiated civil service employees who have completed no less than 32 weeks of continuous full-time employment (excluding University holidays or closures) are eligible for parental leave. Individuals on temporary appointments or who have not been employed full time for 32 consecutive continuous weeks are ineligible. Parental leave benefits for negotiated employees are defined by the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.