In certain instances, such as for a prolonged illness or injury or when work ebbs and flows seasonally, an employee may be granted a leave of absence from their position. There are both paid and unpaid versions of a leave of absence. Additionally, federal regulations such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) apply to some leaves of absence and have provisions protecting an employee’s position during their leave.
For information on other types of leave, visit the Information on Leave, Including Holidays webpage.
Employees can apply for qualifying leaves (short-term disability, parental leave and caregiver leave) by completing the instructions outlined on the Taking Qualifying or FMLA Leave webpage.
Supervisors and timekeepers can request a qualifying leave on behalf of someone else by emailing the Leave Administration Team at umleaveadmin@umsystem.edu.
For an overview of qualifying, FMLA and other types of leave, visit the Information on Leave, Including Holidays webpage.
University employees completing certain types of seasonal work may be placed on a seasonal leave of absence during periods when duties and responsibilities are the most diminished.
- Seasonal leaves: Time away from work due to scheduled customary breaks in operations for a specific period, not in excess of three months.
- Employees on seasonal leave have special considerations related to their pay, university insurance and other benefits, as well as types of paid leave. Visit Employees on Seasonal Leave of Absence for more resources.
- Short-work breaks: Time away from work due to temporary reductions in staffing for a specific period in which a non-benefit eligible employee will be absent for less than 52 weeks.
For more information, visit HR Policy Manual HR-408 Leaves of Absence, Other.
The university provides time away from work due to a work-incurred injury or illness and payment of applicable medical expenses and compensation, consistent with state requirements.
All employees may be eligible for workers compensation.
To request workers compensation benefits, employees should contact their supervisor and consult with Human Resources Partner.
For more information, visit HR Policy Manual HR-409 Worker's Compensation Benefits.
If an employee requests a paid leave of absence, their pay is reduced proportionally to the full-time equivalency (FTE) amount they continue to work. For exempt employees, this reduction in FTE can render them temporarily ineligible for exempt status, making them eligible for overtime pay if working in excess of 40 hours per week.
In this scenario, HR Partners should work with employees to complete the Paid Leave of Absence Salary Reduction Acknowledgement (PDF) and a copy should be retained with the leave processing paperwork in the employee’s record.