University policy requires employees to submit a leave request for absences longer than five business days, excluding pre-approved vacation time.

Employees should consider one of the following leave options:

1.   Medical Leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

• Medical Self  

• Medical Family

2.   Medical Leave under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

• Medical Self only

• Exclusively applicable to union groups

3.   Medical Leave as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodation

• Medical Self only

• For employees not eligible for FMLA

4.   Personal Leave

• For reasons not covered by FMLA, ADA, CBA or other laws

• Granted at the discretion of the University

• May impact benefits

The duration depends on the type of leave and, if applicable, the terms of your collective bargaining agreement. For example:

• FMLA: up to 12 weeks
• RI-PFML: up to 13 weeks

Yes. The type of leave, policy guidelines and approval considerations may vary. 

• Extended medical leave for an employee’s own serious medical condition: May be reviewed under the terms of your CBA, if applicable, or as an ADA accommodation. 

• If an employee’s serious medical condition requires a continuous leave of absence for more than 6 months: The employee may be eligible for Long Term Disability benefits.  

• Employees who wish to pursue an extended leave of absence for reasons not related to their own medical condition: May request a personal leave. Personal leave is granted at the discretion of the University and may have an impact on benefits.

Intermittent leave follows the same FMLA approval process as continuous leave. 

• FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave, whether used intermittently or continuously.
• Intermittent leave requires tracking the exact hours an employee takes leave in the smallest increment allowed by the University’s leave policy.

• Submit all leave requests through Workday. 

• During an approved intermittent leave, the employee’s Workday status will reflect “On Leave.” 

• The employee may choose to remain paid using sick or vacation time or go unpaid during any intermittent time off. The employee will continue to accrue paid time off.

• For exempt employees going unpaid during their intermittent FMLA leave: Managers must submit an overpayment in Workday before the payroll cutoff.

Generally, service credits continue to accrue during an approved leave of absence, but retirement benefit impacts may vary by leave type and policy.

• Personal Leave: Division HR, Employee and Labor Relations, Manager and Absence Partners

• Medical Leave: University Human Resources (UHR)

• Family Leave: UHR

• Military Leave: UHR and Payroll

• Intermittent FMLA: Approved by UHR, tracked by Manager and Absence Partners

1. Submit your leave request.
2. Submit your paid time off request. 

Important: You may choose the paid time off option that best suits your situation. Paid time off must be submitted in full-day increments (not partial days) and applied continuously (not sporadically) to avoid payroll processing issues.

You may use sick or vacation time in any combination.

Guidelines:

• Paid leave must be used first, and unpaid leave should be reserved for the last segment of your leave period.
• Keep PTO entries clean and continuous to prevent payroll errors.

Yes, but the sequence matters:

• Paid leave must be applied first, followed by unpaid leave for the remainder of your absence.
• PTO must be submitted in full-day increments and should not be broken into partial days.
• Use of paid time off during paid leave must be continuous to ensure accurate payroll processing.

Work with your department’s HR Coordinator to submit an Underpayment/Overpayment Request. This ensures payroll adjustments are made correctly for pay periods that include unpaid time.

Premiums continue to be deducted if you are in a paid status.

If you are in unpaid status for five weeks or more, Sentinel Benefits may bill you directly. Payments are due on the first of each month and failure to pay within 30 days may result in benefits cancellation.

The duration of your leave may impact premium billing. Unpaid status for four or more consecutive weeks may result in being billed by Sentinel Benefits.

Contact Sentinel Benefits directly by phone at 1-888-762-6088 so they can provide guidance on establishing a plan based on your specific circumstances.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law providing eligible employees with job-protected leave for qualifying medical or family reasons. 

Eligibility criteria include having worked for the University for at least 12 months and completing at least 1,250 service hours in the past 12 months.

FMLA covers various situations, including: 

• Birth or adoption of a child
• Serious health conditions for the employee or their family member
• Certain military-related events

Yes. FMLA can run concurrently with other benefits such as paid time off, worker’s compensation and state disability benefits like Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) or Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI).

To request FMLA leave, employees should follow the formal leave of absence request process: 

1. Notify your manager
2. Initiate your request in Workday
3. Update contact information in Workday for accuracy
4. Submit the request at least 30 days in advance, when possible

Submit a Certification of Healthcare Provider form to the UHR Office of Leave and Accommodations by:

• Email: leave_admin@health.brown.edu
• Fax: 401-863-2830

Ensure timely submissions for a smooth leave process.

The FMLA job protection entitlement has a maximum limit of 12 weeks for continuous leave. 

If additional time beyond FMLA is needed, a request for an extension must be submitted in Workday. Please be prepared to submit supporting documentation from the treating medical provider.

When returning from medical-self leave: The employee must provide a Return to Work Cerficiation Form to the UHR Office of Leave and Accommodations via email at leave_admin@health.brown.edu or fax at 401-863-2830. Ensure timely submissions for a smooth leave process. The employee must also complete the "Return to Work" process in Workday for a smooth transition back to work.

If an alternative return to work medical document is submitted, it must answer the following questions:

• When is the employee cleared to return to work?

• Is the employee cleared to return at full duty, light duty or modified duty?

• Will the employee need workplace accommodations? If so, the specific details must be provided.

• If the employee is not returning at full duty, what is the anticipated duration for requested accommodations?

Benefits remain intact during FMLA. The employee will continue to be responsible for paying the benefit premiums through payroll deductions or direct billing. 

Employees on unpaid leave for more than four consecutive weeks must arrange for direct premium billing with Sentinel Benefits, the University’s third-party benefits administrator.

FMLA primarily focuses on providing job-protected leave, but remote work considerations may be discussed as an accommodation.

Brown University provides eligible employees up to six weeks of paid time off to care for a newborn or adopted child. Regular Benefit eligible staff working over 50% FTE are eligible for this paid time off benefit. There is no waiting period to be eligible.

The Office of Leave and Accommodations hosts live monthly Parental Leave Benefits Overview sessions virtually via Workday. The course is designed to inform individuals about the coordination of leave, Parental Leave benefits, paid time off and other applicable benefit coverages.

Register

After your submitted Parental Leave request is approved in Workday, you will gain access to a new time off type titled “Parental Time Off”. This new paid time off plan has a maximum limit of 30 days.

Yes. Employees have access to this special time off plan for up to one year after the date of birth or placement for adoption.

No. You are not required to take all six weeks of Parental Leave benefits all at once. The Parental Leave benefit can be split into one-week minimum increments. 

• If the six-week Parental Leave paid time off allowance is not fully used by the one-year mark: any remaining balance will be forfeited.
• If the employee separates from the University with a remaining Parental Leave paid time off balance: any remaining balance will be forfeited.

The Parental Leave benefit is a paid time off plan, comparable to vacation time, that provides compensation during your approved Parental Leave. Applicable Federal and State leave will run concurrently.

Yes. However, using Parental Leave to extend your leave of absence beyond your FMLA entitlement will be subject to approval at the department's discretion, similar to requesting vacation time while not on leave.

Yes, as long as each of you meets the eligibility requirements.

No. As of January 1, 2019, the reimbursement benefit has been discontinued.

Employees represented by a Collective Bargaining Agreement should refer to their union agreement for information about their alternative Parental Leave benefit options.

If you are using paid time off continuously up to the day before a Brown-observed holiday or winter break, you will remain in paid status throughout the holiday or winter break. You should not submit a paid time off request for Brown-observed holidays or winter break days. 

If you are in unpaid status immediately prior to the start of a Brown-observed holiday or winter break, you will remain unpaid during that period.

You may choose to use sick and vacation time off that was accrued prior to the start date of your leave to remain paid by Brown. This benefit does not impact your eligibility for state benefits.