Employees may choose to use accrued sick and/or vacation time based on their available balances at the start of the leave.

Key points:

• Paid time off must be used consecutively, beginning on the first day of leave
• Paid time off continues to accrue while an employee is on leave

Employees who do not have sufficient accrued time off, or who choose not to use it, may take unpaid leave. 

Benefit Premiums During Unpaid Leave

While on unpaid leave, employees are responsible for continuing payment of their benefit premiums. 

Available payment options include:

• Direct Billing: Premiums are billed through Sentinel, Brown's third-party billing service.
• Payroll Deduction: Any unpaid premiums may be deducted from the employee's next paycheck.
  • Employees may request that deductions be split into two payments.

Holiday and winter break pay depends on whether an employee is using paid or unpaid time immediately before the break.

• Employees who are using paid time off (including parental, sick or vacation time) through the day before a Brown-observed holiday or winter break will continue to receive pay during the holiday or break period
• Employees who are on unpaid leave immediately prior to a holiday or winter break will not receive pay for those days
• No time off requests are required for official holidays or winter break days

Employees who normally work during holidays or winter break and have questions about how a break may affect their leave are encouraged to schedule a consultation with the UHR Office of Leave and Accommodations during virtual office hours to review their individual circumstances.

Submit an Inquiry Form

Depending on an employee's state of residence, partial wage replacement may be available through state-administered programs, such as Rhode Island's Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI).