University policy states that absences greater than five business days - not including pre-approved vacation time off – will require the employee to complete the leave request process.

Employees should consider one of the following leave options:

1.   Medical Leave under the FMLA

• Medical Self  

• Medical Family

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

• Medical Self only

• Exclusively applicable to union groups

3.   Medical Leave as an ADA Accommodation

• Medical Self only

• Applicable to employees who are not FMLA-eligible

4.   Personal Leave

• May be requested for reasons not covered by the FMLA, ADA, CBA, or other federal and state laws.

• Personal leave is granted at the discretion of the University

• May have an impact on your benefits.

The maximum duration of an approved Leave of Absence depends on the type of leave and the terms of your collective bargaining agreement (if applicable). An approved Leave of Absence, under the FMLA, for example, would have a maximum entitlement of 12 weeks, while a Leave under the RI-PFML offers 13 weeks to eligible employees.

Yes. The type of leave, policy guidelines, and approval considerations may vary. Extended Medical leave for an employee’s own serious medical condition beyond FMLA may be reviewed under the terms of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) (if applicable) or as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If an employee’s serious medical requires a continuous leave of absence for more than 6 months, the employee may be eligible for Long Term Disability Insurance.  

Employees who wish to pursue an extended leave of absence beyond their approved FMLA entitlement for reasons not related to their own medical condition may choose to request a personal leave. Personal leave is granted at the discretion of the University and may have an impact on your benefits.

Intermittent Leave requests will follow the same FMLA approval process as requests for continuous leave. Whether FMLA is used continuously or intermittently, it offers up to 12 weeks of job-protected time away from work. For intermittent FMLA, the primary difference is how FMLA usage is managed and tracked. Due to the irregular nature of intermittent leave, the exact number of hours an employee takes leave must recorded in the smallest increment allowed by the University’s leave policy.

All requests for a leave of absence follow the same Workday process. 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 who wish to be unpaid during their intermittent FMLA leave, their managers must submit an Overpayment Workday before the payroll cutoff.

Generally, during an approved Leave of Absence, service credits may continue to accrue. However, the specific impact on retirement benefits may vary based on the type of leave and policies.

Personal Leave: Division HR, ER, Manager & Absence Partners

Medical Leave: University Human Resources (UHR)

Family Leave: University Human Resources (UHR)

Military Leave: University Human Resources (UHR) & Payroll

Intermittent FMLA: Approved by UHR - Tracked by Manager & Absence Partners

Requesting a paid leave of absence is a two-step process:

1. Submit your request for a leave of absence.
2. Submit your paid time off request. 

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 should be applied continuously, not sporadically, to avoid payroll processing issues.

While on an approved leave of absence, you can use any available paid-time options (such as sick or vacation time). You may choose the option that best suits your situation, but remember:

• 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, you can have a combination of paid and unpaid leave, 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.

Exempt employees who have partially unpaid leave must work with their department’s HR Coordinator to submit an Underpayment/Overpayment Request. This ensures payroll adjustments are made correctly for pay periods that include unpaid time.

If you are in unpaid status for 5 weeks or more, premiums may be billed directly by Sentinel Benefits. Payments are due on the 1st of each month. Failure to pay within 30 days may result in benefits cancellation.

Premiums continue to be deducted if you are in a paid status. Unpaid status for four or more consecutive weeks may result in being directly billed by Sentinel Benefits.

For payment plan inquiries, contact Sentinel Benefits directly by phone at 1-888-762-6088. They can provide guidance on establishing a plan based on your specific circumstances.

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

FMLA stands for the Family and Medical Leave Act, a federal law that provides eligible employees with job-protected leave for qualifying family or medical reasons. Eligibility criteria include having worked for the university for at least 12 months and completing at least 1,250 service hours in the previous 12 months.

FMLA covers various situations, including the birth or adoption of a child, serious health conditions affecting the employee or their family member, and 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. Communicate with your manager, Initiate the request in Workday, update contact information in Workday for accuracy, and submit the request at least 30 days in advance when possible.

FMLA-eligible employees are required to submit a Certification of Healthcare Provider form to the UHR Office of Leave and Accommodations via fax at 401-863-2830 or e-mail at leave_admin@health.brown.edu. 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 Medical Clearance form to the UHR Office of Leave and Accommodations via fax at 401-863-2830 or e-mail at leave_admin@health.brown.edu. 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:

1.   When is the employee cleared to return to work?

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

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

4.   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 the University’s third-party benefits administrator, Sentinel.

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

Brown University provides eligible employees up to 6 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. Click here to 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 1 year after the date of birth or placement for adoption.

No. You are not required to take all 6 weeks of parental leave benefits all at once. The parental leave benefit can be split into one-week minimum increments. If the 6-week parental leave paid time off allowance is not fully used by the 1-year mark, any remaining balance will be forfeited. If the employee separates from the University and 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 Maternity / 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 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 applying any paid time off option to remain paid continuously through to the day before a Brown observed holiday or winter break, you will maintain your paid status through the holiday/winter break. You must not submit a request for paid time off on a Brown observed holiday or winter break. If you are unpaid leading up to the start of a Brown observed holiday or winter break, you will maintain your unpaid status.

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.