Transcription
Maternity & Paternity LeaveSimplifying Williamson County Schools Parental Leave Policies
Does WCS have parental leavebenefits?Yes. Maternity and Paternity leaveMaternity & Paternity leave are granted to employees inaccordance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The WCSLeave policy provides unpaid leave for qualifying staff membersunless an employee has accrued:What is FMLA?Family Medical Leave ActFMLA is a federal leave benefit whichprovides for up to 12 weeks of paid orunpaid leave in a 12-month period forcertain medical and family reasons.To be eligible for FMLA you must haveworked for WCS for 1 year in a fulltime status and worked at least 1250hours in that year.While on FMLA, you are allowed to useyour sick leave during the portion ofleave that your physician states ismedically necessary. Your maternityleave and FMLA leave will runconcurrently. FMLA is counted in workweeks/days sickvacationpersonalcomp leaveIf you have accumulated sick leave, you may use it during theperiod of your physical disability, or the baby’s physical disability(determined by a physician’s statement confirming your inability towork). Typically, you may use up to 6 weeks (Calendar weeks) ofsick leave for vaginal birth and up to 8 weeks (Calendar weeks) ofsick leave for Caesareans. Leave of this type requires a doctor’snote certifying the need, and WCS will abide by the doctor’scertification of medically necessary time.Leave beyond your accumulated sick leave days for what ismedically necessary (per doctor’s note) will be without pay unlessyou have personal leave, vacation, or comp leave accrued.Tenn. Code Ann. 4-21-408Employees who have been employed by the same employer for atleast twelve (12) consecutive months as full-time employees, asdetermined by the employer at the job site or location, may beabsent from such employment for a period not to exceed four (4)months for adoption, pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing an infant.With regard to adoption, the four-month period shall begin at thetime an employee receives custody of the child.Can I choose NOT to use accrued leave while onmaternity/FMLA leave?Yes, you may be uncompensated for the entire period.Maternity leave
How do I apply for maternity/FMLA Leave?You can download the forms on theWCS website under Leave of Absence.Complete both the Employee FMLAForm (with your physician’sassistance) and the Long Term Leaveof Absence Application. Once you havecompleted these documents, whichinclude a physician’s certification, youmust submit the forms to the HumanResources Department. These formsare then reviewed by HumanResources for final approval andprocessing.How much notice must Iprovide?In order to take FMLA leave, you mustprovide notice to your immediatesupervisor and Human Resources atleast 30 days in advance; but 90 daysis requested for maternity leave sothat we can identify a propersubstitute if permitted. The 30 dayrequirement may be waived if theleave is due to an emergency.AdoptionThe adoption of a child constitutes a valid reason for requesting aleave under the procedures of the Maternity Leave Policy. FMLAallows 12 weeks of paid or unpaid leave in the year followingadoption. In accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated§49-5-710, upon verification by a written statement from anadoption agency or other entity handling an adoption, andemployee may request use of thirty (30) days of accumulated sickleave to be used for the adoption of a child. The doctor may specifyadditional sick leave is needed if the adopted child has a medicalcondition requiring your presence. Again, we require a doctor’s notefor any absence over 10 days if this occurs. If both adoptiveparents are employed with WCS, only one (1) parent is entitledto use sick leave at a time for adoption.If I have 4 months of sick leave accrued, can I use itall during my maternity/FMLA leave?Sick leave can only be used for what your physician states ismedically necessary; therefore, if you elect to remain off work afterthe medically necessary time period established by your physician,the remaining leave will be without pay.What if I have a C-Section?Simply provide documentation from your doctor certifying themedical necessity of your leave due to a C-section, and you will beallowed additional time, generally up to 8 weeks of accrued sickleave while on Maternity/FMLA leave.Maternity Leave
Extended Leave or date changeYou must contact the Human Resources Department and informthem of the changes. A physician’s statement must be provideddocumenting the changes if the changes involve an extended leavethat is medically necessary. Any changes, which are not medicallynecessary that involve an extended leave of absence within the 16week period allowed, do not require a physician’s statement.Changes to the dates of a Maternity Leave must be made soon afterdelivery so as not to impact arrangements for an interim or longterm substitute.Doctor Requiring Bed Rest?If you have been placed on bed restper doctor’s orders, you may startyour leave early. You will be eligible touse accrued sick leave during thistime, to the extent it has accrued. Ifyou are placed on bed rest the HumanResource Department will need a notefrom your treating physician in orderto revise your leave dates.Can I start my maternity leavebefore the baby is born?You are only allowed to start yourmaternity leave early if your physicianfeels it is medically necessary. If yourphysician does not feel it is medicallynecessary then you may use yourpersonal or vacation days but you willnot be allowed to use sick time unlessyou are sick. Your FMLA will start thefirst day you are out.Do I have the option to keep WCS insurance for myself,spouse and baby while I am on a leave of absence?While on Maternity/FMLA leave, your insurance benefits will continueas if you are actively employed up to a maximum of 16 weeks fromthe date of birth or adoption if you are FMLA eligible. The Board ofEducation will continue to contribute to the premium. As long as youreceive a paycheck, your benefit deductions (additional familycoverage) will continue as normal. Once you are unpaid, you willhave to pay your normal deducted amount to continue familycoverage. When you become FMLA/Maternity ineligible or you do notreturn to work at the end of your approved leave and you haveexhausted all paid leave, you may continue insurance coverage.However, you will be required to cover the full cost of premiums atthe COBRA rate. Please contact the Williamson County BenefitsDepartment with any additional questions or to arrange for paymentof missed benefit deductions at (615) 790-5600.What do I need to do once the baby is born?If you would like to add your baby to your health insurance, you willhave thirty-one (31) days from the date the baby is born to have allyour paperwork turned into the benefits department atwcs.loa@wcs.edu . You will need to send a copy of the baby’s birthcertificate or a letter from your physician starting the date youdelivered to the Human Resources Department.What if I want to come back early from maternityleave?You must contact Human Resources and request permissionto return early. If granted permission, you must provide aphysician’s statement releasing you to return to work.Maternity Leave
How do I ensure that my newbaby is added to the medical orother insurance plans withWCS?Simply contact the Williamson CountyBenefits Department and request an“Add Dependent/Change Request” formand have your paperwork turned inwithin 31 (thirty-one) of the baby’sbirth. Note: You may not have thebaby’s social security number yet, butthat is OK. You will need to call theBenefits Department at (615) 790-5600with the social security number whenyou receive it.Professional Development DaysYou need to complete your required PDCredit hours either before you go onmaternity leave and/or after you returnto work. You will still need to have allPD Credit hours documented on yourtranscript by April 1.My leave will be during Winter Break or Spring Break.Will I get paid for these two weeks?Educators are paid for the number of days in a paid leave or workstatus in their work calendar. Winter Break and Spring Break aredays out of the calendar so you are not paid for these daysregardless of status. If you do not have enough paid leave to coveryour absence, payroll will adjust your pay. Classified Employeeshave to work or be on paid leave the working day prior to a holidayin order to be paid for a holiday.Since I will be on Maternity/FMLA leave during daysout of the calendar (i.e. MLK day and Labor Day) will Iget paid for those days or will my sick days have tocover them?Martin Luther King Day and Labor Day are days out of theteacher calendar which means these are not paid days regardlessof status. Classified employees are paid for holidays based on theirspecific calendar. Therefore, no sick, vacation, or personal days willbe applied.What happens if there is an inclement weather daywhile I am on Maternity Leave and the District isclosed?If an employee has requested a paid sick vacation or personalleave day on a day that school is cancelled for inclementweather or other such reason, the employee will not becharged with sick, vacation or personal leave for that day,even if on extended leave. Employees in an unpaid status willremain in an unpaid status for that day.Maternity Leave
What effect does my leave of absence haveon my required in-service hours?You must complete the required hours, based on yourassignment; Please contact the ProfessionalDevelopment Coordinator for more information.How does my Maternity/FMLA affect myability to become tenured?A teacher must work 5 school years or not less than 45months within a 7 year period to be eligible for tenureand meet evaluation guidelines. Any time taken withoutpay while on maternity leave will not count towards therequired months.Will my Maternity/FMLA leave affect myyears of service or retirement?Leave with pay does not affect retirement or years ofservice. Time spent out on leave without pay is notcounted for retirement purposes or as years of servicein placing you on the salary schedule.Contact InformationTo File a Leave of AbsenceBenefits & InsuranceKayla AaronShort & Long Term DisabilityJennifer De CuirEmployee Relations CoordinatorBenefits SpecialistAccount ManagerWilliamson County SchoolsWilliamson County GovernmentThe Drury Group Inc.Email: Kayla.Aaron@wcs.eduEmail: wcs.loa@wcs.eduEmail: Jenniderd@drurygroup.comPhone: 615-472-4051Phone: 615-790-5600Phone: 615-628-3377Fax: 615-472-5618Fax: 615-790-5876Fax: 615-790-7585Maternity Leave
What is FMLA? Family Medical Leave Act FMLA is a federal leave benefit which provides for up to 12 weeks of paid
