6.2.3.5 Maternity Leave

Michigan Tech recognizes the need to support employees as they balance career, childbirth, and family obligations. A holistic review of all of our leave policies needs to be done in a deliberate fashion to develop a general parental leave policy for birth and adoptive parents. To have something available immediately for birth mothers the following interim practice is put into place. This document outlines parameters for a maternity leave to be applied within our current policy 6.2.3.1 Approved Absences with Pay which allows the President to approve a leave of absence with pay for specific occasions.

PARAMETERS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE (MATERNITY-BIRTH MOTHER ONLY)

To be used in conjunction with Leaves with Pay Policy (6.2.3.1 Approved Absences with Pay).

Note: these parameters will be in place until the program can be evaluated and assessed and a regular policy can be developed.

Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

• Applies to faculty eligible for full benefits.
• Will receive one semester at full pay while being relieved from teaching duties for the duration of the leave of absence but continuing to perform their regular duties at 50% in a research capacity including graduate student supervision.
• Can choose to be relieved of all duties while on leave of absence; however, leave of absence with pay will follow the parameters given to staff (full pay for up to 6 weeks; see below).
• Leave with pay will run concurrent* with the Family Medical Leave Act.
• Can only receive leave with pay for semesters normally paid (summer excluded).
• Full benefits will continue during leave of absence.

Non-tenure track faculty, research faculty, professional and non-represented staff.

• Applies to persons eligible for full benefits.
• Will receive full pay for up to 6 weeks; any additional time will be without pay (employee can use earned sick/vacation time (if eligible)).
• Lecturers can chose a leave of absence for one semester at half-pay while being relieved from all duties.
• Leave with pay will run concurrent with the Family Medical Leave Act.
• Full benefits will continue during leave of absence.

* The intent is that faculty can get paid for a full semester without having to meet regularly scheduled classes (but still maintain graduate student supervision and research), or for up to 6 weeks without any teaching, research, and service responsibilities. "Concurrent" means that:

• if they take the full semester option, the 12 weeks of FMLA leave are used up;
• if they take "up to 6" weeks, 12 - "up to 6" weeks of unpaid FMLA leave are still left.

Further information is available from the Benefits Office in the Human Resources Office.