Policy Statement
Applies to:
Regular benefits-eligible staff
Policy Statement
Dartmouth will provide up to eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave to eligible employees following the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child(ren). The purpose of this leave is to enable the employee to care for and bond with a newborn, a newly adopted, or newly placed foster child.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible staff must meet the following criteria:
- Be a regular benefits-eligible staff in an active status (including Union employees) and;
- Have given birth to a child; or
- Be a spouse/partner of a person who has given birth to a child; or
- Have adopted a child or received a foster placement.
Additionally:
- The child must be under the age of 18 unless the child is disabled.
- The adoption of a spouse's/partner's child is excluded from this policy.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE BENEFIT
- Regular benefits-eligible staff (including Union employees) with more than one year of continuous benefits-eligible service will receive eight weeks of paid parental leave:
- Weeks 1-6 are at 100% of the employee's base pay
- Weeks 7 and 8 are at 60% of the employee's base pay
- Regular benefits-eligible staff (including Union employees) who have worked at Dartmouth for less than one year of continuous benefits-eligible service, the paid parental leave benefit is adjusted to six weeks, as follows:
- Weeks 1 and 2 are at 100% of the employee's base pay
- Weeks 3 – 6 are at 60% of the employee's base pay
- The benefit you are eligible for is based on your service with the College as of the date of the birth, adoption or foster placement regardless of when the leave is taken.
- Eligible employees will receive a maximum of eight (8) total weeks of paid parental leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child(ren). The leave must be completed within a 12-month period. The 12-month period commences with the birth or placement of the adopted or fostered child regardless of when the leave is taken. Multiple births, adoptions, or placements (e.g., the birth of twins) does not increase the total amount of paid parental leave benefit.
- For the employee who has given birth, the paid parental leave is separate from and in addition to applicable short-term disability benefits for the employee's own medical recovery following childbirth.
- Approved paid parental leave must be taken and completed prior to the child's first birthday or first anniversary of the adoption or foster placement.
- Parental leave is usually approved as one continuous absence. However, eligible staff may be able to take leave intermittently, or on a reduced schedule basis. Intermittent parental leave can be taken in no less than half-day increments.
- If both parents are eligible employees at Dartmouth, each will receive their own benefit. They will generally be permitted to take the leave concurrently or separately, dependent on operational needs if both parents are in the same work unit. Advanced notice to Human Resources and supervisor approval are required.
- Unused parental leave is not payable at termination and may not be used as the final day of employment. Parental leave cannot be taken during the period of termination notice without the express approval of his or her supervisor in consultation with Human Resources.
- Paid parental leave applies to an eligible employee's regular schedule and is not intended to be in addition to the eligible employee's regular schedule.
- Eligible employees on an approved paid parental leave will receive full pay for any holiday or winter break day that occurs during their leave.
COORDINATION WITH OTHER POLICIES
- Paid parental leave taken under this policy will run concurrently with leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for qualified circumstances of birth, adoption, or placement of a child; thus, any leave taken will be counted toward the 12 weeks of available FMLA leave.
- After paid parental leave (and any short-term disability leave for employees giving birth) is exhausted, the balance of FMLA leave (if applicable) will be unpaid unless the employee elects to use vacation time for pay continuity.
- All benefits continue as if actively employed while on paid parental leave. Eligible employees will continue to accrue vacation time while on paid parental leave.
- Paid parental leave will run concurrently with any state specific statutory parental leave or paid family and medical leave law, as applicable. Nothing in this policy is meant to affect entitlement to paid or unpaid parental leave as may be mandated under state specific law. Eligible employees who work in states other than NH will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the appropriate coordination of benefits. Paid parental leave benefits coordinated with any state mandated benefits will not exceed an eligible employee's 100% base pay.
- All other requirements under the FMLA or state leave will apply.
REQUESTS FOR PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
A paid parental leave is normally requested by the employee 30 days in advance using the Paid Parental Leave Application Form available at https://dartgo.org/parental-leave-app.
The form is completed by the employee, signed and approved by the immediate supervisor and/or the department head, and forwarded to the Office of Human Resources at Disability@dartmouth.edu for review, eligibility, and final approval.