Faculty Handbook

Medical Leave (Short and Long-Term Disability)

Last updated: 1/1/2000

IV. ACADEMIC HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES (Cont.)

Short-Term Disability

This policy was issued by the Office of the Provost in 1978 and revised in 2000.

Faculty and academic staff members who are appointed on a full time basis¹ are eligible for up to six months of paid leave if health problems prevent the individual from working. (Normally, short term disability leave related to pregnancy, childbirth and/or recovery is for six weeks, but  may be longer with proper medical certification² ).  It is the responsibility of the individual faculty/academic staff member to promptly notify the department chairperson, director, or immediate supervisor of absence due to illness or disability.

If other members of the faculty/academic staff assume the duties of the individual on a temporary basis without additional cost to the University, no formal report of the absence beyond the dean or director of the major academic unit is required during a four week period.

If the absence extends or is expected to extend beyond four weeks, a leave of absence beginning with the first day of absence should be requested by the individual or if the individual is unable to make the request, by the department chairperson or director, through the office of the dean to the provost for reporting to the president and Board of Trustees. The leave of absence form must be accompanied by medical certification specifying the dates of the period of disability.

Faculty/academic staff returning from medical leave may be required to obtain approval from the attending physician before returning to work.

Long-Term Disability

If disability of a faculty or academic staff member appointed for nine months or more on a full-time basis extends or is likely to extend beyond 180 days, Human Resources should be contacted immediately for information on applying for benefits under the Long-Term Disability plan and Social Security. (See Long-Term Disability: An Interpretation of the Tenure Rules.)

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¹  Short-term medical leave also applies to part-time faculty and academic staff members appointed for 50 percent or more time for nine months or more.

²  In such cases of short term disability leave, additional leave under the Parental Leave policy for faculty and academic staff may be provided.  Note that the combination of Short Term Disability and Parental leave replaces the 12 weeks normally provided by the Maternity Leave policy, which has been discontinued.

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