Adoption Leave
Accrued Leave Days , Leave Pool, and Family Medical Leave (FML) may apply to adoption leave, depending on your situation. All district leave policies run concurrently. Intermittent leave is not allowed for adoption leave.
For all full-time employees:
The district allows adoption leave for up to 6 workweeks, beginning no later than one month after placement of the child with you. If you have accumulated any Accrued Leave Days, then any local sick, state personal, or vacation days will be used to pay you for this 6-week period. State sick days may not be used for adoption leave. If you do not have enough local sick, state personal, and vacation days to pay for the entire 6-week period, you may use Leave Pool days to be paid for the remaining time, if you are a Leave Pool member. At the end of the 6-week period, you must return to work.
Additional leave available if you have worked for PISD more than 1 year:
If you have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months (the Benefits department will determine this for you), then you may qualify for additional unpaid leave through Family Medical Leave (FML). If not, you will qualify only for the leave described in the previous section.
FML will run concurrently with the 6-week period described above. However, under FML, you may remain off work for the rest of your available FML time. This additional time off work will be unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I request adoption leave? Approximately 1 month before you need adoption leave (or as soon as possible when your leave begins), you must contact Nancy Alexander in the Benefits and Risk Management Department – (469)752-4754 or nancy.alexander@pisd.edu. Nancy will help you with the adoption leave process.
What if both parents are PISD employees? If both parents are employees and choose to take adoption leave, the maximum time off work is a combined total of 12 weeks. Please contact us for assistance in determining the dates of your leave.
What papers do I need to turn in? You will need to provide us a copy of the paperwork for the adoption or placement for adoption. The adoption leave packet will contain the additional forms you need to submit.
How do I record my absences? For the initial 6-week period, your absences must be recorded as “Adoption”. If you are eligible for extended leave under FML, those absences must be recorded as “Unpaid Leave” or “Dock”, unless you are using any remaining personal or vacation days.
For campus employees – What if I adopt during the summer? Please contact our office as soon as possible, so we can help you determine what leave time is available to you.
May I do any work while on adoption leave? No, you may not perform any job duties on campus or at home while on adoption leave, nor can your supervisor require you to. This might include grading papers, preparing lesson plans, supervising classes or athletic events, attending PDH training or parent/teacher conferences, and other job duties.
Is my adopted child automatically covered on the PISD health plan? No. If you wish to cover your child on your PISD health plan, you must contact the Benefits department within 30 days of the placement for adoption in order to add coverage as of the placement date. If you do not contact us to add your child within this timeframe, the claims cannot be paid, and the child cannot be added until the next open enrollment period.
If I do not receive a paycheck, what will happen to my health plan benefits? If you do not receive a paycheck or if your paycheck is insufficient to make the premium deductions, you will receive an invoice for any premiums which are due. You will have 30 days in which to make payment. If payment is not received by the due date stated on the invoice, your health plan benefits will be cancelled, or if possible, you will be moved to a plan for employee only coverage that is completely covered by the district’s contribution. This may result in additional deductible or out-of-pocket costs. If your medical, dental, or vision benefits are cancelled while you are on FML, you may request to reinstate the coverage and resume premium payments when you return to work after your FML.
What if I am on leave the maximum length of time and am still not able to return to work? At that time, the process for termination of employment must begin (see policy DEC(Local) Expiration of Available Leave). You will be offered COBRA for any health plan benefits you have. If you are able to return to work in the future, you may apply for reemployment with the district at that time.
|
