Maternity Leave
Family Medical Leave (FML) , Temporary Disability (TD), Accrued Leave Days, and Leave Pool may apply to maternity leave for full-time employees, depending on your situation. All district leave policies run concurrently. Intermittent leave is not allowed for maternity leave.
If you have worked for PISD less than 1 year:
Your maternity leave will be provided by the Temporary Disability (TD) policy. When your doctor takes you off work for bed rest or for delivery, you will first use any Accrued Leave Days that you have accumulated. After all your Accrued Leave Days have been used, your TD leave will begin. You must remain off work until your doctor releases you to return to work (normally 6 to 8 weeks). At that time, you must return to work, with no restrictions, on the next scheduled work day.
TD is an unpaid leave. However, you may use Leave Pool days, if you are a member. The Leave Pool days will only pay you for the remainder of the time your doctor keeps you off work, subject to the maximum of 25 Leave Pool days in the fiscal year (maximum 75 days lifetime). Leave Pool days are not granted automatically; you must request them. Using Leave Pool days does not extend the length of your TD leave.
If you have worked for PISD more than 1 year:
If you have also worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months (the Benefits department will determine this for you), then you will qualify for the leave described below. If not, you will qualify for the leave described in the previous section.
Your maternity leave will be provided by the Family Medical Leave (FML) and Temporary Disability (TD) policies. When your doctor takes you off work for bed rest or for delivery, your FML will begin. Your TD will begin when you have used all your Accrued Leave Days, and it will run concurrently with your FML. You must remain off work until your doctor releases you to return to work (normally 6 to 8 weeks). At that time, you may return to work, or you may choose to remain off work by using the rest of your available FML. If you have been released by your doctor, you must return to work when your FML is exhausted.
If you use all your available FML before your doctor releases you, you will be on TD leave only. Then when your doctor releases you to return to work, you must return to work, with no restrictions, on the next scheduled work day.
FML and TD are unpaid leaves. If you have accumulated Accrued Leave Days, they will be used to pay you while your doctor states you are unable to work. If you do not have enough Accrued Leave Days to pay you for that time period, then you may use Leave Pool days, if you are a member. The Leave Pool days will only pay you for the remainder of the time your doctor states you are unable to work, subject to the maximum of 25 Leave Pool days in the fiscal year (maximum 75 days lifetime). Leave Pool days are not granted automatically; you must request them. Using Leave Pool days does not extend the length of your leave time.
If your doctor releases you as able to return to work, but you choose to remain off work using the rest of your FML, then that time off will be unpaid, because it is not an eligible reason to use sick days. However, if you have personal days or vacation days left in your Accrued Leave balance, you may choose to use those days. You must notify your office manager to code these absences correctly in the system.
If you have been released by your doctor to return to work, but your baby is ill, your leave will then be recorded as family illness instead of maternity leave. In this situation, please contact our office so we can assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I request maternity leave? Approximately 1 month before your due date (or earlier if you are experiencing complications), 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 maternity leave process.
What if both parents are PISD employees? If both parents are PISD employees and are eligible for FML, then the FML time off is limited to a combined total of 12 weeks and runs concurrently with any other leave. Please contact us for assistance in determining the dates of your leave.
What papers and doctor’s notes do I need to turn in? The maternity leave packet will contain the forms you need to submit. You will also need to provide a doctor’s note taking you off work (for bed rest and/or for delivery), and a doctor’s note releasing you to return to work. The release note must be provided to the Benefits department at least 2 days before you may return to work.
How do I record my absences? During your recovery period, your absences must be recorded as “Personal Illness”. Once your recovery period is over, any further absences must be recorded as “Unpaid Leave” or “Dock”, unless you are using any remaining personal or vacation days.
Does the 6 to 8 week recovery period ordered by my doctor include holidays? Yes. This recovery period is the length of time your doctor says you need in order to recover and return to work. The recovery period does not skip over holidays, weekends, or summer months, because your physical recovery is continuing whether or not you are scheduled to be at work.
For campus employees – What if I deliver my baby in the summer and my recovery period ends before the next school year begins? If you have worked for PISD less than 1 year, there is no maternity leave available to you. You must return to work at the beginning of the school year. If you have worked for PISD more than 1 year and are eligible for FML, you may choose to take FML at the beginning of the school year. If your recovery period has already ended, the FML will be unpaid.
May I do any work while on maternity leave? No, you may not perform any job duties on campus or at home while on maternity leave, nor can your supervisor require you to do so. This might include grading papers, preparing lesson plans, supervising classes or athletic events, attending PDH training or parent/teacher conferences, and other job duties. This is for the district’s protection and also for your protection.
Is my baby automatically covered on the PISD health plan? No. If you wish to cover your baby on your PISD health plan, you must contact the Benefits department within 30 days of the birth to add coverage as of the birth date. If you do not contact us to add your baby within this timeframe, the claims cannot be paid, and the baby cannot be added until the next open enrollment period.
Is there a support program to help foster a healthy pregnancy? Yes. If you are enrolled in one of our medical plans, then you are eligible for the Nationwide Better Health Maternity Management Program (87 KB), formerly called FutureFootsteps.
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.
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