Maternity Leave
Family Medical Leave (FML) , Temporary Disability (TD), Accrued Leave Days, and Leave Bank 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 (maximum 180 calendar days). 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 (usually 6 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 apply for Leave Bank days, if you are a member. Leave Bank days may only apply during the 6-week period following your delivery date, subject to the maximum of 25 Leave Bank days in the fiscal year (maximum 75 days lifetime). Leave Bank days may only be granted beyond that 6-week period based on sufficient documentation of medical necessity. Leave Bank days are not granted automatically; you must request them. Using Leave Bank days does not extend the length of your TD leave.
There is no additional time off, paid or unpaid, after your doctor releases you to return to work.
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) (maximum 12 workweeks in a 12-month period) and Temporary Disability (TD) (maximum 180 calendar days). 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 (usually 6 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 apply for Leave Bank days, if you are a member. Leave Bank days may only apply during the 6-week period following your delivery date, subject to the maximum of 25 Leave Bank days in the fiscal year (maximum 75 days lifetime). Leave Bank days may only be granted beyond that 6-week period based on sufficient documentation of medical necessity. Leave Bank days are not granted automatically; you must request them. Using Leave Bank days does not extend the length of your leave time.
If you are able to return to work but choose to remain off work using the rest of your FML, then that time off is 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 and will need to start your leave before your due date), you must contact Kimberly Costa in the Benefits and Risk Management Department – (469)752-4753 or kimberly.costa@pisd.edu. She 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-week recovery period ordered by my doctor include holidays? Yes. 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 medical plan? If you are enrolled in a TRS-ActiveCare medical plan, your newborn will be automatically covered for the first 31 days only. To add coverage beyond the first 31 days, you must sign, date, and submit the Change Form to the PISD benefits department within 60 days after the birth. Contact us as soon as possible after the birth to request that we send you a Change Form. Change Forms submitted after the enrollment window will be denied.
Is there a support program to help foster a healthy pregnancy? Yes. If you are enrolled in a TRS-ActiveCare medical plan, then you are eligible for the BCBS Special Beginnings program. You can find out more about this program by calling BCBS at 1-800-462-3275.
Will the disability plan pay during my maternity leave? If you enrolled in the disability plan before you became pregnant, then it will pay your maternity leave claim. The claim form will be included in your maternity leave packet. There are three sections on the claim form – one for you to complete, one for your doctor to complete, and one for the PISD payroll department to complete.
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 cannot or will not 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.
|
