Paternity Leave
Accrued Leave Days and Family Medical Leave (FML) may apply to paternity leave, depending on your situation. All district leave policies run concurrently. Intermittent leave is not allowed for paternity leave.
For all full-time employees:
You may use any of your Accrued state personal days or vacation days. Up to 5 sick days may be used for paternity leave. When you have used 5 sick days and/or all state personal days and vacation days, you must return to work.
Note: If you are required to stay home to help care for your wife or if the baby is ill, your absence will be considered illness in the family instead of paternity leave. Please refer to the web page discussing illness in family for further information.
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 your Accrued Leave Days as 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 paternity leave? Approximately 1 month before you need paternity leave (or as soon as possible when your leave begins), you must contact Pam Dimmick in the Benefits and Risk Management Department – (469)752-4778 or pamela.dimmick@pisd.edu. Pam will help you with the paternity leave process.
What if both parents are PISD employees? If both parents are PISD employees and both are eligible for FML, the 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 do I need to turn in? You will need to provide a doctor’s note stating the date the baby was born. The paternity leave packet will contain additional forms you need to submit.
How do I record my absences? Your absences must be recorded as “State Personal Leave” in order to use those days, "Vacation” in order to use those days, and up to 5 days may be recorded as "family illness". If you are eligible for extended leave under FML, those additional absences must be recorded as “Unpaid Leave” or “Dock”.
May I do any work while on paternity leave? No, you may not perform any job duties on campus or at home while on paternity 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.
Is my baby automatically covered on the medical plan? If you are already covered by TRS-ActiveCare, your newborn will automatically be covered for the first 31 days only. To add coverage beyond the first 31 days, you must sign, date, and submit the Change Forms 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 your wife is enrolled in a TRS-ActiveCare medical plan, then she is eligible for the BCBS Special Beginnings program. You can find out more about this program by calling BCBS at 1-800-462-3275.
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.
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