Paid and Unpaid Leaves

When am I eligible to apply for an academic leave? 

Per Article 25.1.4, faculty members are eligible for academic leave after 7 years of full-time service. See Article 25 for full details on the amount of leave one may apply for and the guidelines for requesting academic leave.  

How can I figure out how much sick time I have accrued? 

Per Article 17.1 of the AAUP/UC contract, all bargaining unit members accrue sick leave at the rate of 15 days per year (1.25 days per month), up to a maximum of 300 days. 

You can see how much sick time you’ve accumulated by checking your pay slip or, if you have questions about the pay slip report, by calling UC Human Resources at 556-1033.

When can sick leave be used? 

Per Article 17.3 of the AAUP/UC contract, accumulated sick leave days can be used when the faculty member him/herself is ill, injured, or has been exposed to a contagious disease; or when there has been an illness, injury, or death in the immediate family.

How much paid leave is available to me should I become ill for an extended period of time? 

A faculty member may take paid time off for illness (or for the illness of family members as described in Article 17.3) for as many sick leave days as s/he has accumulated. 

In the event of a serious illness whose duration is expected to exceed 14 days, faculty members can continue to use accumulated sick leave, but must notify the academic unit head of the probable duration of the illness. During an “extended sick leave,” the University may require a statement from the faculty member’s physician as to the nature of the illness and the date of probable return.

What happens if I run out of accumulated sick leave days? 

If a faculty member runs out of accumulated sick leave, s/he may submit a request to the academic unit head asking to draw upon the Sick Leave Bank described in Article 17.2. The Sick Leave Bank is maintained at 300 days by the University at all times. Any requests from an individual faculty member to draw more than 150 days from the Bank must be approved by both the UC and the AAUP. (See Article 17.2 for more details.)

What happens if it becomes clear that my illness or injury has resulted in a long-term disability? 

Long-term disability is handled according to the specific circumstances of the faculty member.  Faculty members who participate in STRS or OPERS, and have at least 5 years in the system, are covered by the long-term disability protection provided by those systems. Faculty members who are not covered by STRS or OPERS may at some point need to apply for a medical leave without pay (see Article 17.10 of the AAUP/UC contract), once accumulated sick leave days and access to the Sick Leave Bank have been exhausted. 

It may be wise for Faculty Members who are not participating in STRS/OPERS, or who are participating but have not yet been in the system for 5 years, to purchase the optional long-term disability insurance offered by the UC.

Does the contract provide for paid leave for childbirth? Are there any provisions for family/paternity/maternity leave? 

Per Article 17.6 of the AAUP/UC contract, a faculty member’s accumulated sick leave days may be used to take paid time off for “normal childbirth.” (This Article applies to the person giving birth, not to partners or spouses.) If the number of sick leave days to be used will exceed 10 weeks, the academic unit head may request that the faculty member provide a physician’s statement of the probable date of return. 

Article 17.6 also provides that disability or illness caused or contributed to by pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, or childbirth will be considered, for contractual benefits purposes, like any other illness or disability. 

Article 19.2.1 allows any faculty member to request an unpaid leave of absence for up to one year for child-rearing purposes. This leave can be partial or full; if partial, the faculty member’s salary will be paid at a proportional rate. (See Article 19.2.1 for more details on the process of applying for an unpaid child-rearing leave of absence, and Article 19.2.3 on the effect of such leaves on benefits and retirement.)

Under what circumstances can I “stop the clock” on my tenure process? 

Article 19.2.2 allows a faculty member on unpaid “Child-Rearing Leave” for at least one year to “stop the clock” on the tenure process for the duration of the leave. 

Article 19.2.4 allows a faculty member with “substantial responsibility for the care of a newly born infant or a newly adopted child under the age of five” to request an extension of the tenure clock for up to one year for each birth or adoption, for a total maximum of two years. This provision does not require that the faculty member take or be on a leave of absence. (See Article 19.2.4. for more details.) 

Likewise, Article 19.1.3 allows a faculty member who has been granted an unpaid, personal leave of absence to “stop the clock” for the duration of the leave.

What is a “Special or Emergency Leave”?  Who is qualified to apply for one? 

Any faculty member may apply for a “special or emergency” leave. This article is meant to give flexibility to both the faculty member and the administration to grant leaves under special circumstances or for unusual reasons not otherwise covered by the contract. All terms and conditions of such leaves are to be negotiated between the faculty member and the appropriate administrators. (See Article 20 for more details.)

How much notice must I give in order to apply for and begin a leave of absence, or to take sick days? 

Sick leave days: “When using full or partial sick leave days, the member shall immediately notify his or her academic unit head and advise of the estimated duration of absence.”  (Article 17.4) 

Extended sick leave: No minimum advance notice is stipulated, but the contract does state that “If an absence is to exceed fourteen (14) days, the Bargaining Unit member must notify his or her head of the probable duration of the absence.”  (Article 17.9) 

Personal leave without pay: No minimum advance notice is stipulated, but the leave must be approved by the academic unit head, Dean, and Provost. (Article 19.1.2) 

Child-rearing leave: The request for leave must be made in writing to the academic unit head “normally at least ninety (90) days in advance of the date the proposed leave shall begin.”  (Article 19.2.1) 

Academic leave: “Except in emergency or unusual cases, Faculty Members applying for academic leave shall file requests at the academic unit level, or with the Library Administrator, by October 31 of the year preceding the academic year in which the proposed leave will occur.”  (Article 25.1.2) 

Professional leave: The request for leave must be made in writing to the academic unit head at least ninety (90) days in advance of the date the proposed leave would begin. (Article 26.2.1)

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