Williams College Employee Handbook

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Parental Leave Options for Administrative Staff

Parental Leave of Absence

Parental leave is an unpaid leave of absence granted in connection with the birth, adoption or placement of foster child or in connection with the need to care for a seriously ill child. A parental leave of absence may run concurrently with a number of policies including: the maternity leave benefits offered under Massachusetts law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Short-Term Disability Policy, paid parental leave, vacation leave, and unpaid leave. The intent of the College is to allow the employee to take leave when necessary. If more than one type of leave applies, they will run concurrently.

Administrative staff in regular or term appointments with a minimum of twelve months of employment may be eligible for up to a total of four months parental leave. A request for a leave of absence should be made as soon as possible when an employee anticipates the need for leave. Employees should schedule an appointment with their supervisor, and with a member of the benefits staff in Human Resources to review and coordinate options.

Maternity is considered as a disability and is covered by the Short-term Disability Policy. The normal period of disability is eight weeks after the birth. New parents may then be eligible for paid parental leave (see below), up to four weeks at full pay during the first six months following the birth or adoption of a child. Earned vacation leave may be used to supplement pay during the fourth month.

Leaves of absence under this policy will not be regarded as a break in service. Vacation time will be prorated during the leave of absence.

The parental leave of absence provides job security during the time away. Williams makes an effort to retain an employee's job during leave. In the event the position needed to be filled, the employee will be offered the nearest equivalent job at no lower rate of pay upon return to work within or on the expiration of the leave period. The request for a leave of absence signifies the intent of the employee to return to work on or before the end of the leave period. If an employee is unable or unwilling to return to work, the position will be filled.

Paid Parental Leave

Administrative staff in regular or term positions working half-time or more with at least one year of service is eligible for paid parental leave. Parental leave is a maximum of four weeks of paid leave sometime during the first six months following the birth or adoption of a child. In the case where both parents are employed at Williams and are eligible for the leave, they may share one full parental leave. Parental leave is in addition to any disability leave for the mother. The above statements regarding prorated vacation leave and job security also apply.

Maternity Leave Benefits under Massachusetts Law

Female employees who are not eligible for a Family and Medical Leave of twelve weeks to care for their child within one year of birth, but have worked for the College for at least three months are, under Massachusetts law, entitled to up to eight weeks of unpaid maternity leave for the birth or adoption of a child under the age of eighteen (or under the age of twenty-three if the child is mentally or physically disabled). To be entitled to such leave, an employee must notify her supervisor at least two weeks in advance of her expected departure date and whether she intends to return to work. If this notice is given, the employee will, at the completion of the leave, be reinstated to her original job with the status, pay, length of service and seniority that she would have had as of the date of reinstatement from maternity leave, when possible; otherwise, she will be employed in a substantially similar position unless other employees of equal length of service and status in the same or similar position have been laid off due to economic conditions or changes in operating conditions. Any female employee who is not reinstated after her maternity leave for these reasons will be placed on a preferential hiring list for another position. Female employees who are eligible for both twelve weeks of leave under FMLA and eight weeks of maternity leave may take a maximum leave of twelve weeks, if the leave is needed for the birth or adoption of a child. Subject to the requirements outlined above, female employees eligible for both kinds of leave may choose between Maternity Leave of eight weeks, with two-weeks notice, or Family and Medical leave with thirty-days notice. Full-time female employees who have taken up to twelve weeks of leave under FMLA for a purpose other than childbirth or adoption are entitled to take eight additional weeks of maternity leave.

See College Short-term Disability Admin and Paid Parental Leave (above) policies for information on how this policy for unpaid maternity leave relates to the College's paid leave policies.

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