Purpose
This policy provides unpaid leave to full-time faculty members and academic appointees who have provided at least two (2) years of continuous service before making the request and who need time off for personal reasons. A Personal Leave may be requested, for example, if more time is needed after Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)/Short-Term Disability has been exhausted and Long-Term Disability coverage has been denied or not selected. Covered academic appointees are not entitled to Personal Leave, and approval of this leave is solely at the University’s discretion.
Policy
A full-time faculty member or academic appointee transitioning back to work after exhausting FMLA and/or after a fitness-for-duty evaluation may request a brief Personal Leave of Absence in the service of that return.
Otherwise, a faculty member or academic appointee may, except as limited below, request a Personal Leave of Absence for a minimum of one 10-week quarter, and a maximum of three quarters for those with 3-Quarter appointments and four quarters for 4-Quarter appointments, once in any 24-month period if leave is not available under another University policy. A full-time faculty member or academic appointee with clinical responsibilities may, for their own purposes except as limited below, request a Personal Leave of Absence for a minimum of ten (10) weeks and a maximum of one year once in any 24-month period if leave is not available under another University policy.
A Personal Leave will be unpaid unless the individual uses paid discretionary days or vacation time, for those who have vacation time. Reasons for a Personal Leave include but are not limited to caring for a family member after FMLA leave has been exhausted or as a reasonable accommodation for a disability after FMLA leave has been exhausted. Intermittent Personal leave is not permitted, nor is any outside employment, including academic employment and self-employment, during a Personal Leave. Personal Leave may not be combined with a Stop-the-Clock period. If an appointment ends during a Personal Leave, the leave, the appointment, and University employment will end at that time.
Procedure
The University expects the faculty member or academic appointee to be cognizant of patient-care schedules, teaching commitments, and grant application and grant update deadlines, and similar significant coverage issues related to their absence—thus to provide as much advance notice as possible of a request to take or extend a leave of absence. Requests for Personal Leave are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are approved (in whole or in part) or denied based on various factors including but not limited to the length and quality of service, the impact on others obliged to fulfill the individual’s duties, and the amount of notice provided.
When the need for the leave is foreseeable, the faculty member or academic appointee must provide the University at least 30 days’ advanced written notice. When the individual becomes aware of a need for Personal Leave less than 30 days in advance, the individual must provide written notice of the need for the leave as soon as practicable. When the need for Personal Leave is not foreseeable, the individual must comply with the customary procedures and process for requesting leave in their department or school. Late requests may result in delayed review or denial of the request. Requests that are denied are not subject to further review or appeal. Approval of Personal Leave in one case does not mean that approval will be given in another case.
Before a Personal Leave may be taken, the germane academic leader(s), i.e., the section chief, collegiate master, and/or department chair, on receiving the request, must consult with the Office of the Provost. Personal Leave requires the approval of the germane academic leader (e.g., department chair, collegiate master, institute director, etc.), the dean, and the Office of the Provost. A faculty member or academic appointee with clinical responsibilities must coordinate the Personal Leave with the University of Chicago Medical Staff Organization (MSO) in order to develop a plan for ceasing and resuming those clinical responsibilities. A faculty member or academic appointee who is the Principal Investigator (PI) on a sponsored award must coordinate the Personal Leave with and receive approval from University Research Administration (URA) before seeking final approval from the Office of the Provost.
If the individual expects to be absent from work beyond the approved dates, the individual must contact their section chief, collegiate master, department chair, director, or, in the case of a school, dean immediately. To request additional leave, the individual must request an extension in writing at least 30 days before their scheduled return to work date. Similarly, an extension for someone with medical staff privileges must first be coordinated with the MSO, and an extension for a PI must be coordinated and approved by URA before seeking approval from the Office of the Provost.
Anyone considering a Personal Leave is urged to discuss the benefits implications with a member of the Benefits Office Absence Management team, available Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at benefits@uchicago.edu or 773.702.9634.
Benefits while on Personal Leave
An individual’s sick days, paid discretionary days, and vacation time (for those who have it) will remain intact during a personal leave of absence and may be used in accordance with those policies. However, additional sick days, paid discretionary days, and vacation days will not be added during the leave. The University will maintain health insurance and other group benefits on the same conditions as if the faculty member or academic appointee were working, subject to applicable plan documents and law. Although the individual must pay the same contribution rate as if they were an active employee to continue benefits during a Personal Leave, they will be billed by a third-party administrator and must make timely payments for their share of the monthly premiums. The University's obligation to maintain health benefits ceases if the individual fails to pay their share of the premiums by the due date indicated on the invoice.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
During an unpaid Personal Leave, a faculty member’s or academic appointee’s FSA contributions will cease. Funds already contributed remain available for use. Please note, the FSA plan year remains the same for both the medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts regardless of the leave status.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
During an unpaid Personal Leave, an individual may continue to contribute to their HSA only by making deposits directly to HSA Bank. Please note, the HSA plan year, and contribution limits remain the same regardless of leave status.
Retirement Plans
Personal Leave will be treated as continuous service (i.e., no break in service) for purposes of vesting and eligibility to participate in the University's retirement plans, subject to the terms of the retirement plans. During an unpaid Personal Leave, an individual participating in the retirement plans will not continue to contribute, but contributions that the individual has already made will not be affected.
Tuition Benefits
Please refer to the Educational Assistance Plan Summary of Benefits for the most up to date information.
Other Benefits
Anyone with a question about continuation of benefits not listed above is advised to inquire in advance of taking a Personal Leave.