On Sept. 20, 2019, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors approved a Paid Parental Leave program for eligible university employees. As of January 1, 2020 Winston-Salem State University offers a Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit that provides eligible employees dedicated leave time to care for and bond with a newborn or a newly-placed child, under the age of 18, by adoption, foster care placement, or other legal placement.
Eligibility
As of the date of the qualifying event, an eligible WSSU employee must meet the following criteria to be eligible for PPL:
- Be in a permanent, probationary, or time-limited SHRA and EHRA Non-Faculty position working at least 20 hours per week;
- Have been continuously employed by the State of North Carolina for the immediate 12 preceding months;
- Have been in pay status for at least 1,040 hours in the previous 12-month period.
- Have a child born, adopted, or placed with the employee through foster care or other legal placement on or after Sept. 1, 2019.
Retroactivity
If an employee had a qualifying event that occurred on or after Sept. 1, 2019, and met the eligibility requirements as of the date of the event, the employee may be eligible for up to four weeks of PPL for purposes of bonding, beginning Jan. 13, 2020 and expiring 12 months from the time of the qualifying event date. Additionally, a birth parent who is still in the recuperation period may be eligible for prorated PPL for purposes of recuperation.
Employees Not Covered
Temporary and part-time (working less than 20 hours per week) employees are not eligible for the PPL benefit. However, temporary employment may count toward the 12 months service requirement so long as the employee is in a permanent, probationary, or time-limited (benefits-eligible) SHRA or EHRA Non-Faculty position at the time of the qualifying event.
Faculty members on 9 or 12 months of service are not eligible for the PPL benefit as they are already covered under the Faculty Serious Illness, Major Disability, and Parental Leave Policy.
Paid Parental Leave (PPL) cannot be approved before the qualifying event (birth, adoption, foster care placement, or other legal placement of a child). Eligible employees who would like to request PPL should follow the steps below.
Step 1: Communication
- Notify your supervisor of your need for PPL and discuss your proposed leave schedule prior to completing the required forms.
- Work with your department to create a transition plan to cover essential job functions during your absence.
Step 2: Required Forms
- Complete and sign the Family & Medical Leave Request Form and Paid Parental Leave Request Form with your supervisor’s signature.
- For business planning purposes, please submit the request for leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of the leave (or if you learn of your need for leave less than 30 days, as soon as practicable).
- Email the completed forms to hrbenefits@wssu.edu.
- The Benefits Specialist will notify you of your eligibility for PPL.
Step 3: Additional Documents
- After the qualifying event, email the required supporting documentation (below) to hrbenefits@wssu.edu
- Requests for PPL will be processed once the required supporting documentation is received by the Benefits department.
- The Benefits Department will review your supporting documentation and communicate with you and your department regarding the status of your request for PPL.
| Qualifying Event | Only One (1) Document Required |
|---|---|
| Adoption | · Adoption Order · Letter of Placement by placement professional or agency |
| Birth | · Birth Certificate · Documented confirmation from hospital of delivery · Certification of health care provider |
| Foster Placement | · Foster Care Placement Agreement · Custody Order · Letter of Placement |
| Other Legal Placements | · Custody Order · Letter of Placement by placement professional or agency |
Documents provided must show the date of birth or date of placement. The name of the legal parent must appear on the birth certificate, a legal document establishing paternity or a legal document establishing adoption.
What to Expect After Your Request for PPL is Approved
After you submit your request, you and your supervisor will receive a confirmation email from University Human Resources confirming that we have received your request for processing. The Leave Administrator will review eligibility and supporting documentation and will communicate directly with you regarding the status of your request. Once approved, the Paid Parental Leave time will be manually tracked in the HR System, by the Benefits Department.
Should you have any questions about your request, you may email to hrbenefits@wssu.edu.
Paid Parental Leave Provisions
- Eight weeks of PPL for the birth parent, providing the first four (4) weeks for recuperation immediately following the birth and four (4 weeks) for bonding within 12 months.
- Four weeks of PPL for bonding for the non-birth parent, following birth, adoption, foster care, or other legal placement of a child, within the 12 months.
- Leave for part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) will be awarded on a pro-rated basis corresponding to the percentage of hours they normally are scheduled to work.
PPL for Recuperation
Eligible employees who have given birth may receive a maximum of four weeks (160 hours) of PPL for recuperation during the disability period associated with the birth of a child.
- This leave must be used as a continuous four-week period of leave commencing immediately following the birth of a child.
- PPL for recuperation may not be used or extended beyond this four-week period.
- The number of children born during a single event does not increase the PPL for recuperation allowance.
PPL for Bonding
Eligible employees who are parents of a newborn child or a child under the age of 18 who is placed with the employee through adoption, foster care placement, or other legal placement may receive up to four weeks (160 hours) of PPL to care for and bond with an eligible child.
- Bonding leave must be used as a continuous 4-week period of leave and must be taken within the first 12 months of the birth or placement of the child.
- PPL for bonding that is not used during the first 12-month period will be forfeited.
Additional Criteria for Paid Parental Leave
- Each hour of PPL will be compensated at 100 percent of the employee’s regular base pay at a straight time rate, excluding any premium pay. PPL will be paid on regularly scheduled pay dates.
- If more than one parent works for WSSU, each parent is independently eligible to use PPL; the leave benefit is not shared between parents.
- Eligibility for PPL ends if an employee of WSSU transfers to an ineligible position or receives an appointment to a non-participating institution. Upon termination of an individual’s employment with WSSU, the employee will not be paid for any unused PPL. PPL cannot be donated to other employees.
- PPL cannot be used prior to the effective date of birth, adoption, or foster care placement, or other legal placement.
PPL will run concurrently with leave under FMLA. Any leave taken under this policy due to the birth, adoption, or foster care placement, or other legal placement of a child will be counted towards the 12 weeks of available FMLA leave per 12-month period. All other requirements and provisions under FMLA will apply. In no case will the total amount of FMLA leave (paid or unpaid) granted to the employee exceed 12 weeks during the 12-month FMLA period.
PPL must be applied to absences prior to the employee using any available personal leave (vacation, bonus, sick, etc.), other accrued paid time off, or leave without pay. After the PPL is exhausted, the employee may use the balance of FMLA leave (if applicable), in which case compensation can be provided through a combination of accrued leave (i.e., sick, vacation/bonus leave) and/or Voluntary Shared Leave (if applicable). Upon exhaustion of these leave balances, any remaining FMLA leave will be unpaid.
Paid holidays occurring during a full week of PPL count towards the employee’s PPL entitlement and do not extend the PPL period. Paid holidays occurring during a partial week of PPL do not count towards the employee’s PPL entitlement and do extend the PPL period unless the employee was otherwise scheduled and expected to work during the paid holiday.
Condition 3 Adverse Weather Closings with pay count towards the employee’s PPL entitlement and do not extend the PPL period.
Employees are eligible to use PPL if it has not been used within the past 12 months even if they have already exhausted their available Family & Medical Leave entitlement
