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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 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.
This leave should be coordinated with the employee’s supervisor to minimize impact to the work unit, if feasible, and to avoid any public safety concerns.

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.