Postdoc Leaves & Time Off

Postdoctoral Scholars with a 100%, 12-month appointment are eligible to use up to 24 work days of personal time off with pay at any time within each 12-month appointment period. Personal time off not used within the 12-month period is not carried over into a subsequent appointment year. Personal time off not used when the Postdoctoral Scholar’s appointment concludes, including when a Postdoctoral Scholar leaves the appointment prior to the established appointment end date, remains with the University. Use of personal time off is recorded in one-day increments. Approved absences of less than a day do not require the use of personal time off. 

Postdoctoral Scholars on reduced schedule are charged a full day of personal time off when absent for their entire reduced time “day”.

Requests for personal time off are to be submitted to the postdoc's supervisor as soon as it is known.

Religious holidays may be observed by using PTO or working alternate days as appropriate.

In addition to personal time off, postdocs may also take all official university holidays. Consult Article 8 - Holidays.

Postdoctoral Scholars are eligible for sick leave without loss of compensation of up to 12 days per twelve-month appointment period. All twelve work days are available for use on the first day of appointment. Appointees with a less than 12-month appointment are eligible for sick leave in proportion to the appointment period; for example, a Postdoctoral Scholar with a six-month appointment is eligible for up to six (6) days of sick leave.

The University carries forward unused sick leave to subsequent eligible appointments at the University of California. 

Consult Article 23 of the UC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Postdoctoral scholars are eligible for childbearing leave, parental leave, and active service-modified duties, and for family and medical leave. Childbearing, parental, and family and medical leave policies for postdocs in title codes 3253 (postdoctoral fellows) and 3254 (postdoc paid-directs) are subject to the requirements of the postdoc’s extramural funding agency.

Maternity and Pregnancy Leave

The UC-UAW contract allows up to four (4) months of pregnancy disability leave.  This leave is taken as unpaid unless postdoc has sick, personal time off or goes on short-term disability (income replacement).

As with any other leave, pregnancy disability leave must be discussed with the PI/department, as recordkeeping for personal time off and sick leave is recorded at the department level.

Postdocs will need to discuss with the department administrator/contact options for how they wish to be out on leave. For example, a postdoc could use sick leave, take personal time off, go on short-term disability, take part of leave with no pay, or a combination of these options.

If a postdoc elects to go on Short Term Disability, leave can start up to two (2) weeks before the projected delivery date (with doctor approval). There will be a 7-calendar-day waiting period (sick or PTO can be used) before The Standard Insurance Group will start paying on the disability claim.  Once the baby is born, the postdoc will be eligible for additional benefits to be paid for up to 6 weeks or 8 weeks (depending on the type of delivery).

For information on short-term disability and to download form, please visit http://clients.garnett-powers.com/pd/uc/. Once the short-term disability form has been completed, please send it directly to The Standard Insurance at the address located at the top of the form. Please note that short-term disability provides income replacement (pays 70% of the first $1,429 of weekly pre-disability earnings, not to exceed $1,000 per week). Therefore, a postdoc cannot be paid by any other source while on short-term disability.

Insurance premiums will continue to be paid as if on “paid” status for the duration of pregnancy disability leave. Any postdoc premium contribution will continue to be the responsibility of the postdoc and will receive an invoice from either the Payroll Department or Garnett-Powers & Associates requesting payment.

Form(s) that must be submitted by the department for pregnancy disability leave:

• Submit a Service Hub ticket

•  If you have questions about completing the form, please contact the People & Culture Benefits & Leaves Unit at benefits-leaves@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)

If the postdoc will be submitting a short-term disability form to The Standard Insurance, there is a portion that will need to be completed by the employer (the postdoc’s department).  

Parental Leave

Parental Leave must be initiated and completed within twelve (12) months of the birth or placement of a child. The birth or placement of multiple children at the same time is considered a single qualifying event. Parental Leave shall be granted by the University, subject to the following conditions:

a. If a Postdoc begins Parental Leave immediately following a Pregnancy Disability Leave and was eligible for Family and Medical Leave (FML) under the FMLA/CFRA at the start of the disability leave, the postdoc shall be entitled to use the remaining portion of their FMLA/CFRA entitlement for Parental Leave—up to a maximum of twelve (12) workweeks per calendar year, as provided by law. The total amount of leave available will depend on any prior usage of FMLA/CFRA during the calendar year. In most cases, leave time will run concurrently under both statutes.

b. The University provides up to twelve (12) workweeks of unpaid Parental Leave for the birth or placement of a child. During this time, Postdoctoral Scholars may elect to use Personal Time Off and/or the Postdoctoral Paid Family Leave (PPFL) benefit to maintain paid status.

c. Postdocs may utilize only one form of paid leave at a time during their Parental Leave period.

Postdoctoral Paid Family Leave

Postdocs are entitled to “a maximum of eight (8) workweeks of PPFL per birth/placement” and that “At the request of the Postdoctoral Scholar, the supervisor shall approve the use of the PPFL to provide for a reduced schedule or an intermittent leave of any interval(s) of days unless there is a reason for denial based on exceptional circumstances related to research."

Consult Article 12 – Leaves of Absence of the UC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement

Under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA), eligible UC employees may be able to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid (can be paid if postdoc has sick or personal time off) leave for:

• Pregnancy, prenatal medical care, childbirth
• Leave to bond with a newborn or newly placed child
• The serious health condition of yourself or of a child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner.

To be eligible for FML, you must have worked at least 12 cumulative months of UC service and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months immediately preceding the commencement date of the leave. The exception is Pregnancy Disability; the only eligibility criterion is being pregnant.

FMLA runs concurrently with pregnancy disability leave.  FMLA and/or CFRA only run concurrently with Parental Leave if eligible for Family and Medical Leave (FML).

While benefiting from FML, a postdoc is entitled to continue participating in health coverage (medical, dental, and vision) as if on active pay status. The postdoc is still responsible for the monthly postdoc premium contribution amount.

Postdocs are entitled to the use of PPFL during FML for when either “1)To care for a family member with a serious health condition; or 2) To bond with a newborn or adopted child”. per Article 12.C.2.a.1 and 12.C.2.a.2.

Consult Article 12 - Leaves of Absence of the UC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The University will grant a Postdoctoral Scholar’s request to use up to 5 days of Sick Leave or PTO due to the death of a family member. If Sick Leave or PTO is not available, the Postdoctoral Scholar shall be on unpaid leave. The University will not unreasonably deny bereavement leave of more than five days.

Family member (including step-family member) for the purpose of bereavement leave is defined as one’s mother, father, sister, brother, parent-in-law, spouse, domestic partner, parent of domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, child, son/daughter-in-law, adopted or foster child (including children of a domestic partner or legal ward who is under 18 years). Parent includes a biological, foster, or adoptive parent, step-parent, legal guardian, or an individual who stood in loco parentis to the Postdoctoral Scholar when the Postdoctoral Scholar was a child.

Consult Article 12 - Leaves of Absence of the UC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Postdocs are entitled to all University administrative holidays, as detailed in Article 8 – Holidays, and may receive alternate days off in the event that they are scheduled to work on holidays.

Religious holidays may be observed by using PTO or working alternate days as appropriate. Dates of holiday observances may be found on the UC Berkeley academic calendar.

Jury Duty - A Postdoctoral Scholar shall be eligible for a paid jury duty leave. The Postdoctoral Scholar shall provide the University with a copy of the summons to serve on jury duty prior to the date(s) on which such service is expected. The University will not provide paid jury duty leave absent advance notice and verification of service.

Military Leave - The University shall provide military leave for Postdoctoral Scholars who are called to active U.S. or state military service, in accordance with the University's military leave policy or as otherwise required by applicable law.

As detailed in Article 12, Postdocs are also entitled to Military Caregiver Leave, Qualifying Exigency Leave, Military Spouse/Domestic Partner Leave and other leaves.

Consult Article 12 of the UC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement.