Parental Leave

All benefit-eligible employees with at least one year of service may receive paid Parental Leave benefits.

The University is committed to supporting employees with supplemental parental leave for eligible employees who temporarily relinquish their duties following childbirth, adoption, or the state placement of a foster child in their home. This policy is designed to provide a reasonable and fair period of paid leave.

How to apply:

    1. Review your leave policy: 
    2. Complete the Parental Leave Form and send to urhr@richmond.edu.
    3. Respond
      • URHR will send you paperwork within 3 business days. You will submit the paperwork to your doctor, who will then return it to the University.
      • Complete the paperwork and have your/your spouse or partner’s doctor complete their part at your next medical appointment.
      • If you are taking FMLA for yourself (i.e. your own pregnancy, or illness) you must also apply for Short-Term Disability (STD) leave. FMLA and STD will run concurrently.
Please note:
  • Expectant mothers must file for FMLA and Short-Term Disability
  • Mothers who are adopting or fostering, fathers or partners must file for FMLA
  • Paid parental leave is taken concurrently with FMLA leave (i.e. the 8 weeks of parental leave and 12 weeks of FMLA begin at the same time and run concurrently for a total of 12 weeks).
  1. Further leave (Staff ONLY): If you require leave beyond parental leave, you may use sick time if your caregiver certifies the need, or you may use vacation time.
    • New York Life will let HR know when expectant mothers have been approved for short term disability/parental leave
    • Mothers who are adopting or fostering, fathers or partners must notify HR when they start their parental leave
  2. Complete your leave report/time sheet correctly and on time.
  3. Medical Coverage: To add or verify a dependent, log into the WEX Benefits Portal and click "Benefits Profile" >> "Dependents">> "View More" and follow the instructions. Please note that dependents can be added to the Portal at any time, but can only be added to benefits coverage during Open Enrollment or a qualifying Life Event. 

Married Couple Rule

If both spouses are employed by UR, the combined FMLA for the following reasons shall not exceed 12 weeks during any 12-month period.

  • For the birth of a child or to care for a child after birth
  • For placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care, or to care for the child after placement
  • To care for the employee’s own parent with a serious health condition. (Care for in-laws is not covered.)
  • The combined total FMLA available to eligible spouses for caring for a covered service member with a serious illness or injury, bonding leave, for placement of a child for adoption or foster care, to care for a child after placement, and to care for the employee's parent with a serious health condition, is 26 weeks during any 12-month period.
  • Where spouses use a portion of the total combined FMLA leave entitlement for any of the above reasons, the spouses would each be entitled to the difference between the amount he or she has taken individually and 12 weeks for FMLA leave for other purposes.