Leave Tracking and Approvals

The information below is for full-time faculty (AC1) employees. A separate guide that states responsibilities per faculty member, department chair, dean, and HR staff is found here.

Also see Overview: Leaves for academic appointees for guidance. This is a more comprehensive overview, slightly differently arranged.

This guide goes by type of leave and summarizes:

How it is recorded in IU systems.
Who needs to give permission.
What documentation goes where.
Amount per year [year is almost always calendar].
Repeatability.

Each type of leave has different rules about repeatability—when someone can have another leave. That means each type of absence must be recorded accurately so that we can see the leave history.

Also, for some leaves (medical, family formation, or family support), pre-tenure tenure-track faculty need their tenure-clocks adjusted. That information is included in the academic affairs forms, which are attached to leave of absence eDocs so Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) can make the tenure adjustments.

Academic Affairs and the campus approver need to manage e-docs for leaves that are partial, or, ANY leave that affects someone on phased retirement.

Vacation	Only for 12-month. 10-month faculty use academic breaks. Received on January 1 unless a school has an accrual method they use.
Recorded	Not in any IU system. Each unit can develop their own recording process.
Permission from	Supervisor.
Documentation	According to unit requirements.
Amount per year	22 days per calendar year; pro-rated if less than 100% FTE or not working the entire year.
Repeatability	Every year; does not roll over; is not paid out if unused.

Minor Sickness	Defined as less than 3 weeks (total per year).
Recorded	Not in any IU system. Each unit can develop their own recording process.
Permission from	No one; supervisor must be notified.
Documentation	According to unit requirements.
Amount per year	15 work days per calendar year; does not roll over.
Repeatability	Every year; does not roll over; is not paid out if unused.

Major Illness-Totally on Leave	For pregnancy see below. If the person is on phased retirement, check with OAA. Can be partial—see below.
Recorded	e-doc AMF for full pay part; then return from leave and enter. e-doc AMH for half pay part.
Permission from	Chair must sign leave form; leave is authorized once medical documentation supports it.
Documentation	Academic affairs form; embeds the FMLA medical certification form; chair fills out the essential job functions worksheet (separate form for librarians.) Health care provider's assessment of ability to work needs to be based on the person's specific job functions. Return to Work form to be completed before returning from leave (download the form and open in Adobe before completing it). Attach OAA form to e-doc; keep FMLA form locally/secure.
Amount per year	6 weeks at full pay; 9 weeks at half-pay; pro-rated if less than 100% FTE.
Repeatability	Every calendar year but at least 4 weeks at work, full-time, before another leave can start.

Family Formation Leave	Non-Birth Parent
Recorded	eDoc AFF.
Permission from	No one; supervisor needs to specify what work will be done in the parts of semester when the faculty member is NOT on leave. Can be partial—see below.
Documentation	Academic Affairs form. Attach form to e-doc.
Amount per occasion	12 weeks at full pay/fully off; more if not fully off. Must conclude within 6 months of birth. Does not include summer for 10 month faculty.
Repeatability	2 times in 5 years (combined with ‘family support leaves’).

Family Formation Leave	Parent Actually Giving Birth—Non-IUSM Medical leave AND family formation leave.
Recorded	eDoc AMF for giving birth, no partial leave possible for this segment; lasts 6 weeks at full pay. Return from leave then: eDoc AFF for parental leave.
Permission from	No one; supervisor needs to specify what work will be done in any part of a semester when the faculty member is NOT on leave or is partially on leave (family formation part). The AFF can be partial—see below.
Documentation	Medical leave/giving birth — Academic Affairs form. Parental leave — Academic Affairs form. Attach form to eDoc. No external certification needed.
Amount per occasion	Giving birth: 6 weeks fully paid/fully off. If medically needed, can have 9 more weeks half-pay. Parental leave: 12 weeks at full pay/fully off. Does not include summer for 10 month faculty. Must conclude within 6 months of birth.
Repeatability	Every year for giving birth. 2 times in 5 years for parental leave (combined with ‘family support leaves’).

Family Formation Leave	Birth Parent—IUSM
Recorded	School of Medicine faculty can have parental leave OR medical leave, but not both. See IU policy ACA-51 for details and request assistance from department administration or ude[dot]ui[at]nmdadaca. Leave applies only to IU salary and benefits and is not the same as IU Health compensation or leave.

Family Support Leave	Taking care of a close family member who has a serious medical condition.
Recorded	eDoc AFF. Consult with OAA if the person’s salary is above $125,000.
Permission from	No one; supervisor needs to specify what work will be done in the parts of semester when the faculty member is NOT on leave. Can be partial—see below.
Documentation	Academic Affairs form. Embeds medical certification form. Attach OAA form to eDoc; keep medical form locally/secure.
Amount per occasion	12 weeks if at full pay/fully off; longer if partial.
Repeatability	2 times in 5 years (combined with ‘family formation leaves’).

Partial Leaves	These leaves can be partial: Family formation leave. Family support leave. Major medical leave.
Recorded	eDocs need to be entered by campus approver--cannot be done by local HRBP. Contact OAA.
Permission from	Supervisor needs to agree with employee on the work that will continue to be done. Supervisor cannot disapprove a leave that is medically (or family-support) documented.
Documentation	Regular forms as above; see checkbox for partial. Partial Leave form: email to OAA. eDoc codes must be entered at the campus-level, not the school-level. Return to Work form to be completed before returning from leave (download the form and open in Adobe before completing it).
Amount per occasion	Working partially stretches the amount of leave available. (Family formation leaves must conclude within 6 months of birth). Does not include summer for 10-month faculty. Faculty must return to work full time* before another paid leave is available.*

Prestigious Leaves

eDoc Leave Code: APF

Sabbaticals

Faculty must apply for and be approved for sabbaticals.
Codes:
- ASF: semester-long, full pay.
- ASH: academic year long, half-pay
  - If someone will use grant income to pay half their salary, it is coded as an ASF for 2 semesters.
If plans change, for a one semester or one year shift, no permission is needed. Make sure the eDoc codes are edited with the new dates. For a two-year shift, the dean must approve; for more than two years, the faculty member must re-apply through the school and campus.

For questions about medical, family, and parental leave, the school HR business partner is the first choice; HRBP should contact Faculty Affairs (ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca) with questions or about any partial leaves. Contact the SAVCAA (ude[dot]ui[at]aacvas) about sabbaticals.

Reviewed and revised: 2/2024.