First nationally designated in 2003 by the U.S. Congress, National Work and Family Month is designed to communicate and celebrate progress towards supporting work-life effectiveness programs. These programs help each one of us to work towards success at work and at home. Throughout the month Human Resources will highlight several policies and benefits that are available to support you and your family.
Family and Medical Leave provides eligible employees with job protected unpaid leave to help balance work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable leave for certain family and medical reasons. Some reasons include: the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee; for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care; to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition; and to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition. Additional reasons for Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) are identified in Drake University’s Family and Medical Leave Policy.
When the employee experiences a health condition, the Faculty Short Term Disability Policy and Staff Sick Leave become more relevant. The Faculty Short Term Disability Policy provides pay continuation for eligible faculty when illness or injury prevent them from working. Staff Sick Leave is accrued and is available for when an employee’s health condition prevents him or her from working. Additionally, this sick leave may be used for personal or immediate family illness, when the employee is needed to provide care.
New parents have additional benefits available to assist with new family responsibilities. Paid Parental Leave is available to qualifying parents to care for a newborn child or placement of a child under 18 for purposes of adoption or foster care. Modified Duties for Faculty Upon Becoming a Parent provides eligible faculty with a workload reduction upon the birth or adoption of a child. The Paid Parental Leave and Modified Duties are available to both parents, on the first of the month following their employment at Drake.
As life events occur, non-tenured faculty members, in tenure track positions, may be eligible for a one-year extension of the tenure probationary period through the Tenure Clock Extension Policy. Reasons for the extension include, but are not limited to, the birth of a child into the faculty member’s household, the adoption or fostering of a child under the age of five into the faculty member’s household, and to assist the faculty member who has suffered a serious health condition. Specific details, life event information, and information about how to initiate this extension are located within the Tenure Clock Extension Policy.
All of these policies are found in the University Policy Library, in the Human Resources section. Please contact Debra Wiley in Human Resources, either via phone at 271-3741 or email at debra.wiley@drake.edu with your questions or for additional information.
Debra Wiley, Human Resources