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Types of leave

• Caregiver leave
• Family and medical leave (FMLA)
• Holidays
• Military
• Organ and bone marrow donor
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Parental leave
• Personal days
• Shared Leave Program
• Short-term disability
• Sick leave
• Vacation
• Voting
• Winter break
• Additional types
• Learn about all leave types in the HR manual

Caregiver leave

Caregiver leave provides two weeks of paid time off within a rolling 12-month period to care for a family member with a serious health condition as defined by HR-407 Family and Medical Leave Act. Employees may take caregiver leave for more than one qualifying event within a rolling 12-month period.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-422 Caregiver Leave Pay. Apply to use caregiver leave by completing the instructions outlined on the Taking Qualifying or FMLA Leave webpage. 

Family and medical leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides employees the right to take a leave of absence for family, medical reasons, and leave for military families while maintaining job protection. Anyone employed by the university for at least 12 months who has worked at least 1250 hours in the 12-month period preceding is eligible for a family or medical leave (special limitations may apply to highly compensated employees). Accrued vacation time and other paid leave programs, as appropriate under university policies, must be used as part of the leave period.  Once vacation time and other paid leave programs are exhausted, FMLA leaves are without pay.

For more information, visit the èßäapp the Family Medical Leave Act webpage, or get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-407 Family and Medical Leave Act.

Holidays

The university observes nine official holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, Christmas Day, and other days as may be designated by the president. All full-time administrative, service, and support employees are entitled to receive eight hours pay for these holidays.

When a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed. When a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is observed.

Get more detailed information from the HR Manual at HR-401 Holidays.

Military leave

Any University of èßäapp employee who becomes a member of the armed forces will be granted a military leave of absence for military service. Individuals on military leave can choose to continue to receive their benefits, or they can suspend coverage while on military leave.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-405 Military Leave.

Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave

Staff and academic faculty who have completed at least one year of continuous, fully benefit-eligible employment immediately before the leave are eligible to receive a leave of absence with pay for solid organ and bone marrow donation and recovery. Employees are only eligible for leave if the employee is the person serving as the donor.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-416 Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave.

Paid time off (PTO)

Employees can use accrued hours in their paid time off (PTO) bank to take time off as they choose, whether for personal/family illness, travel, or other reason not covered by a specialized type of leave (listed below).

PTO hours are subject to supervisor approval and must be earned before taken. Employees may accumulate twice their annual accrual. PTO is accrued at the following rates:

* Hours are prorated for employees working less than 100% FTE. MU Health Care hourly employees also have a PTO cash-in option.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-421 Paid Time Off (PTO).

Parental leave

Parental leave provides four weeks of paid time off within a rolling 12-month period for employees who are welcoming a new child into their home. Qualifying events include the birth of a child or the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.

Employees may take parental leave for more than one qualifying event within a rolling 12-month period, but may not exceed the maximum four weeks.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-423 Parental Leave Pay. Apply to use parental leave by completing the instructions outlined on the Taking Qualifying or FMLA Leave webpage. 

Personal days

Personal days are paid days off to be used at an employee's discretion. These days are subject to supervisory approval. All regular administrative, service, and support staff are granted four personal days each year (upon the hire date and thereafter credited on the yearly anniversary of hire). All unused personal days are lost at the end of the anniversary year, even if the employee is on leave.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-403 Personal Days (As of Jan. 2024).

Shared leave program

The shared leave program enables eligible employees to donate accrued vacation leave benefits to a pool. This pool will be used to provide additional paid leave benefits to eligible employees who have experienced certain catastrophic events personally or within their family and have exhausted other sources of paid leave.

For more information, visit the Shared Leave Program webpage.

Short-term disability

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, short-term disability provides eligible employees a percentage of income replacement for up to 20 weeks within a rolling 12-month period if they are unable to work due to a serious health condition.

Eligible employees automatically receive basic coverage and can purchase additional coverage. Because short-term disability is one of the qualifying leave types, employees must first apply in order to use short-term disability.

Get more detailed information on the Short-Term Disability webpage, as well as from the HR Policy Manual at HR-309 Short-Term Disability Plan and HR-309 Short-Term Disability Q&As. Apply to use short-term disability leave by completing the instructions outlined on the Taking Qualifying or FMLA Leave webpage. 

Sick leave

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at  HR-404 Sick Leave (As of Jan. 2024).

Vacation

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-402 Vacations (As of Jan. 2024), as well as the Transitioning Vacation webpage.

Voting

Any employee who is eligible to vote in an election held within the state of èßäapp may receive three successive hours' time off with pay for the purpose of voting. If an employee's working hours are such that they permit three successive hours between the opening and closing of the polls when not on duty, they are not eligible for any paid time off for the purpose of voting. Absence due to voting must be requested prior to Election Day. It is within a supervisor's right to specify the time an employee may be absent to vote. 

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-411 Voting.

Winter break leave

Winter break leave is paid time off for regular administrative, service and support staff and certain non-regular academic employees during the University's systemwide winter reduced operations period.  The reduced operations period occurs between the Christmas Day holiday and the day before the New Year's Day holiday. This type of leave must be used during the winter break reduced operations period. Employees who are required to work during the reduced operations period are allowed an equivalent amount of leave to use at a later date.

Get more detailed information from the HR Policy Manual at HR-415 Winter Break Leave.

Additional leave

Additional leave types for which employees may be eligible include:

• Bereavement leave
• Developmental leave
• Leave as a result of domestic or sexual violence (VESSA leave)
• Leave for legal proceedings
• Leave for Worker's Compensation Benefits
• Military leave