Family Care

Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

This federal benefit ensures job protection during significant medical events for you or your immediate family.

Policy: Eligible employees (those who have worked 1,250 hours over the last 12 months) can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for serious health conditions, the birth/adoption of a child, or to care for an immediate family member.

Procedures:

Parental Leave Allowance (PLA)

Berea College goes beyond federal requirements by providing paid time off to support new parents and growing families.

Policy: Benefits-eligible staff serving as the primary caregiver receive paid leave for the birth or placement of a child, which
runs concurrently with FMLA. The College provides up to 8 weeks of paid leave for vaginal delivery or adoption, and 10
weeks for Cesarean delivery.

Procedures:

FAQs

Yes. FMLA and PLA run concurrently. For example, if you take 8 weeks of paid PLA, you have used 8 weeks of your 12-week federal FMLA entitlement. You would still have 4 weeks of job-protected FMLA leave remaining, though those remaining weeks would be unpaid unless you use accrued vacation or sick time.

If both parents are Berea College staff members, the paid PLA benefit can be shared between the two. However, the total combined FMLA leave for the birth or adoption of a child is limited to 12 weeks total between both spouses.

A Primary Caregiver is the person who assumes the most responsibility for the child’s daily needs during the leave period. A Secondary Caregiver (the spouse or partner of the primary) is typically eligible for 1-2 weeks of time away, which is coordinated directly with their supervisor and Vice President.

Once your paid PLA is exhausted, you may use accrued sick leave (with medical documentation) or vacation leave to cover the remainder of your 12-week FMLA period so that you continue to receive a paycheck.