Policy Number: 107
Parental Leave
I. POLICY AND GENERAL STATEMENT
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ("university") provides parental leave for eligible employees. Parental leave may not exceed 12 weeks. The approval of parental leave by the university constitutes a guarantee of employment for a specified period of time, subject to fiscal constraints.
A. Eligibility
Regular employees are eligible if they have worked less than 12 months with the State of Texas or have worked fewer than 1,250 hours during the 12 months immediately preceding the leave. Regular employees are those employees who are appointed for a minimum of four and one-half consecutive months with a definite job assignment that must be 50 percent time or more. (See HOOP Policy 17 Appointment Status.) Regular employees who have worked 12 months with the State of Texas and worked 1,250 hours or more during the 12 months preceding the leave should consult HOOP Policy 106 Family and Medical Leave. Parental leave may be granted for, and begins on the date of:
- the birth of a natural child; or
- the adoption or foster care placement of a child under three years of age.
B. Requirement of Using Paid Leave
Employees must first use all available and appropriate paid leave and then the remainder of the leave period will be leave without pay. See HOOP Policy 29 Paid Leave Eligibility to determine appropriate use of paid leave. Note: The use of sick leave is strictly limited to those situations clearly falling within the definition of sick leave contained in HOOP Policy 30 Sick Leave.
II. PROCEDURE
A. Leave Requests
The employee will submit a request in writing to the immediate supervisor detailing the reason(s) for the request and indicating what duration of leave is desired.
B. Response to Leave Requests
The supervisor should determine if the employee is eligible for Parental Leave and inform the employee in writing of the determination.
C. Payments for Medical Insurance
It is the employee’s responsibility to contact Employee Benefits and make arrangements for any benefits issues.
D. Extension of Leave
An employee who is unable to return to work upon the expiration of the leave or who wishes to extend the leave may request an extension. At the discretion of the department head, the leave may be extended for a specified period of time as long as the total period of parental leave does not exceed 12 weeks. For information on personal leave, refer to HOOP Policy 105 Personal Leave.
E. Accrual of Paid Leave and Holiday Pay
Parental leave is considered unpaid leave by the university. Vacation and sick leave do not accrue during any full calendar month for which an employee is on unpaid leave. An employee is not eligible to receive holiday pay while on an unpaid leave.
III. CONTACTS
| Contact | Telephone | Email/Web Address |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources | 713-500-3130 | http://hr.uth.tmc.edu/Employee_Relations/employee_relations_staff.html |
| Employee Benefits (regarding the maintenance of benefits while on parental leave) |
https://inside.uthouston.edu/finance/benefits/contact-us.htm |