Sick, Vacation, Personal, Family Medical Leave

Sick leave is earned each pay period totaling 15 days a year. Employees that work less than 12 months a year will receive pro-rated amounts of sick leave. Sick leave credits are cumulative. There is no cap on the amount of sick leave you may carry. Sick leave credits can be paid out only upon retirement. This is at a 20% rate. An automatic 7.5 hours is assigned to a Sick Bank unless HR is notified by October 30 each year.

Vacation leave is earned each pay period equaling 22 days a year. Unit Professionals who have completed 6 full years but less than 16 years of service earn 23 days per year; 16 years but less than 25 years of service earn 25 days per year; 25+ years of service earn 30 days per year. Employees that work less than 12 months a year will receive pro-rated amounts of vacation leave. Vacation leave credits are cumulative up to 64 days.

On January 1st of each year, Unit Professionals hired on or after July 1, 2012, receives 22 ½ hours of personal leave. Unit Professionals hired before July 1, 2012, receive 37 ½ hours of personal leave. Employees that work less than 12 months a year will receive pro-rated amounts of personal leave. This leave must be used during the calendar year it is granted. Any personal leave not used by December 31st will be forfeited.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees are entitled to family leave a) for incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care, or childbirth; b) to care for the employee’s child after birth or placement for adoption or foster care; c) to care for a parent or spouse who has a serious health condition; or d) for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform her/his job.

When the employee is ready to return to work, s/he must be returned to the same or a comparable position without loss of seniority. The FMLA requires up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to be granted to employees who have more than one year of service and have worked at least 1250 hours over the previous 12 months. All FMLA leave will be calculated on a “12-month period measured forward” basis. Any paid leave taken for FMLA purposes will be counted toward the 12-week FMLA entitlement. These 12 weeks of leave do not have to be taken at one time. The 12 weeks of leave can be spread out over a 12-month period. Employees must get certification by a health care provider that the employee or her/his child, parent or spouse does, in fact, have a serious health condition, the condition’s expected duration, and the need for the employee to be absent from work to attend to the family member. Contact Human Resources to request FMLA forms.

Effective January 16, 2009, the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 were revised and amended to include coverage for certain types of leaves of absence that may be related to immediate family members serving or having served in the armed forces. The new procedures are as follows:

Eligible employees covered under FMLA who have a spouse, son, daughter, or parent on active duty or call to active duty status in the National Guard or Reserves in support of the contingency operation may use their FMLA 12-week entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. These qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) also includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for a covered servicemember during a single 12-month period. A covered servicemember is defined as a current member of the armed forces, including a member of the National Guard or reserves, who has a serious injury or illness that was incurred in the line of duty on active duty and that may render the servicemember medically unfit to perform the duties for which the service member is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy, is in outpatient status, or is on the temporary disability retired list. Although the FMLA requires only unpaid leave, it does impose certain requirements with respect to benefits. Employees are permitted to continue to participate in health benefits plans.

Parental Leave Act

An Act Relative to Parental Leave expands the current maternity leave law, G.L. c. 149, § 105D, which is enforced by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). Currently, Massachusetts law requires employers with six or more employees to provide eight weeks of unpaid maternity leave for the purpose of giving birth or for the placement of a child under the age of 18, or under the age of 23 if the child is mentally or physically disabled, for adoption. 

Click here for additional information on Parental Leave.

Long-Term Disability

The Long-term Disability (LTD) is insured by Unum. New Employees are eligible to begin coverage 60 days from the first full month of employment. Current employees can apply for LTD coverage any time during the year, however, evidence of insurability for insurance approval must be provided to enter the Plan. LTD is an income replacement program in the event you become disabled and are unable to perform the material and substantial duties of your job. If an employee is determined disabled by the provider and unable to work for longer than 90 days, the employee will receive 55% of his/her tax-free monthly salary up to a maximum monthly benefit. Premiums are based on age/current salary and as both increase, premiums are adjusted. Visit the Group Insurance Commission Long-term Disability Overview for more specific information on Long-term Disability.