Frequently Asked Questions
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A list of the most commonly asked questions.
Multiple births from one pregnancy are considered to be a single covered event, so you will get the same six calendar weeks (eight weeks for a C-section).
Read more about UFT parental leaves »
No. Individuals who work F-status are not eligible to take UFT parental leaves. Time worked F-status will also not count towards eligibility to take parental leave.
No. Days when DOE employees do not work (such as a holiday, a school break or a weekend) during your parental leave will not extend its six-week duration. However, if you are a birth parent who uses your CAR days for six or eight weeks after the birth and prior to starting UFT parental leave, you will not be charged for a CAR day on a day when DOE employees are off.
Read more about UFT parental leave »
Your parental leave application also serves as an official notice to your school or work office of your intentions of how long you plan to be out so that they can prepare for your absence. You are encouraged to directly discuss your plans with your supervisor as well. You are able to amend your application and leave plans later if your intentions change.
Unless there are special circumstances, you will not be eligible for a parental leave if you do not submit an application within 10 days of the birth. Late applications will be accepted and subject to review for valid special circumstances, which could relate to, but is not limited to, one of the following: a medical condition of the employee or the employee's family member, a premature birth, a death in the family, or reasonable travel necessary to adopt a child.
For delivering parents, failure to submit during the proper time frame may result in being placed into a limited version of Traditional Maternity Leave WITHOUT the right to borrow days or to use a grace period.
UFT parental leave provides for six weeks of paid leave. Birth parents can supplement these weeks by using CAR days in their bank from the day of birth until either their available days run out, or six weeks’ worth (eight weeks for a C-section) have been used. If a birth parent has the days in their bank, they could receive a total of 12 weeks of paid leave (14 weeks for a C-section). Members cannot borrow days or use a grace period. Members must commit to returning to the DOE for a minimum of one year following the leave.
Maternity leave is a birth parent’s right to use CAR days following a birth for six weeks (eight weeks for a C-section). Birth parents are allowed to borrow CAR days and use a grace period within the six-week (or eight-week) window. There is no return-to-service requirement, though if a birth parent borrows days, they must either return to service or repay those days to avoid being billed for them. There is no additional right to take a UFT parental leave in this case.
Once you have determined which leave best fits your personal circumstances, be sure to choose the correct term when applying through SOLAS. The city continues to provide health insurance in either case.
People can borrow days before the birth in what is known as maternity disability. Once the baby is born, birth mothers can only borrow days if they take maternity leave. There is no right to borrow days if you take a UFT parental leave.
Yes. People who do not return from a UFT parental leave are responsible to repay the money they received while on this leave. If you do not return to active service for 12 calendar months, you will be required to pay back the UFT parental leave benefit.
You can stop working a week before your due date without any additional medical documentation. If you want to go on leave before that, you would need a note from your doctor that includes a diagnosis and prognosis.
Any time a person is off payroll, their summer pay is reduced accordingly. In other words, if you are off payroll for 10% of the school year, your summer pay would be reduced roughly 10%. If you are on a UFT parental leave, this loss is compensated for in the check you receive from the Welfare Fund. Any time that you are out on a child care leave, or any time off payroll outside of the six/eight weeks of parental leave, will result in a vacation pay reduction.