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Part III — Administrative Policies Section 3 Earlham provides several different programs to accommodate the needs of Earlham and of the employee. Maternity Leave Full-time female staff employees will be eligible for up to six (6) weeks of paid maternity leave for childbirth after they have completed one (1) calendar year of full-time service. Paid maternity leave is available only during periods when the staff employee normally would be scheduled to work. The staff employee should notify her immediate supervisor and the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations in writing as early as possible, requesting the paid maternity leave and stating the approximate dates on which the leave might reasonably be expected to begin and to end. Normally a staff employee will not be replaced during the period of a paid maternity leave; however, in special situations, the department head or convener may request a replacement in writing to the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations. If, due to medical complications, the staff employee is unable to return to work after the five-week paid leave, then the policies on Paid Sick Time and Intermediate-Term Disability Benefits shall apply. If, again for medical reasons, the staff employee is unable to return to work for one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days after the start of the paid maternity leave, then the policy on Long Term Disability Benefits shall apply. It is expected that a staff employee will continue to work for one (1) year after the completion of a paid maternity leave. A paid maternity leave may be immediately followed by an unpaid leave of absence. Adoption Leave – Primary Caregiver Upon the completion of one (1) calendar year of full time service, full time staff employees will be eligible for up to six (6) weeks of paid parental leave, for adoption of a dependent child. This six week leave is provided only to the employee serving as the primary caregiver for the adopted child. Paid leave is provided only during the periods when the staff employee would normally be scheduled to work. The staff employee should notify his/her immediate supervisor and the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations in writing as early as possible, requesting the paid adoption leave and stating the approximate dates on which the leave might reasonably be expected to begin and to end. Normally a staff employee will not be replaced during the period of a paid adoption leave; however, in special situations, the department head or convener may request a replacement in writing to the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations. It is expected that a staff employee will continue to work for one (1) year after the completion of a paid adoption leave. A paid adoption leave may be immediately followed by an unpaid leave of absence, under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Birth or Adoption Leaves – Secondary Caregiver Upon the completion of one (1) calendar year of full time service, full time staff employees will be eligible for up to five (5) days of paid parental leave, for adoption or birth of a dependent child. This one week leave is provided only to the employee serving as the secondary caregiver for the adopted/birthed child. Paid leave is provided only during the periods when the staff employee would normally be scheduled to work. Adoptive parents both working at Earlham may propose modifications to the primary and secondary caregiver leaves outlined above. Proposals must be submitted to the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations and are subject to the approval of the direct supervisors. The staff employee may be allowed a period of unpaid leave directly following the paid leave, under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Exemption from Work for Religious Beliefs Earlham wishes to be sensitive to the religious beliefs of staff employees while insuring that necessary work of Earlham is per-formed. Normally, requests to be excused from work for religious beliefs will be handled by the employee's immediate supervisor and should be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the work schedule date in question. If a staff employee's request to be excused from work for religious beliefs is denied by his/her supervisor or if the supervisor feels uncomfortable reviewing the employee's request, the employee may ask that his/her request be reviewed by an ad hoc committee convened by the Director of Campus Ministries. The committee will determine the sincerity of the employee and the centrality of the stated beliefs to his/her religious faith. The committee will meet with the employee and then make a recommendation to the Vice President for Financial Affairs as to whether to grant the employee's request. Acceptance of the committee's recommendation will be contingent upon arriving at a practical solution for performing the work duties normally performed by the employee requesting the exemption. In the absence of such a solution, the employee will not be excused from work even if the committee's recommendation would support such action. The ad hoc committee will be composed of the Director of Campus Ministries, the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations, the employee's supervisor, and a member of Employee Council. Since the committee will normally be convened by the Director of Campus Ministries, requests for committee review should be directed to this person. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, such requests must be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the work schedule date in question. If an employee is exempted from work for religious beliefs, the scheduled hours exempted are required to be unpaid leave or vacation. Unpaid Leaves of Absence Unpaid leaves of absence are available to full-time employees who have been employed on a full-time basis for at least three (3) months beyond the completion of his/her introductory period. Such leaves are available to employees who need to be away from work for personal or family reasons that do not qualify them for intermediate-term disability and/or long-term disability benefits. These leaves fall into two categories: those requested due to illness or injury and those requested for reasons other than illness or injury. In either instance, a written request must be submitted to the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations who will, in consultation with the Vice President for Financial Affairs, decide whether to grant an unpaid leave of absence. An unpaid leave of absence due to illness or injury may normally be granted for a period of up to six (6) months. A physician's statement regarding the nature and expected duration of the illness or injury must be submitted to the Assistant Vice President for Business Operations before a leave can be granted. An extension of an additional three (3) months is available to an eligible employee having at least five (5) years of full-time service, with each five year period of full-time service permitting an additional three (3) month extension. A physician's statement is necessary for each extension for which an employee may be eligible, noting progress as well as the expected duration of the illness or injury. A physician's statement certifying the employee's ability to return to work and perform his/her full duties must be submitted to the Business Office prior to an employee reporting back to work. An unpaid leave of absence due to reasons other than illness or injury may normally be granted for a period of up to six (6) months; extensions are not available. Reasons for granting such a leave may include: birth or adoption of a child, death of a close relative, and serious illness or injury in the immediate family (i.e. spouse or dependent child). An unpaid leave of absence may immediately follow a Maternity Leave; however, the period of the Maternity Leave will be considered as part of the unpaid leave of absence period. Earlham will reserve the employee's existing position or a comparable position for up to six (6) months while he/she is on an unpaid leave of absence. If an employee secures employment with another employer while on an unpaid leave of absence, his/her leave of absence will automatically be rescinded and employment by Earlham terminated. During an unpaid leave of absence, Earlham ceases its payment for all benefits for which an employee is enrolled. During an unpaid leave of absence, vacation time and sick time are not accrued. An employee may continue his/her group health insurance coverage for the period of the leave provided that advance arrangements are made with the Payroll Clerk to pay the necessary premium payments prior to their due date as determined by Earlham. At Earlham’s sole discretion, access to de minimus benefits may continue. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved in writing by either the Provost or the Vice President for Financial Affairs. If an employee's leave of absence expires and he/she fails to immediately return to work, then his/her employment status may be terminated by Earlham. |
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Earlham College · 801 National Road West · Richmond,
Indiana 47374-4095 |