Paid Leave - Options for Time Off with Pay

Paid Leave


UVA offers many options for paid leave to help employees maintain a healthy work/life balance. We encourage you to take time off to relax and rejuvenate.

Paid leave options are explained in detail on the Paid Leave Options page. For leave options not explained on the Paid Leave Options page, please contact the HR Solution Center at 434.243.3344, or by email at AskHR@virginia.edu.

For specific information about paid time off cash out and rollover, please see the PTO Cash Out page in relation to your time off plan. 

For questions about the time off and leave processes for both and employee's and managers, see the information included below.

How Do I Take Time Off For Vacation or General Time Away From Work?

  • Employee

    Academic Division Employees

    • Inform supervisor as far in advance as possible of request for leave and time away from job, following departmental procedures. Inform supervisor of any change of plans that affect leave request.
    • Manage time away from work, time worked, and leave used in a way that demonstrates accountability to the entities funding the employee’s salary (taxpayers, Board of Visitors, fees paid by students/faculty/staff, grants, etc.).
    • If absence is for illness, inform supervisor daily of status, following departmental procedure. Review the section for FMLA and Short Term Disability if your absence is related to your own illness or to care for an ill family member.  
    • Provide verification of illness from a healthcare provider if required by department.
    • Faculty, Research Staff request time off from your department. 
    • Classified Staff, University Staff, and UPG employees: Navigate to Workday>Absence>Request Absence to request time off.
    • Make corrections by navigating to Workday>Absence>Correct My Absence.
    • To see your current or future leave balance, navigate to Workday>Absence>View Absence Balance and input an "As Of" date.

    Medical Center Employees

    • Inform supervisor as far in advance as possible of request for leave and time away from job, following departmental procedures. Inform supervisor of any change of plans that affect leave request.
    • Manage time away from work, time worked, and leave used in a way that demonstrates accountability to the entities funding the employee’s salary.
    • If absence is for illness, inform supervisor daily of status, following departmental procedure. Review the section for FMLA and Short Term Disability if your absence is related to your own illness or to care for an ill family member.  
    • Provide verification of illness from a healthcare provider if required by department.
  • Supervisor

    Academic Employees

    • Approve or deny use of leave and time away from job in Workday
    • Give prior notification to employee if verification is needed for an illness. 
    • Advise employees to contact UNUM to request FMLA and the appropriate vendor for Short Term Disability for their own illness or to care for an ill family member for absences of 3 days or more. 
    • Academic Employees: Employees, supervisors, or designated representatives can enter leave by navigating to Workday>Absence>Request Absence>Frequently Used Time Off
    • Make corrections by navigating to Workday>Time; select day(s) to correct, enter and submit. The time will route to the manager for approval 
    • Manage staff’s time away from work so business needs are met, ensuring accountability for the expenditure of salary dollars

    Medical Center Team Members

    • Approve or deny use of leave and time away from job in Kronos
    • Give prior notification to employee if verification is needed for an illness.
    • Advise employees to contact UNUM to request FMLA, Medical Leave, or Short Term Disability for their own illness or to care for an ill family member for absences of 3 days or more. 
    • Manage staff’s time away from work so business needs are met, ensuring accountability for the expenditure of salary dollars
  • UVA HR

    • Provide information and counseling on leave request to employee and department
    • Ensure time and leave are entered appropriately for leaves of absence. 
    • Advise on leaves of absence options 
  • Tracking Your Leave

    • Non-exempt Staff and Classified Exempt Staff are required to track leave in 15-minute increments
    • Exempt University Staff have the option to track leave in increments of four hours (half days). If an exempt Ustaff employee is absent for more than four hours PTO (UStaff, Annual, etc...) should be utilized. 
    • Exempt Medical Center Team members, when absent for a full work day, including while modified Medical Center operations are in effect (Medical Center Human Resources Policy No. 510 “Modified Medical Center Operations”), PTO shall be deducted for the absence (see also Medical Center Human Resources Policy No. 401 “Pay Administration”). When an exempt employee is absent for a partial day (including while modified operations are in effect) PTO shall not be deducted for the absence.
    • Part-time exempt University Staff and exempt University Staff working an alternate work schedule may track leave taken in increments of one half of their daily work schedules
    • Exempt employees are paid an established annual salary and are expected to fulfill the duties of their position regardless of hours worked
    • Classified and University Staff track your leave balance in Workday by navigating to Workday>Absence>View Absence Balance
    • Medical Center team members track time off in Kronos

How Do I Take a Leave of Absence for FMLA, Disability, Military Leave & Parental Leave?

Please see our new UNUM Manager FAQ for guidance on UNUM and manager processes related to leaves of absence and disability benefits administered by UNUM. 

UNUM manages:

FMLA, Medical, Military, and Parental Leave for most Academic Staff and Medical Center Team Members

FMLA, Medical, and Military leaves for Faculty.

Short Term Disability for Academic Faculty and Staff in the ORP retirement plan, as well as for Medical Center Team Members. 

See below for further guidance on employee, manager, and HR roles when requesting a leave of absence. 

  • Academic Staff

    Employees

    • Inform supervisor as far in advance as possible of request for leave and time away from job, following departmental procedures.
    • Classified and University Staff contact UNUM for FMLA eligibility and approval. 
    • University Staff contact UNUM (866.269.0979) for Paid Parental Leave.
    • Classified Staff contact UVA HR for Paid Parental Leave. 
    • Classified and University Staff contact UNUM for Military Leave.
    • Inform your supervisor and the Leave Team of plans to return to work at least three days in advance to plan for scheduling and determine if any accommodations need to be made regarding your own medical condition. You may forward a return to work clearance from your doctor to the leave team. 
    • For Intermittent FMLA follow departmental procedures to notify your supervisor of time needed as far in advance as possible and contact UNUM within 7 days of using this time off to report your hours or your FMLA may be denied. Staff may input their own paid time off or unpaid time off for FMLA time taken. (See below for the supervisor's role).

    Supervisors

    • Input time off for employees in Workday prior to approval of leave by the vendor. If an employee is approved for a paid benefit such as Short Term Disability or Paid Parental Leave, the Leave Team will adjust any time due back to the employee.
    • The Leave Team will key in continuous leave status in Workday as well as pay during the Short Term Disability benefit period and Paid Parental Leave. 
    • For Intermittent FMLA supervisors will key in the Intermittent FMLA time into Workday once the approval is received from UNUM. In the case of Exempt University Staff, supervisors should reach out to the Leave Team at leave@virginia.edu for time tracking assistance. 
  • Faculty & Professional Research Staff (PRS)

    Faculty and PRS

    • Inform supervisor as far in advance as possible of request for leave and time away from job, following departmental procedures.
    • Faculty & Professional Research Staff (PRS) contact UNUM at 866.269.0979 for FMLA.
    • Faculty & PRS in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) retirement plan contact UNUM for disability at 866.269.0979.
    • Faculty & PRS in the Virginia Sickness & Disability plan (VSDP) contact the Reed Group at 877.928.7021 for disability.
    • Faculty & PRS should contact your department for Military Leave. 
    • Faculty & PRS contact your department for Paid Parental Leave. 
    • Inform your supervisor and the Leave Team at leave@virginia.edu of plans to return to work at least three days in advance to plan for scheduling and determine if any accommodations need to be made regarding your own medical condition. 

    Supervisors

    Please work with your HR Business Partner for guidance on leave approvals not managed through a vendor. 

  • Medical Center

    Employees

    • Inform supervisor as far in advance as possible of request for leave and time away from job, following departmental procedures.
    • Medical Center Team Members contact UNUM (866.269.0979) for FMLA, Medical Leave, Disability, Parental Leave, and Military Leave. 
    • To supplement Short Term Disability benefits not paid at 100% of your salary, please notify the leave team, leave@virginia.edu. To receive PTO during the Short Term Disability elimination period of 14 days, please notify your timekeeper or supervisor. 
    • Medical Center Team Members complete the request form for Personal Leave. Personal Leave approval is determined by your supervisor. 
    • Inform your supervisor and the Leave Team of plans to return to work at least three days in advance to plan for scheduling and determine if any accommodations need to be made regarding your own medical condition. 
    • For Intermittent FMLA follow departmental procedures to notify your supervisor of time needed as far in advance as possible and contact UNUM within 7 days of using this time off to report your hours or your FMLA may be denied. 

    Supervisors and Timekeepers

     

    • Input PTO into Kronos prior to Short Term Disability benefits beginning or during periods of FMLA, Medical Leave, and Personal Leave only. The employee has to the choice to use PTO if approved for STD, including during the elimination period before benefits begin. 
    • Do not input PTO during periods of approved STD benefits.  
    • If an employee is on FMLA, Medical Leave, or Personal Leave without Short Term Disability or Parental Leave, per the Leaves of Absence policy, managers should key PTO along with the leave codes. 
    • Input leave codes for the duration of FMLA, Medical Leave, Personal Leave, or Military Leave. 
    • Input pay codes for Military Leave, Administrative Leave, and Jury or Volunteer leave. 
    • The Leave Team inputs Short Term Disability and Paid Parental Leave status into Workday which drives pay for these periods. You will not see entries in Kronos except employees on Working STD. 
  • UPG

    For FMLA and Short Term Disability contact:

    Guardian Life, UPG’s third party absence management vendor, at:

    www.GuardianLife.com or 800.468.4015 using policy #035294 and your UPG employee ID (not your SSN)

    To access UPG’s full Leaves of Absence policy you must be on a UPG issued computer: UPG Leaves of Absence or contact UPG_FMLA@uvahealth.org for more information.