Paid Leave Options

Paid Leave Options


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.

For general information about Paid Leave, please visit the Paid Leave page. An alphabetical listing of leave types is included below. 

Administrative Leave

The Medical Center provides eligible team members with time off with pay for a variety of approved absences. Please see policy 600 to confirm which Administrative Leave reasons include pay. 

This policy includes time off for victims of a crime to attend court appearances. Please note, if you are a victim of a crime and need time off for court appearances related to the crime, you may also be eligible for a job protected leave status for those appearances, please contact UNUM to apply for this leave. Their number is 866.269.0979.

Medical Center Leave Policy 600

Agency Closing

See the page on Weather or Emergency Event Status for details about utilization of Agency Closing.

Annual Leave

  • Classified Staff

    Please see https://hr.virginia.edu/time/paid-leave/pto-cash-out-and-carryover for details about Annual Leave for Classified Staff. 

    CLASSIFIED STAFF ANNUAL LEAVE POLICY
  • Faculty

    Time off on an annual basis is available to faculty members who hold full-time appointments of a year or longer. Annual time off for faculty is granted in accordance with the following schedule:

    • 12-month contractual cycle:  22 working days
    • 11-month contractual cycle:  20 working days
    • 10-month contractual cycle: 18 working days
    • 09-month contractual cycle: 16 working days

    Part-time faculty members are eligible for time off on an annual basis , proportionate to working time. Annual leave may be distributed throughout the year at the faculty member's option, with the concurrence of a supervisor.

    Teaching faculty employed for 9 months do not receive annual leave. They observe University holidays and determine their own hours during breaks in the academic calendar. They do not have specific University responsibilities or duties during the summer apart from registration and preparation of materials for the academic year.

    Other types of paid or partial-paid leave may be available to faculty as well.

    Faculty leave policy
  • Post-Doctoral Fellows

    Postdoctoral research associates are part of the University's Professional Research Staff (PRS). Other categories of the Professional Research Staff include Research Scientists, Senior Scientists, and Principal Scientists.  

    UVA Policy on Employment of Professional Research Staff
  • Senior Professional Research Staff

Bereavement Leave

  • Classified Staff

    Family/Personal Leave (F/P)

    Family/Personal Leave (F/P) may be taken at the discretion of the employee for any purpose (family, illness, attend a funeral, or other personal needs, etc.) provided the employee gives reasonable notice and his/her supervisor approves the absence.

    See Virginia Sickness & Disability Program Policy 4.57

    Family Sick Leave

    Employees shall be allowed to use accrued sick leave to take time off from work for the illness or death of an immediate family member. The maximum amount of family sick leave an employee may use for minor or brief periods of disability, or following the death of certain family members, is limited to 48 total work hours in a leave year.

    See Traditional Sick Leave Policy 4.55

  • University Staff

    ACADEMIC DIVISION

    UVA provides a bereavement leave policy for Academic Division (including School of Medicine, School of Nursing, HS Library) and College at Wise for benefits eligible staff who are full-time or part-time. The policy provides three days of paid leave for a death in the immediate family. If additional time is needed, a supervisor may authorize use of Paid Time Off.

    Immediate family includes:

    • Parents - including stepparents, in-laws and in loco parentis (a person who stood in place of parent)
    • Spouse or Domestic Partner
    • Children - including step, adoptive, foster child or ward, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law
    • Siblings - including stepsiblings, siblings-in-law
    • Grandparents
    • Grandchildren
    • Any person living in the eligible employee’s household
    • Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

    For further details, please see the Bereavement Leave Policy – Academic Division.

  • Medical Center Team Members

    The Medical Center provides full-time, part-time, flex staff, and management team members with time off in the event of the death of an immediate family member.

    Bereavement leave is paid for up to two shifts.

    Bereavement Leave Policy
  • University Physicians Group

    Employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week are granted three days of leave with full pay for a death in the immediate family. If additional time is needed, a supervisor may authorize use of Paid Time Off.

Bone Marrow/Organ Donation Leave

  • Classified Staff & University Staff

    Classified and University Staff follow DHRM policy 4.37.

    Paid leave under this policy provides eligible employees with the period that is medically necessary for donation of bone marrow or an organ and recuperation time for up to 30 days in any calendar year.

    Exceptions:

    • Employees who are on disciplinary suspension are not eligible to participate in this program.
    • Restricted employees whose positions are contingent upon project grants as defined in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance may receive paid leave for bone marrow or organ donation only if the funding source has agreed to assume all financial responsibility for this benefit in its written contract with the Commonwealth.

    Employees must submit Academic Staff Bone Marrow or Organ Donation medical certification to support the use and expected duration of the leave to the HR Solution Center, Benefits and Leave team via fax (434-924-4042) or email (leave@virginia.edu). Medical Certification should be submitted 30 days in advance of the planned leave of absence, whenever possible.

    The HR Solution Center Leave team enters the leave status and pay while an employee is out due to a bone marrow or organ donation.

    DHRM Policy 4.37
  • Faculty

    Faculty may be approved at the discretion of a supervisor, dean, or vice president. Approval is not guaranteed. With supervisor approval, faculty may use available annual leave to extend the approved period of personal leave.

    Faculty Leave Policy
  • Medical Center Team Members

    Medical Center team members must be FMLA eligible to qualify for this leave.

  • University of Virginia Physician's Group

    University of Virginia Physician’s Group will supplement the income for employees receiving Short-term disability income replacement for a qualifying bone marrow or organ donation to bring the employee to 100% of their base income. Employees MUST also be FMLA eligible to qualify.

Civil and Work-Related Leave

A variety of other paid leave options fall under civil and work-related leave for different employee classifications.

  • University Staff and Classified Staff

    Civil and Work-Related Leave provides for the following situations:

    • Administrative summons
    • Use of Career Services
    • Use of Employee Assistance Program
    • Grievance process
    • Service on State (or Federal) Council, Commission, Board, or Committee 
    • Naturalization ceremony
    • Subpoena (for witness or victim)
    • To accompany your minor child to court
    • Unemployment or workers’ compensation
    • Interview with UVA, or another state agency
    • Jury duty/ court appearance
    • Emergency disaster leave

    UVA requires documentation be provided to supervisor when requesting leave, which can be uploaded through Workday when you:

    • Serve jury duty (as required by a summons)
    • Appear as a crime victim, or as a witness, in a court proceeding or deposition (as compelled by a subpoena or summons)*
    • Accompany your minor child to appear in court
    • Serve as an officer of election
    • Attend your own naturalization ceremony

    *This policy includes time off for victims of a crime to attend court appearances. Please note, if you are a victim of a crime and need time off for court appearances related to the crime, you may also be eligible for a job protected leave status for those appearances, please contact UNUM to apply for this leave. Their number is 866-269-0979.

    Civil and Work-Related Leave Policy 4.05
  • University Physicians Group

    Employees who need to be away from work for jury duty; to comply with a subpoena as a witness for court proceeding or disposition; or to accompany a minor legally required to be present in court may request civil leave, in advance of the absence. 

    Civil leave does not cover court appearances for criminal defendants or divorce proceedings. 

    If civil leave is approved, UPG will pay the difference between an employee’s normal pay and any jury pay received from the court.

    When an employee is subpoenaed to court as a witness in his or her role at UPG, the absence is considered work time.

    UPG Leave of Absence Policy

Compensatory Leave

University and Classified Staff are eligible for compensatory leave, which provides employees with paid leave as compensation for working beyond normal scheduled hours - but not working more than 40 hours per week. This is different than Overtime Leave, for working more than 40 hours. The following situations would apply compensatory leave: an official office closing day, a holiday, a scheduled day off, or when a holiday falls on an employee's scheduled day off. Compensatory leave earned for working on holidays does not expire, and rolls over from year to year.

Disability or Long-Term Illness

Depending on employee type, you may be eligible for short-term and/or long-term disability. Disability is paid benefit rather than a time off or leave type. 

If you are enrolled in a UVA retirement plan (Virginia Retirement System, Optional Retirement Plan, or Medical Center Retirement Plan) or if you are House staff, you already have disability insurance coverage to help protect your income when you can’t work - whether from illness, injury, pregnancy, surgery, or another condition. Coverage differs, depending on plan type.

For Academic division and University Medical Center Team members more information about Disability benefits can be found on the Disability Benefits page.

UPG employees can read more about their Disability program below on the UPG Employee Benefits page.

Disability Benefits UPG Benefits

Disaster Leave/Emergency Disaster Leave

Educational Leave

  • Classified and University Staff

    • Educational Leave may be granted, at the discretion of the department, for the purpose of allowing employees time to further their education through study related to their work or that of their employer.

    • With or without pay at the University's discretion, employees may be allowed to take educational leave with full, partial, or no pay. Please note that pay for this leave type would come from the employee's own Paid Time Off.

    • Benefits will continue during your leave of absence unless you request to waive benefits for a period of unpaid absence.

      If you are on any period of Leave Without Pay (LWOP), you will owe the premiums for your benefits. For unpaid absences less than sixty days, benefits will be held in arrears and taken from the next check where pay is received. For unpaid absences over 60 days, employees will receive an invoice for premiums due.

    Educational leave is limited to 12 months. Extensions to this leave, up to an additional 12 months, may be granted by the University.

    Educational leave will be approved by your department. If approved, the supervisor or HR Business Partner should notify the HR Solution Center/Leave Team of the approval dates and pay conditions.

    Classified and University Staff Educational Leave Policy
  • Professional Research Staff

    Senior Professional Research Staff with an appointment of one year or more, or who have more than one year of consecutive service, are eligible to take educational leave to pursue new knowledge, techniques, and experiences that are judged by the Professional Research Staff member’s supervisor and dean to facilitate or enhance the Professional Research Staff member’s ability to contribute to the University. Professional Research Staff who receive external awards or fellowships that include financial support may request educational leave for the period of the award or fellowship. Educational leave may be approved as leave without pay or as leave with partial pay for up to two years. Requests for leave with partial pay which reduce the Professional Research Staff member’s effort to less than 25% (0.25 FTE) must be requested and approved in writing by the Professional Research Staff member’s supervisor and dean. Because Postdoctoral Research Associates are engaged in a temporary, planned course of training, they are not eligible for educational leave.

    Professional Research Staff Policy
  • Medical Center Team Members

    Medical Center Personal and Educational Leave: See policy 600 for further details.

    As soon as eligible employees become aware of the need for Personal or Educational Leave, he/she should complete a Request for Personal/Educational Leave form and submit it to the supervisor for approval.

    Benefits During Leave

    Subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of the applicable plans, the Medical Center will continue to provide health, life and disability insurance benefits for the full period of approved paid Personal or Educational Leave. If the absence includes a period of leave without pay, the employee will be responsible for paying the entire cost of these benefit plans. PTO accrual is suspended after four full pay periods of continuous paid leave. PTO accrual is also suspended during any period of leave of absence without pay. PTO accrual resumes upon return to active employment. Personal or Educational Leave absences will not count toward completion of the twelve (12) months of employment required under Medical Center Educational Assistance Program.

    Medical Center Personal and Educational Leave Request

    Medical Center Leave Policy

Jury Duty or Court Appearance

  • Faculty

    A faculty member who serves on a federal jury will receive payment for their services. A faculty member must use annual leave if he/she keeps the payment. If the faculty member remits the payment back to UVA, he/she should not use annual leave.

    Money received for non-federal jury duty is considered “reimbursement for expense” and the faculty members should not use annual leave.

    Please note, if you are a victim of a crime and need time off for court appearances related to the crime, you may also be eligible for a job protected leave status for those appearances, please contact UNUM to apply for this leave. Their number is 866.269.0979.

    Faculty Leave Policies
  • Medical Center Team Members

    See Administrative Leave under Medical Center policy 600

    Note related to Jury Duty: Fees given to jurors by the court are considered reimbursement for expenses. Therefore, payments for expenses such as meals, mileage, parking, etc., may be retained by the employee.

    This policy includes time off for victims of a crime to attend court appearances. Please note, if you are a victim of a crime and need time off for court appearances related to the crime, you may also be eligible for a job protected leave status for those appearances, please contact UNUM to apply for this leave. Their number is 866.269.0979.

    Medical Center Leave of Absence Policy
  • University Staff and Classified Staff

    This policy includes time off for victims of a crime to attend court appearances. Please note, if you are a victim of a crime and need time off for court appearances related to the crime, you may also be eligible for a job protected leave status for those appearances, please contact UNUM to apply for this leave. Their number is 866-269-0979.

    Civil and Work-Related Leave provides paid leave for employees for the following situations:

    • Subpoena (for witness or victim)
    • To accompany your minor child to court
    • Jury duty / court appearance

    UVA requires documentation be provided to your supervisor when requesting leave, which can be uploaded through Workday, when you:

    • Serve jury duty (as required by a summons)
    • Appear as a crime victim, or as a witness, in a court proceeding or deposition (as compelled by a subpoena or summons)
    • Accompany your minor child to appear in court

    Pay for leave related to court services:

    If pay received is a reimbursement for expenses, employees may retain the payment. 

    If pay received is for services rendered, employees must reimburse the payroll department if this paid leave type was used for their absence.

    Please refer to DHRM Policy 4.05 for further details related to use of this paid leave. 

    Civil and Work-Related Leave Policy
  • University Physicians Group

    Please see "Civil Leave," above. 

Leave Sharing & PTO Donations

Leave Sharing sharing permits eligible academic employees to receive income by using leave donated to them by other employees.

PTO Donation permits eligible Medical Center Team members to receive income by using leave donated to them by other employees.

  • Classified & University Staff Leave Sharing

    • Part- and full-time (20–40 hours per week) salaried Classified and University Staff who qualify/
    • Employees in the Traditional Sick Plan may qualify for Leave Sharing when leave balances have been depleted and either an employee has an illness or injury or a family member covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has an illness or injury
    • Employees participating in short-term disability programs receive benefits for personal injury or illness and are not eligible for Leave Sharing for these reasons; however, these employees may participate in Leave Sharing to care for a family member if the employee is on an approved FMLA leave.

    Depending on your role, you will have certain responsibilities regarding Leave Sharing:

    Employees

    Supervisors/Departments

    • Provide signatures requested for Leave Sharing Recipient Application and ensure forms are submitted to the HR Leave Team.
    • Once the Leave Sharing request is approved by UVA HR, you may, with the employee’s permission, notify your department of the need for donated leave
    • The completed Leave Sharing Donor Applications should be submitted to the HR Leave team. 

    UVA Human Resources

    • Provide information and counseling regarding Leave Sharing to employee and department
    • Communicate with department/employee approval dates for Leave Sharing
    • Enter the Leave Sharing hours for each affected pay period to ensure a paycheck is created
    • Verify and ensure the appropriateness of supporting documentation
  • Medical Center PTO Donations

    Team members may donate accrued PTO to another team member who is on an approved leave due to a serious health condition, or to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition. See Policy 315 for details.

    Who is eligible?

    Regular full-time and part-time employees scheduled to work more than 20 hours per week shall be eligible to become recipients. Donated PTO leave hours will be prorated for part-time employees (e.g., if a part-time employee who works 20 hours per week receives 60 hours of donated leave, the donated leave will be paid to that employee at a rate of 20 hours per week).

    Donated leave hours may be approved for the employee’s own or their immediate family member’s serious health condition defined as follows: An illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility; or continuing treatment by a health care provider for more than three consecutive days.

    See Policy 315 for further information related to eligibility and process. 

    Team members and their manager should complete the PTO Donation Request form. The form is submitted to the HR Leave Center, leave@virginia.edu

    Once the donation request form is received and leave is approved, further instructions about soliciting donations and the approved donation amount will be sent to the team member and manager by the HR Leave Center. 

    Medical Center Policy 315

Military or Active Duty Service

Depending on your employee type, you may qualify for paid time off for military or active duty.

  • Faculty

    Faculty called to military duty will be placed on leave without pay. If the faculty member is a 12 month employee, he/she may take any available annual leave before being moved to an unpaid status. Paid leaves of absence for military duty (limited to fifteen working days / federal fiscal year), include training time and active service.

    Contact UNUM at 866.269.0979 to apply for Military Leave. 

    Faculty Military Leave Policy
  • Medical Center Team Members

    The Medical Center shall grant a military leave of absence to team members who are absent from work for military service or training in the Uniformed Services, in accordance with federal and state law.

    Contact UNUM at 866.269.0979 to apply for Military Leave. 

    Pay Options for Military Leave

    • Up to 15 workdays in a federal fiscal year (October 1 – September 30).
    • Additional 8 hours for pre-induction and other physical examinations required for military service.
    • If an employee is called to Active Duty and is on Military Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and their gross military salary plus allowances is less than their base UVA salary, they are eligible to receive the Active Military Supplement. To receive the supplemental pay, an employee will need to provide the military Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for the period of absence to the UVA Human Resource Solution Center.
    • If an employee is on Military Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and is not receiving supplemental pay, they can use their own time off to receive pay for that period. 

    Please refer to the applicable leave policy for further details and circumstances related to Military Leave and pay.

    Medical Center Military Leave Policy
  • University Staff and Classified Staff

    UVA shall grant a military leave of absence to team members who are absent from work for military service or training in the Uniformed Services, in accordance with federal and state law.

    Contact UNUM at 866-269-0979 to apply for Military Leave. 

    Pay Options for Military Leave

    • Up to 15 workdays in a federal fiscal year (October 1 – September 30).
    • Additional 8 hours for pre-induction and other physical examinations required for military service.
    • If an employee is called to Active Duty and is on Military Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and their gross military salary plus allowances is less than their base UVA salary, they are eligible to receive the Active Military Supplement. To receive the supplemental pay, an employee will need to provide the military Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for the period of absence to the UVA Human Resource Solution Center.
    • If an employee is on Military Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and is not receiving supplemental pay, they can use their own time off to receive pay for that period. 

    Please refer to the applicable leave policy for further details and circumstances related to Military Leave and pay.

    University and Classified Staff Military Leave Policy
  • University Physicians Group

    UPG will comply with the requirements of USERRA. In the event that you need to be away from work for active military duty, please contact Human Resources.

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Paid Time Off (PTO) applies to Medical Center Team Members and University Physicians Group only. 

See Annual Leave/University Staff Leave for Classified Staff, Faculty, and University Staff.

  • University Physicians Group

    Paid Time Off

    UPG Employees scheduled for twenty or more hours per week accrue Paid Time Off (PTO) which can be used for personal, sick or vacation time. Employees are responsible for giving appropriate notice. Supervisor approval is required for personal and vacation requests and supervisors will consider department workload when granting approval for discretionary use of paid time off.

    PTO accrues per pay period (26 times/year) and is based on scheduled hours. Accruals increase with years of service to the company. 

    Staff Accrual Rate   
    Service Years Scheduled 35-40 hours/week scheduled 30-34 hours/week scheduled 25-29 hours/week scheduled 20-24 hours/week
    0-4 5.54 hours 4.43 hours 2.77 hours 2.22 hours
    5-9 7.08 hours 5.66 hours 3.54 hours 2.83 hours
    10-14 8.00 hours 6.40 hours 4.00 hours 3.20 hours
    15+ 9.23 hours 7.38 hours 4.62 hours 3.69 hours
    Professional Accrual Rate   
    Service Years Scheduled 35-40 hours/week scheduled 30-34 hours/week scheduled 25-29 hours/week scheduled 20-24 hours/week
    0-4 7.08 hours 5.66 hours 3.54 hours 2.83 hours
    5-9 8.62 hours 6.90 hours 4.31 hours 3.45 hours
    10-14 9.54 hours 7.63 hours 4.77 hours 3.82 hours
    15+ 10.77 hours 8.62 hours 5.39 hours 4.31 hours

    PTO Cash Out

    Twice annually, UPG employees will have the opportunity to cash out a portion of their PTO balances. Employees eligible for PTO have the option to cash-out up to 40 hours of PTO, provided they retain a balance of at least 80 hours of PTO after the cash out. 

    Upon termination, and when an employee reduces hours to 19 hours or less, PTO is paid out.

    Leave of Absence Policy
  • Medical Center Team Members

    Please see https://hr.virginia.edu/time/paid-leave/pto-cash-out-and-carryover for details about Medical Center PTO. 

    PTO Policy 315

Parental Leave

UVA Academic Division and Medical Center employees should also see the "Planning for Becoming a Parent"  site, which discusses the benefit and leave options for the birth or placement of a child.

Below is an overview of the Paid Parental Leave benefit and eligibility by employee classification. 

  • Classified Staff

    The Paid Parental Leave Policy for University Classified Staff is provided by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) with Executive Order Number Twelve.

    See the DHRM Paid Parental Leave Policy for additional information. 

    To apply for Paid Parental Leave, submit the UVA Parental Leave Application and proof of birth to the HR Leave Center.

    You may contact UNUM to apply for FMLA in addition to Parental Leave, by calling 866-269-0979.

    "Employees using paid parental leave are afforded the remaining job protection under FMLA for an absence up to a total of twelve (12) weeks (480 hours). They may charge personal leave or take leave without pay to cover the additional absence."

    Classified Staff Paid Parental Leave Request Form
  • Employees supported by Grant Funds

    Can UVA Paid Parental Leave be charged to sponsored programs?

    For federal grants subject to the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Guidance, parental leave is an allowable cost provided that the institution has a policy that is consistently applied across all fund sources; the University’s policies addressing Parental Leave will meet this requirement. If the sponsor’s terms and conditions do not allow for Parental Leave costs, the employee’s unit must cover the proportionate compensation cost from non-sponsored sources.

    Do I have to pay UVA Paid Parental Leave from my sponsored program funds?

    If you have another source of funds available to you, those funds may be used in lieu of sponsored program funds. Otherwise, if it is an allowable cost it must be charged to the sponsored program in proportion to the employee’s normal pay schedule.  If the sponsor’s terms and conditions do not allow for Parental Leave costs, the employee’s unit must cover the compensation cost for parental leave from non-sponsored sources.

    Can a supervisor deny Parental Leave due to a lack of identifiable funds, sponsored or non-sponsored?

    No, supervisors are not permitted to deny an eligible employee’s request for Parental Leave due to lack of funds.  A supervisor unable to identify adequate funding should consult first with the Department Chair, then the Dean’s Office.  Human Resources may be available for consultative support.  

    Will compensation paid for Parental Leave be included on effort reports delivered through Effort@UVA?

    Yes, it will be included in effort reports. However, anticipated long absences, including parental leave must be considered before committing effort on sponsored projects. 

    I am a key person on a sponsored program and will be eligible for parental leave during the period of performance.  My use of parental leave may delay completion of the research or scholarly work. What should I do?

    Discuss your parental leave plans with the PI on the grant. If the PI agrees that your parental leave is likely to delay progress on the sponsored program, the PI will contact the departmental research administrator and OSP to determine whether or not to request an extension from the sponsor.

    Will graduate research assistants (GRAs) paid from sponsored programs be eligible for Parental Leave?

    Pursuant to PROV-028, Financial Childbirth Accommodations for Graduate Students on Assistantship, eligible GRAs who give birth, including those supported on grant funds, receive full wages associated with their support for six weeks. In addition, GRAs have certain rights and protections under Title IX; the University’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights can provide information on Title IX protections.

    How is the new UVA Paid Parental Leave program being administered in the context of the Employment of Professional Research Staff?

    See UVA Policy HRM-033.

  • Faculty

    Who is eligible?

    Faculty Members with appointments of one year or more are and will remain eligible for parental leave.

    How can I use UVA paid parental leave? 

    Eligible faculty members will be able to take eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave at full pay or sixteen (16) weeks at half-pay for each qualified event and will have up to twelve (12) months from the date of the event to use the paid parental leave.

    How will UVA Paid Parental Leave work with Short-Term Disability?

    UVA Paid Parental Leave and Short-Term Disability are separate benefits and employees will not be able to receive both of these benefits at the same time. For faculty members who give birth, any approved paid parental leave could be taken after any paid leave received as a result of short-term disability.

    For Short Term Disability, see the Disability Benefits page for the appropriate vendor.

    How will FMLA work with Paid Parental Leave?

    To apply for FMLA, which can run concurrently with Parental Leave or Short Term Disability, contact UNUM at 866.269.0979. To apply for Paid Parental Leave work with your department and Human Resources Business Partner. 

    For policy details: visit the Provost’s Planning for Parental Leave web page.

  • Medical Center Team Members

    How how do I apply for UVA Paid Parental Leave?

    To apply please contact UNUM at 866.269.0979.

    Who is eligible?

    Medical Center team members are eligible for the Parental Leave benefit if they have met the requirements of the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), have been employed at the Medical Center for 12 consecutive months, and are benefits-eligible at the time of the qualifying parental leave event. 

    How will UVA Paid Parental Leave work with Short-Term Disability?

    UVA Medical Center Paid Parental Leave and Short-Term Disability are separate employee benefits.

    Employees cannot receive Paid Parental Leave and Short Term Disability benefits at the same time.

  • Professional Research Staff

    Who is eligible? 

    All professional research staff with appointments of one year or more, or who have more than one year of consecutive service, will be eligible for paid parental leave. If an individual’s appointment ends during a period of approved leave, the leave and any benefits associated with the leave will not continue beyond the individual’s last date of employment.

    How will the Professional Research Staff Paid Parental Leave work, and how do I apply?

    Professional Research Staff must make arrangements with their direct supervisor and and HR Business Partner in conjunction with their department to apply for Paid Parental Leave.

    How can I use UVA paid parental leave?

    Professional Research Staff with appointments of one year or more, or who have more than one year of consecutive service, may request up to eight weeks of leave with full pay or sixteen weeks of leave at half-pay upon a qualifying parental leave event, either through the birth, adoption, or placement of a child, or the assumption of legal guardianship for a child under eighteen years of age.

    In addition to the period of paid leave, the Professional Research Staff member may request an additional four weeks of unpaid parental leave.

    Parental leave must be completed within six months of the date of the qualifying parental leave event. If the parents of a child (birth, adoptive, foster, or legal guardian) are employees working in the same department, unit, or program, the Professional Research Staff member may be required by their school or unit to stagger or otherwise coordinate their paid and unpaid parental leave so as to minimize the disruptive effect of leave on the department or unit.

    How will Professional Research Staff, who have standard hours of less than 40 within a work-week, be able to use paid parental leave?

    This benefit will be applied proportionate to the 40 standard hours actually worked. Accordingly it will be proportionate with the FTE % within the employee record.  For example, an employee whose budgeted hours are 20 hours per week, would have his / her benefit at 20 hours per week for eight (8) weeks.

    How will UVA Paid Parental Leave work with Short-Term Disability?

    UVA Paid Parental Leave and Short-Term Disability are separate benefits and employees will not be able to receive both of these benefits at the same time. For Professional Research Staff who give birth, any approved paid parental leave could be taken after any paid leave as a result of short-term disability.

    For Short Term Disability, see the Disability Benefits page for the appropriate vendor.

    Can UVA Paid Parental Leave be charged to sponsored programs?

    For federal grants subject to the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Guidance, parental leave is an allowable cost provided that the institution has a policy that is consistently applied across all fund sources; the University’s policies addressing Parental Leave will meet this requirement. If the sponsor’s terms and conditions do not allow for Parental Leave costs, the employee’s unit must cover the proportionate compensation cost from non-sponsored sources.

    Do I have to pay UVA Paid Parental Leave from my sponsored program funds?

    If you have another source of funds available to you, those funds may be used in lieu of sponsored program funds. Otherwise, if it is an allowable cost it must be charged to the sponsored program in proportion to the employee’s normal pay schedule.  If the sponsor’s terms and conditions do not allow for Parental Leave costs, the employee’s unit must cover the compensation cost for parental leave from non-sponsored sources.

    Can a supervisor deny Parental Leave due to a lack of identifiable funds, sponsored or non-sponsored?

    No, supervisors are not permitted to deny an eligible employee’s request for Parental Leave due to lack of funds. A supervisor unable to identify adequate funding should consult first with the Department Chair, then the Dean’s Office. Human Resources may be available for consultative support.

    Will compensation paid for Parental Leave be included on effort reports delivered through Effort@UVA?

    Yes, it will be included in effort reports. However, anticipated long absences, including parental leave must be considered before committing effort on sponsored projects.

    I am a key person on a sponsored program and will be eligible for parental leave during the period of performance. My use of parental leave may delay completion of the research or scholarly work. What should I do?

    Discuss your parental leave plans with the PI on the grant. If the PI agrees that your parental leave is likely to delay progress on the sponsored program, the PI will contact the departmental research administrator and OSP to determine whether or not to request an extension from the sponsor.

    Will graduate research assistants (GRAs) paid from sponsored programs be eligible for Parental Leave?

    Pursuant to PROV-028, Financial Childbirth Accommodations for Graduate Students on Assistantship, eligible GRAs who give birth, including those supported on grant funds, receive full wages associated with their support for six weeks. In addition, GRAs have certain rights and protections under Title IX; the University’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights can provide information on Title IX protections.

    How is the new UVA Paid Parental Leave program being administered in the context of the Employment of Professional Research Staff?

    See UVA Policy HRM-033.

  • University Physicians Group

    Who is eligible? 

    UPG team members (including UPG providers and staff) are eligible for the Parental Leave benefit if they meet the requirements of the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), by being employed for twelve (12) consecutive months and working 1,250 hours during this time, and are benefits-eligible at the time of the qualifying parental leave event. 

    How will UPG Team Members be able to use the Paid Parental Leave policy?  

    For births, adoptions or placements, eligible UPG team members can take up to eight (8) weeks of consecutive Paid Parental Leave. Paid Parental Leave is available to both parents, regardless of marital status, if they meet eligibility requirements described above. 

    Clinic-based physicians and advanced practice providers will have twelve (12) months to use the Paid Parental Leave benefit, while UPG staff will have six (6) months from the date of the event to use the benefit.  

    How will UPG Team Members, who have standard hours of less than 40 within a work week, be able to use paid parental leave?

    UPG Paid Parental Leave will be eight (8) weeks for the employee’s standard work schedule.  In cases where an employee works fewer than 40 hours/week, the eight (8) weeks would be provided for the duration of the benefit, but will be proportionate with the FTE % within the employee record.  For example, if an employee has budgeted hours of 20 hours/week, his/her Paid Parental Leave benefit is 20 hours/week for eight (8) weeks.  

    How will the UPG Paid Parental Leave work, and how do I apply?

    Please review the UPG Paid Parental Leave Policy

    Fill out the UPG Paid Parental Leave Form

    UPG Leave of Absence Policy
  • University Staff

    To apply for Parental Leave please contact UNUM at 866.269.0979. If approved for, Paid Parental Leave will cover 100% of salary up to a full, continuous eight (8) weeks and it is paid directly from UVA.

    Who is eligible?

    University Staff must meet the following criteria, all of which must be met as of the date that the child is born or placed through adoption, foster, or custodial care:

    • Has been employed by the University for at least one (1) continuous year (12 months), part-time or more, in either a benefits-eligible University Staff position, graduate student employee position, or benefits-eligible post-doc position.
    • Is employed in a benefits eligible position upon the birth, adoption, or placement of a child. [Note: If the adoption involves a child who is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability, the age limit of eighteen (18) may be waived.]
    • Is the biological, foster, or adoptive parent.

    Paid Parental Leave will end immediately if the University Staff Employee no longer meets the criteria for eligibility (e.g., if the University Staff employee voluntarily or involuntarily transfers to an ineligible position or separates from the University while on Paid Parental Leave).

    If both parents are University Staff and meet the eligibility criteria listed above, they are each eligible for the Paid Parental Leave benefit.

    How will UVA Paid Parental Leave work with Short-Term Disability?

    UVA University Staff Paid Parental Leave and Short-Term Disability are separate employee benefits.

    Employees cannot receive Paid Parental Leave and Short Term Disability benefits at the same time.

    Paid Parental Leave for University Staff

Personal Leave

Other employee classifications may be eligible for unpaid Personal Leave, see the Unpaid Time Off page. Classified Staff have paid Personal Leave options as noted below. 

  • Classified Staff

    Under the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program, eligible Classified Staff may take Family/Personal Leave for any purpose (family, illness, funeral, or other personal needs, etc.) with reasonable notice and supervisor approval.

    Family/Personal Leave cannot be carried over to the next leave year (January 10th – January 9th) or paid out upon separation.

    Accrual rates are based on total months of State (Virginia) service (or previous State service) and employment status.

    Full and part-time employees accrue the same amount of Family/Personal Leave annually.

    • <120 months of service:
      • 32 hours (4 days)
    • 120 months of service or more:
      • 40 hours (5 days)

    Part-Time employees accrue personal leave at the following rates:

    • <120 months of service:
      • 32 hours (4 days)
    • 120 months of service or more:
      • 40 hours (5 days) 
    VSDP Policy

Public Health Threat Emergency Leave

The Medical Center protects the health of Medical Center team members - and the public - through continuity of services during times of pandemic illness or communicable disease outbreak. Public Health Threat Emergency Leave is paid up to 80 hours.

Public Health Threat Emergency Leave Policy - Medical Center Leave Policy 600

Recognition Leave

Classified & University Staff employees may receive recognition leave (as well as bonuses and non-monetary awards) for contributions to the University. These rewards are typically provided to employees in recognition of teamwork, special projects, identification/implementation of new or modified business practices, exemplary effort, and employee appreciation.

To award leave departments should email leave@virginia.edu with the following information:

Employee Name

Employee ID

Number of hours (up to 5 days per calendar year)

Pay Period effective date

Reason for leave award

For larger requests they may be submitted via spreadsheet with the above requested information. 

Classified Recognition Leave Policy Ustaff Recognition Leave Policy

Sabbatical Leave

Sabbatical leave is offered on a limited basis for faculty (academic, administrative, and professional) to invigorate their research and teaching. Each school offering a sabbatical program shall maintain a written policy explaining the elements of its program, including conditions of eligibility, criteria and mechanism of selection, application procedure,  annual schedule of decision-making, reporting requirements, and provisions (if any) for deferring sabbatical leave.

Getting Approval

Sabbatical leave may be approved for full-time teaching faculty (tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure-track). This is usually to recognize faculty members who have contributed significantly to academic administration, have been appointed to an endowed professorship, or who have offered extraordinary service to the University at the department, school, or institutional level. For example, the winner of the Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award for tenure-track faculty members receives sabbatical leave as part of that award.

Faculty awarded sabbatical leave can be compensated one semester at full salary or two semesters at half salary. During sabbatical leave, all full-time benefits remain. UVA continues to make contributions to retirement, health, life insurance, and disability plans.

School Assistance and Volunteer Service

  • Classified and Ustaff

    School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave provides for up to 16 hours in any year. An additional 8 hours may be allowed for full-time employees serving in a volunteer fire department or rescue squad. To use the additional 8 hours, contact the UVA HR Leave Division.

    Policy DHRM Policy 4.40
  • Medical Center Team Members

    Public Service Leave: All regular full-time, regular part-time, flex staff and management employees may receive approval from their supervisor for up to 8 hours of paid Public Service Leave per calendar year to attend school functions or to perform volunteer work for a school or organizations specified in the policy. Leave not taken under this policy will not be carried forward to the next year. There will be no payout for unused Public Service Leave.

    Policy 600 Leaves of Absence

Sick Leave

Depending on your employee type, you have several options for taking paid leave when you are not feeling well. 
 
If you need to be out for a continuous absence for you or your family member’s illness over several days or intermittently due to a chronic condition, please contact the HR Solution Center to discuss your leave options.

  • Classified Staff

    Classified Employees may use Sick Leave, Traditional Sick Leave (Personal Sick Leave) or Family Personal leave for their own illness or injury according to the guidelines of the policy. You or your supervisor would enter your leave into Workday for that time off. 

    Traditional Sick Leave Program (Personal Sick Leave) Provides employees who did not enroll in VSDP with paid leave from work for health-related reasons, or access to 33% of leave for family FMLA events

    Family Sick Leave Use of accrued personal sick leave hours for the purpose of caring for eligible family members as permitted by this policy (up to 48 hours per leave year).

    The maximum amount of family sick leave an employee may use for minor or brief periods of disability, or following the death of certain family members, is limited to 48 total work hours in a leave year.

    See Traditional Sick Leave Policy 4.55

    Family/Personal Leave (F/P) 

    Family/Personal Leave (F/P) may be taken at the discretion of the employee for any purpose (family, illness, attend a funeral, or other personal needs, etc.) provided the employee gives reasonable notice and his/her supervisor approves the absence.

    F/P Leave cannot be carried over to the next leave year (January 10th – January 9th) or paid out upon separation. Accrual rates are based on total months of State service (or previous State service) and employment status (F, Q, P). Full (F & Q) and part-time (P) employees accrue the same amount of F/P Leave annually. New hires and rehires accrual rates are based on the date of employment. In subsequent years, the accrual rates for rehires are based on total months of State service (see accrual rates chart in Policy 4.57.)

    Sick Leave (SL) may be taken for personal illnesses, injuries, preventive care and wellness physician visits. 33% of an employee’s SL can be used for qualifying family FMLA absences. SL cannot be carried over to the next year (January 10th – January 9th) or paid out upon separation.

    Accrual rates are based on total years of State service and employment status (F, Q, P). New hires and rehires accrual rates are based on the date of employment (see accrual rates chart in Policy 4.57). In subsequent years, the accrual rates for rehires are based on total months of State service and employment status.

    See Virginia Sickness & Disability Program Policy 4.57

    See the VSDP Handbook for further information about Classified employee leave for illness or injury.

    Department of Human Resources Management HR Policies
  • Faculty, Senior Professional Research Staff, and Post-Doctoral Research Associates

    A faculty member who is tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure-track but with an appointment of one year or more, may request leave for personal reasons. Personal leave may be granted with partial pay, or without pay for up to two years.

    Disability benefits for faculty are determined by retirement plan (Virginia Retirement System or Optional Retirement Plan). Short-term disability is generally described as a type of “sick” leave for absences of more than five days, including the birth of a child. For more information about disability programs associated with each plan, visit the Disability Benefits page. Days off as a result of personal illness or injury that do not meet the conditions of short-term disability should be managed between employee and supervisor.

  • Medical Center Team Members

    You may use your PTO for time off due to illness according to departmental guidelines. If your absence for your own illness or your family member’s illness is over 3 days, please contact UNUM to determine your Leave of Absence options. Any time entered by the employee, manager, or timekeeper for these absences should be done in Kronos. 

    Medical Center PTO Policy 315

    Medical Center Attendance Policy 704

University Staff Leave

Please see https://hr.virginia.edu/time/paid-leave/pto-cash-out-and-carryover for details about the Ustaff time off plan.

Paid Leave for University Staff Employees

Work Related Injury or Disease

Please refer to our Workers' Compensation page