4-6 Parental Care Leave for OORs

Policy

Full-time Officers of Research who have been employed by Columbia University for a minimum of one year and who become a parent of a newborn child or adopt or foster a child under the age of six may be granted up to six weeks of paid parental care leave at full salary, unless such leave is explicitly restricted by an external source of funding for the Employee’s compensation. This leave may be taken any time within the first 12 months of the birth, adoption, or foster placement of the child. An employee cannot be paid more than 100% of their salary.

To qualify for a leave, the employee must assume significant and sustained responsibility for the care of the child and is expected to be the caregiver at least half-time during normal working hours throughout the period of the leave The original source of the funding for the Employee’s compensation will continue to be responsible for covering the compensation during the time of the leave.

This period of paid leave runs concurrently with, not in addition to, all other approved leaves including FMLA and New York State Paid Family Leave (PFL). For those eligible for payment under a pregnancy-related disability, the parental care leave begins after the medical disability period ends. Under normal circumstances, the total period of medical and child care leave (including any period of Paid Parental Care Leave or Family Leave) may not exceed 12 months.

Requirements – Part 1

Department submits the following:

Letter from officer to PI/supervisor requesting the leave, which should:
1. Include the start and end dates of the leave
2. State that they will care for the child at least half-time during normal working hours throughout the period of the leave.
3. State the child’s due date or birth date or, if adopted, both the birth date and date of adoption
Letter from chair to Dean requesting the leave for the officer, which includes start and end dates
NY Life approval

Workflow – Part 1

The OFA Senior Client Manager reviews the request and submits it to the AVP for approval.
The AVP reviews and, if acceptable, signs the request.
OFA submits the AVP’s signed request to the Office of the Provost indicating that the LOA has the Dean’s approval.
The Office of the Provost sends an approval letter to OFA.
OFA sends a copy of the Provost approval letter to the department faculty affairs contact.

Requirements – Part 2

Department submits the following:

Letter of approval from the Office of the Provost
PAF(s) reflecting action/reason codes:
- PAF#1
  - For the portion of the leave running concurrently with FMLA and NYS Paid Family Leave: PLA/NPF
  - For the portion of the leave running concurrently with FMLA: PLA/NPA
  - For the portion of the leave running concurrently with NYS Paid Family Leave: PLA/NPL
- PAF#2:
  - For the end of the leave: RFL/LOA (when the employee has returned)