Temporary disability leave for pregnancy and childbirth
Last updated: September 22, 2023
This page applies to all regular professional staff, classified staff, contract covered staff, and librarians. Academic personnel may find information on parental leave on the Becoming a parent – academic personnel webpage.
Temporary disability leave for pregnancy and childbirth is available to birth parents for prenatal and postpartum medical needs. Most often, this leave is used in the six weeks immediately following childbirth (eight weeks if the birth is by caesarean section). Additional leave may be approved if you have complications and your health-care provider recommends a longer period.
Temporary disability leave for pregnancy and childbirth is an approved leave of absence, not a type of accrued time off.
For birth parents, temporary disability leave for pregnancy is in addition to parental leave. Following temporary disability leave for pregnancy, you may take parental leave to bond with your new child.
Requesting leave
Request leave by following your department’s usual leave request procedure. In addition, you must submit a healthcare provider certification form to your leave specialist (not to your manager).
- For campus staff: FMLA (campus) Parental Leave for Birth Parent (PDF)
- For medical centers: FMLA (med centers) Personal Serious Health Condition - Maternity/Pregnancy (PDF)
When otherwise normal pregnancy results in physiological changes that necessitate workplace accommodation, the University will provide reasonable accommodation as outlined on the Pregnancy Accommodation webpage.
Pay
To continue your pay during temporary disability leave for pregnancy and childbirth, you may use you available:
- Sick time off
- Vacation time off
- Personal holiday
- Holiday credit
- Compensatory time off
- Discretionary leave off
- Shared leave
You also may have the option to take unpaid time off.