Faculty Serious Illness & Parental Leave (FSIL)

The Faculty Serious Illness & Parental Leave (FSIL) Policy provides leave with pay for eligible faculty members for cases of a serious health condition of either themselves or an immediate family member and/or parental leave (defined as birth, adoption, and foster care placement of a child). Eligible employees to whom this policy applies to shall also be subject to the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) Policy.

How to Apply for Faculty Serious Illness Leave 

Eligibility

This policy applies only to faculty members who meet all of the following conditions:

  • Have been continuously employed by East Carolina University for at least 12 consecutive calendar months,
  • Have continuously held a permanent appointment of 0.75 or greater,
  • Participate in either the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System of North Carolina or the Optional Retirement Program, and
  • Have met all other requirements for FMLA leave as described in the Family and Medical Leave Policy

Faculty members with an appointment of less than 1.00 but at least 0.75 or greater will receive paid leave on a pro-rated basis. This policy does not apply to faculty members with temporary appointments or to faculty members who are employed with less than 0.75 appointments.

A period of employment in a non-eligible status may not be used to partially meet the 12-consecutive month employment requirement.

 

Description of Benefits

Leave with pay is granted to eligible faculty members who meet eligibility requirements and paid leave may be taken during the term of appointment. For a nine-month faculty member, the term of appointment is August 16th through May 15th. For a twelve-month faculty member, the term of appointment is 12 calendar months (usually defined as July 1st through June 30th).

The entitlement of 12 weeks of leave without pay provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) will run concurrently with any period of leave with pay provided under this policy.

Eligible nine-month faculty members are granted 12 calendar weeks of paid leave within a 12-month period.

  • An eligible nine-month faculty member may receive leave with pay for a documented qualifying event that begins during the regular academic term of appointment. If the documented qualifying event begins outside of the appointment term, the faculty member may receive leave with pay after the beginning of the next appointment term up to a maximum of 12 calendar weeks from the date of the documented qualifying event.
  • Teaching duties in the summer terms by nine-month faculty members are covered under a separate contract, and paid leave under this policy is not provided for absence during a contracted summer term.

Eligible twelve-month faculty are granted 60 calendar days of paid leave within a 12-month period and may also be eligible to use accrued sick and/or vacation leave in accordance with the Leave Policy for Twelve-Month Faculty.

 

Requesting Leave & Administration of Leave

A faculty member’s request for leave with pay must be submitted in writing the HR Benefits Office by completing the Request for Faculty Serious Illness & Parental Leave Form (FSIL).

It is the faculty member’s responsibility to inform the unit administrator in writing of the anticipated absence under this policy at least 60 calendar days in advance of the leave or as soon as practicable after the need for leave is foreseeable so that qualified substitute personnel can be secured by the unit administrator as early as possible.

Once the request form has been submitted, the HR Benefits Office will notify the faculty member of their eligibility for FSIL/FMLA leave within 5 business days.  If deemed eligible, the HR Benefits Office will provide the faculty member with their rights and responsibilities, as well as the Department of Labor medical certification, which is to be completed by the treating healthcare provider.

Faculty Serious Illness & Parental Leave (FSIL) is administered through the HR Benefits Office.  For questions about this leave type, a faculty member should contact their HR Benefits Consultant.

 

Helpful Resources