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Policy No: 1001
Effective Date: 09/09/05
Revised Date: 07/01/25
Reviewed Date: 07/01/25

Employee Leave Policy

Purpose

1.1 It is the intent of UNMC to grant paid or unpaid leave to regular employees under appropriate circumstances. For regular part-time employees, the rate is adjusted according to the employee's FTE.

Scope

2.1 The UNMC Leave Policy is applicable to all UNMC employees to include Office/Service, Managerial/Professional, Faculty, and Other Academic positions.

Basis of the Policy

3.1 UNMC provides a variety of paid and unpaid employee leave options in accordance with applicable federal, state, and university regulations. Leave policies are guided  the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994, Nebraska Revised Statutes §55-160 et seq. Policies also reflect provisions of the Nebraska Family Military Act of 2007, as well as guidelines established by the  University of Nebraska Central Administration and the Bylaws and Policies of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Authorities and Administration

4.1 The UNMC Human Resources’ Executive Director of Human Resources is responsible for the administration, implementation, and maintenance of the Employee Leave policy at the campus level in consultation with the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance.

Policy

Recording of Leave Time

All leave must be recorded according to established payroll procedures. A record-keeping system for leave usage must be maintained by departments. Records of leave must remain in the department files for three (3) years.

Administrative Leave

It is the policy of UNMC that regular full-time and part-time employees may be granted administrative leave, with or without pay, for good and sufficient reason. Temporary employees are not eligible to receive administrative leave with pay.

Bereavement/Funeral Leave

When necessary, up to five consecutive workdays of bereavement/funeral leave may be granted in the event of a death within the employee’s immediate family. Employees are expected to notify their supervisor of the need for bereavement/funeral leave as soon as reasonably possible. For persons not defined as immediate family, up to one day of bereavement/funeral leave may be granted at the discretion of the employee’s supervisor.

Civil Leave

UNMC provides paid civil leave to regular employees for specific civic duties that occur during scheduled working hours. Eligible used of civil leave include:

• Jury duty
• Witness duty when subpoenaed or appearing on behalf of the State or University
• Court appearances involving State or University affairs
• Emergency civilian duty related to national defense or natural disaster
• Election board duty
• Voting in public elections, up to two hours, when voting outside of work hours is not possible

Employees will retain any compensation received for fulfilling these civic responsibilities.

Paid civil leave is not available for personal legal matters in which the employee is a party plaintiff or defendant. In such cases, time away from work may be addressed through other available leave options or leave without pay.

In accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. §81-1391, certified disaster service volunteers of the American Red Cross may be granted up to 15 working days per calendar year of paid leave to participate in specialized disaster relief services within Nebraska, upon formal request by the American Red Cross.

Crisis Leave

UNMC maintains a Crisis Leave Bank to support employees experiencing emergency situations that require extended time away from work. Regular employees who have completed original probation may be eligible to receive paid crisis leave when all applicable accrued leave—including sick, vacation, and floating/banked holiday time—has been exhausted.

Eligibility for Use

Employees may request paid crisis leave, up to the amount of their annual vacation entitlement (maximum of 24 days in a rolling 12-month period), for the following situations:

• Serious illness of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• Serious illness of the employee’s child or parent
• In conjunction with an approved Workers’ Compensation claim

Employees may receive crisis leave no more than once in a rolling 12-month period. If the full amount of approved leave is not used, a subsequent request may be made for the remaining balance within the same period.

Leave Advancement

Employees who are ineligible for crisis leave, including probationary employees or those who have exhausted crisis leave, may be eligible for a limited advancement of leave time. Up to 40 hours of sick leave and 40 hours of vacation leave (prorated to FTE) may be advanced, as appropriate.

Leave Donations

Employees may donate up to three (3) days of accumulated vacation leave per calendar year to the Crisis Leave Bank. Under exceptional circumstances, the Interim Executive Director of Human Resources may authorize donations of up to five (5) days per calendar year.

Non-Grievable

Denials of crisis leave requests or limitations on the amount of crisis leave granted are not subject to the grievance process.

Crisis Leave Donation Form
Crisis Leave Request Form

Advance Leave Form

Family Medical & Family Military Leave - FMLA

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) entitles each eligible employee to a maximum of 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons in a 12-month period. UNMC complies with this act and expands its coverage to include all regular employees with an FTE of 0.50 or greater. Other employees, including temporary employees and graduate students, are covered with at least 1,250 hours of service for the year preceding the leave.

The Board of Regents affirms employees’ right to family and medical leave. Leave timing and arrangements will be coordinated between the employee and their supervisor, dean, director, or Human Resources.

Eligibility: UNMC will grant up to twelve weeks of unpaid family/medical leave for any of the following reasons:

1. The employee’s own serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of the job.
2. A serious health condition of the employee’s spouse, child, or parent.
3. Maternal/paternal concerns related to the birth and first year care of a child or adoption of a child, or the placement of a child with the employee for foster care. Maternal/paternal leave must be taken consecutively.
4. A death in the immediate family.
5. Qualifying Exigency Leave:  Family Leave Due to a Call to Active Duty: This benefit provides 12 weeks of FMLA leave due to a spouse, son, daughter or parent being on active duty or having been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces. Leave may be used for any “qualifying exigency” arising out of the service member’s current tour of active duty or because the service member is notified of an impending call to duty in support of a contingency operation.  Qualifying exigency includes any one or more of the following non-medical, non-routine activities and no others: by referring to a number of broad categories for which employees could use FMLA leave: 1. Short-notice deployment activities; 2. Military events and related activities; 3. Childcare and school activities; 4. Financial and legal arrangements; 5. Counseling activities; 6. Rest and Recuperation activities; 7. Post deployment activities; and/or 8. Additional activities not encompassed in the other activities but agreed to by the employer and employee.
6. Caregiver Leave for an Injured Servicemember: This benefit provides 26 weeks of FMLA leave during a single 12-month period for a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or nearest blood relative caring for a recovering service member.  A recovering service member is defined as:
   1. A member of the Armed Forces who suffered an injury or illness while on active duty that may render the person unable to perform the duties of the member’s office, grade, rank or rating; or
   2. A veteran who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for serious injury or illness and who was a member of the Armed Forces at any time during the five years preceding the date on which the veteran undergoes such treatment, recuperation, or therapy.

FMLA - Request for Family Medical Leave Form
FMLA - Request for Military Qualifying Exigency Leave and Medical Caregiver Leave Form
FMLA - Certification of Health Care Provider for Employees Serious Health Condition
FMLA - Certification for Health Care Provider for Family Members Serious Health Condition
FMLA - Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Current Servicemember for Military Family Leave
FMLA - Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave
FMLA - Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave

Request for Supplemental Parental Leave

Nebraska Family Military Leave

The Nebraska Unicameral enacted the Nebraska Family Military Leave Act effective April 4, 2007.  As such, UNMC provides unpaid leave to qualifying University employees who are spouses or parents of military service members under federal or state deployment orders.

Qualifying employees shall include any employee who:

1.      Has been employed by the University of Nebraska for at least twelve months.

2.      Has provided at least one thousand two hundred fifty (1,250) hours of service during the twelve-month period immediately preceding the commencement of the leave.

3.      Is the spouse or parent of a person called to military service lasting over one hundred seventy-nine days or longer with the state or United States pursuant to the orders of the Governor or the President of the United States.

Requests for Family Military Leave (Nebraska Family Military ACT): may be made to the employee’s immediate supervisor any time the deployment orders are in effect. Employees requesting five (5) or more consecutive days of Family Military Leave shall provide at least fourteen calendar day’s prior notice, and where able, will consult with the supervisor to schedule leave to avoid work disruptions. For leave of less than five (5) consecutive days, employees shall give advance notice as practical. Certification/proof of the call to service, from the proper military authority, may be required.

Maximum leave allowable under the Nebraska Family Military Leave Act shall be thirty (30) working days of unpaid leave. The employee may elect to apply accrued vacation leave, compensatory time off, or floating or banked holiday during the leave period.

Employees involved in any of the University of Nebraska insured benefit programs may continue to participate in said programs and will receive continued employer contributions for the period of the leave. They are, however, responsible for their employee contributions required to maintain those benefits when on an unpaid status.

Upon expiration of the leave, the employee is entitled to be restored to the position held prior to commencement of leave or to an equivalent position.

Request for Nebraska Military Family Leave Form

Holiday Leave

UNMC provides thirteen (13) paid holidays a year to all regular employees. UNMC recognizes seven (7) traditional holidays where non-essential business operations are closed. UNMC also recognizes six (6) floating/observed holidays, during which UNMC operations are open; employees may use these days on or after the date on which they are observed, with supervisory approval. The maximum accrual of floating holidays is 40 hours.

Traditional Holidays
New Year's Day	January 1
Memorial Day	Last Monday in May
Independence Day	July 4
Labor Day	First Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day	Fourth Thursday in November
Day After Thanksgiving	Friday following the Fourth Thursday in November
Christmas	December 25

Holidays falling on the first day of the weekend will be observed on the day before; holidays falling on the last day of the weekend will be observed the following day.

Banked Holiday
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day	Third Monday in January

Floating Holidays
President's Day	Third Monday in February
Arbor Day	Last Friday in April
Juneteenth	June 19
Columbus Day	Second Monday in October
Veteran's Day	November 11

Inclement Weather

Chancellors of the University of Nebraska have the discretion to close campuses due to local weather conditions. When a University of Nebraska campus is closed due to inclement weather, employees will receive paid leave if they were scheduled to work during the closure.

UNMC, as a health sciences center, has numerous functions that must remain operational regardless of weather conditions. These include work that directly and indirectly supports patient care at the hospital and clinics, as well as many research and educational responsibilities. This is why UNMC is the only campus in the University of Nebraska System that does not close down during semester break in late December.  

Because so many employees must report regardless of the weather, UNMC is considered open and operational even when other University campuses and local businesses may be closed. Supervisors are asked to be as reasonable as conditions allow when staffing their departments during severe weather.

It is recognized that some employees may be unable to report or may request to leave early due to safety concerns. Employees who do not report or who leave early with supervisor approval must use vacation, floating holiday, or leave without pay to account for any time not worked. Salaried employees who are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) cannot take unpaid leave in increments of less than one full workday.

Employees of UNMC who are located on:

• Other University of Nebraska campuses (i.e., Kearney), will comply with the directions of the Chancellors of those campuses regarding closings due to weather. If the individual campus is closed during inclement weather, the time reporting should be coded in a manner prescribed by payroll.
• On locations other than University campuses (i.e., Lincoln), will comply with the directions of the Dean of those Colleges (CON) regarding closing due to weather. If the individual location is closed during inclement weather, the time reporting should be coded in a manner prescribed by payroll.

Injury Leave

If the work-related injury or illness causes an employee to remain off work, up to 40 hours will be paid as injury leave during the seven (7) calendar day waiting period, pro-rated based on the FTE. Injury leave will not be charged to sick leave or vacation; the time reporting should be coded in a manner prescribed by Payroll.

The Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Act is found in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§48-101 to 48-1,118. Portions of the act which are specific to state workers’ compensation claims are found in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 48-192 to 48-1,109.

Leave of Absence without Pay

Due to extenuating circumstances, regular employees may be granted a leave of absence without pay for maximum of one year. A leave of absence will be granted only when it is in the best interest of UNMC. Upon return from leave the employee will be entitled to the same or comparable position with the department granting the leave.  

Military Leave - USERRA

UNMC shall comply with the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and Neb. Rev. Stat. §55-l60 et seq. concerning the treatment of University employees with military obligations.

In general, USERRA requires employers to grant leave to employees serving in the United States armed forces and the various reserve units; protects applicants and employees against discrimination on the basis of military service in the areas of hiring, job retention and advancement; provides certain rights to reemployment upon return from leave; and extends health care and retirement plan coverage during military leave.

Nebraska Statute:  In accordance with State law, the University provides fifteen workdays of paid military leave per calendar year, without regard to the specific nature of the military leave (e.g., active military duty annual training, emergency assignment, assignments of an unspecified length). Military service beyond fifteen workdays will be charged against accrued vacation or taken without pay, as designated by the employee within a reasonable time of receiving notice of the employee’s leave.

Employee Responsibilities:  Employees serving in the military are required to provide advance notice to the University concerning their military obligation when possible and must inform the University when they plan to return to work once they have been discharged from their military duties.

Annual Training Defined: Generally defined, annual training refers to that temporary duty in which military reserve personnel engage, commonly serving one weekend per month and two consecutive weeks during the year.

Emergency Duty: Leave will be granted to any employee, who is a member of the National Guard or any other reserve component, ordered to active duty under emergency conditions. Should the military pay of such person be less than his/her full University pay, the University shall pay the differential while the person is in the active emergency service of the State.

Request for Military Leave USERRA Form

Parental Leave

Regular employees holding Faculty, Administrative, Managerial/Professional, Office/Service or Post-doctoral appointments are eligible to receive up to a total of eight (8) workweeks of paid leave for any of the reasons detailed below. Temporary employees are not eligible to receive such leave.

Eligible employees are expected to utilize all sick leave or faculty disability leave available to them throughout the leave. If, however, an eligible employee does not have enough available sick leave or disability leave to cover the full length of the leave, the University will continue the employee’s pay through to the end of the leave so that the employee will remain in paid status throughout the duration of the leave, not to exceed a combined total of eight (8) workweeks.

To ensure continuity in course instruction, faculty members utilizing such leave may be excused from teaching or other instructional responsibilities during the semester or other period in which the leave, or the majority of it, occurs. If excused, the faculty member will be required to perform non-teaching or noninstructional duties for the remaining portion of the semester that is outside of the parental leave period. The faculty members pay will not be reduced during the leave even if a substitute is utilized to assume the faculty member’s teaching or instructional responsibilities.

Paid parental leave is available for eligible employees for the following reasons and not to exceed a total of eight (8) workweeks:

1. Care of a Newborn

Birth parents or the benefit-eligible adult designee who need to care for or bond with a newborn following the child’s birth may utilize up to eight (8) workweeks of parental leave. If employees need additional leave beyond the eight (8) workweeks permitted under this policy, they may request to use other leave available to them under University policies. The University requires employees to submit documentation verifying the birth of the child (e.g., a birth certificate, hospital admission form associated with the delivery). Such leave normally must be taken in a consecutive period. Advance approval by the employee’s supervisor is required before such leave may be taken on an intermittent basis. If intermittent leave is approved, the employee must complete the leave within six (6) months following the child’s birth. Foster parents are not eligible for leave.

2. Period of Incapacity, Prenatal Care, or Serious Health Condition Related to Childbearing

Employees who are incapacitated or need to be off work due to pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, termination of a pregnancy, prenatal care, post-partum recovery, or a serious health condition attributable to or caused by any of those conditions may utilize up to eight (8) workweeks of parental leave. If employees need additional leave beyond the eight (8) workweeks permitted under this policy, they may request additional leave based on their individual circumstances and the advice of their healthcare provider. The University requires employees to submit a statement from their healthcare provider verifying the underlying condition and the period of any incapacity.

3. Care for a Birth Parent

Employees who need to care for a spouse or a benefits eligible adult designee who is incapacitated, who needs assistance during their prenatal care, or who needs assistance due to a serious health condition attributable to or caused by that individual’s pregnancy, childbirth, or subsequent recovery may utilize up to eight (8) workweeks of parental leave. Employees who need to care for a spouse or a benefits eligible adult designee following a miscarriage or the termination of a pregnancy may utilize up to five (5) workdays of parental leave. If employees need additional leave beyond the eight (8) work weeks or five (5) work days permitted under this policy, they may request to use other leave available to them under University policy. The University may require employees to submit documentation verifying their adult designee relationship, as well as a statement from the healthcare provider verifying the underlying condition and the length of time needed. Such leave related to childbirth and recovery normally must be taken in a consecutive period. Advance approval by the employee’s supervisor is required before such leave may be taken on an intermittent basis. If intermittent leave is approved, the employee must complete the leave within six (6) months following the event.

4. Adoption

Employees may utilize up to eight (8) workweeks of parental leave to care for and bond with an adopted child following placement. Placement is deemed to commence when the child is placed in the physical custody of the employee or, if travel is required, when the employee commences the trip needed to obtain physical custody of the child, whichever occurs earlier. This leave is not available if the child is (a) a child over the age of eight without any special needs, (b) a special needs child over the age of eighteen, (c) a stepchild being adopted by a stepparent, (d) a foster child being adopted by the foster parent, or (e) a child being adopted by a person with whom a voluntary placement was previously made for purposes other than adoption.

The University requires employees to submit documentation verifying the placement and date of placement of the adopted child with the employee. If employees need additional leave beyond the eight (8) workweeks permitted under this policy, they may request to use other leave available to them under the University’s policies.

Because the reasons permitted for taking parental leave also constitute qualifying events for the purposes of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the amount of time taken away from work pursuant to a parental leave will run concurrently with and count against the twelve (12) weeks of leave granted to employees under the FMLA. The rights and responsibilities of employees under the FMLA are addressed separately in Regents’ Policy 3.3.11 relating to Family/Medical Leaves of Absence.

Request for Supplemental Parental Leave

Sick Leave

Sick leave means the period of time during which the employee is incapacitated or unable, due to illness or injury, to perform the regularly assigned duties of their position. Paid sick leave means a period of time that the employee is paid their regular salary during a period of illness or injury. The period of time shall begin and end when medically indicated to the satisfaction of the appropriate administrative officer.

Eligible employees may choose to take any available sick leave balance for all or part of the unpaid Family/Medical Leave, if applicable, under certain circumstances. Any sick leave of 40 or more consecutive hours taken under this policy may be considered to be a qualifying event under the federal Family Medical Leave Act and the Family Medical Leave Policy approved by the Board of Regents.

Sick Leave Accruals

1. Sick leave shall begin to accrue with the date of hire. Sick leave shall be charged against the sick leave accrued on a work-hour basis. Under appropriate circumstances, an employee shall be eligible to use sick leave as soon as it has accrued.
2. The rate at which an employee accrues sick leave shall be computed from the service date and adjusted by breaks in service if such break in service is less than three years.
3. Disability absences caused or contributed to by pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery there from are considered sick leave, and shall be governed by the provisions of the Parental Leave Policies.
4. The schedule of sick leave accrual is displayed on the leave procedure page.
5. Employees on Leave without Pay or Layoff shall not accrue sick leave during that time.

Sick Leave Use

1. Sick leave must be requested as far in advance as possible.
2. One hour of sick leave shall be consumed for each working hour of absence due to illness or injury.
3. Vacation days or University holidays that may fall within the period of paid sick leave shall not be counted as days to be subtracted from sick leave.
4. The allowance of sick leave for any purpose under this policy shall be subject to the right of the University to require satisfactory evidence of illness or injury including the certification of an attending physician in the case of the employee or a member of their immediate family. Sick leave allowance shall be at the discretion of the University.
5. Employees may be advanced sick leave, per supervisor approval, in an amount not to exceed a total of 40 hours, pro-rated to FTE. Employees shall reimburse the University for all used unearned sick leave upon separation. Employees may not request another advancement of sick leave until they reach a positive accrual.   

Sick leave may be used for appointments with the Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”).  

Vacation Leave

1. All regular employees of UNMC shall be granted vacation leave according to the schedule of vacation leave accrual displayed on the leave procedure page.
2. Vacation leave accrual begins the first day of employment and ends the last day of employment.
3. Employees accrue only when they are in a paid status.
4. Vacation leave requests must be approved in advance by management, consistent with the business needs of UNMC.
5. Vacation leave shall accrue on a pay period basis and an account of such leave earned and used shall be maintained and balanced annually.
6. Effective April 1, 2007, the maximum vacation leave which may be earned and accrued by members of the Managerial-Professional staff and members of the Office and Service staff shall be two hundred eighty (280) hours
7. The rate at which an employee accrues vacation leave shall be computed from the service date and adjusted by breaks in service if such break in service is less than three years.
8. All regular employees who transfer to another department at UNMC shall accrue vacation based on the original hiring date at UNMC and shall have their vacation leave balance transfer to the incoming department.
9. All regular employees who transfer from employment within any campus of the University of Nebraska shall accrue vacation leave based on the original hiring date with the campus from which they are transferring.
10. All regular employees who transfer from employment with the State government or the State colleges shall accrue vacation leave at a rate based on the hiring date with the organization from which they are transferring.
11. Unused vacation shall be paid out when an employee separates. Upon the death of an employee, his/her beneficiary shall be paid for any unused vacation leave of the employee.
12. The schedule of vacation leave accrual is displayed on the leave procedure page.
13. Employees may be advanced vacation leave, per supervisor approval, in an amount not to exceed a total of 40 hours, pro-rated to FTE. Employees shall reimburse the University for all used and un-earned vacation time/leave upon separation. Employees may not request another advancement of vacation leave until they reach a positive accrual.    

Notice of Non-Discrimination

Please see UNMC's Notice of Non-Discrimination regarding the University of Nebraska Medical Center's commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment free from discrimination and harassment.

Additional Information

• Human Resources - Employee Relations at 402-559-7394 or 402-559-8534
• Employee Leave Procedures
• Paid Leave Memo
• ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 Grievance Procedures
• ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act - Requests for Reasonable Accommodation
• Lactation Support Program
• Request for Supplemental Parental Leave

All Forms mentioned in this policy are available online at http://www.unmc.edu/hr. For additional information please review the Employee Leave Procedures or you may contact Human Resources – Employee Relations at 402/559-5827 or erdocuments@unmc.edu.
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