Parental Leave

Paid Parental Leave is offered to the following employment classifications provided the individual is employed with an appointment length of at least four months:

• Administrative Professionals, continuous and non-continuous
• Civil Service employees (does not include temporary, student, or extra help appointments)
• Faculty Associates, continuous and non-continuous
• Non-Tenure Track Faculty
• Tenure Track Faculty

There is no minimum length of service required in order to qualify for Paid Parental Leave.

Paid Parental Leave provides up to six weeks (30 working days) of paid time away from work. Working days are prorated based upon FTE.

Paid Parental Leave can be used for continuous time away from work following the birth of a child within the first year of a child’s life or within the first year following the placement of a child for adoption or foster care (including DCFS Extended Family Care System) with the employee or the employee’s spouse, civil union partner, or registered domestic partner.

Paid Parental Leave can only be used for leave taken on a continuous basis. Employees taking leave on a reduced work schedule or intermittent leave basis will not be eligible for Paid Parental Leave.

Yes, each employee qualifies for their own Paid Parental Leave benefit provided they meet the eligibility criteria and will be using the time in accordance with the policy. Partners may use the leave during the same time period if desired.

You may request Paid Parental Leave by completing the Parental Leave application found on the Human Resources website and returning it to your Benefits Counselor in Human Resources.

Applications are requested at least 30 days in advance when practicable.

No, Paid Parental Leave may only be used once a child is born or placed for adoption or foster care. Time needed before that may be requested with your department utilizing appropriate benefit time.

For employees who are medically precluded from working before the birth of a child, the employee should reach out to their Benefits Counselor in Human Resources to discuss a medical leave of absence.

Paid Parental Leave may not be used more than once in a rolling 12-month period.

The Paid Parental Leave benefit will go into effect August 1, 2025.

Employees who are already on leave for a qualifying reason as of August 1, 2025 will be evaluated for Paid Parental Leave eligibility.

For employees who utilized Parental Leave prior to the August 1, 2025 effective date and are still within the one year timeframe following the birth or placement for adoption or foster care, Paid Parental Leave will not be approved for those who already exhausted FMLA-covered Parental Leave (8 weeks of Parental Leave for those who do not qualify for FMLA). Employees who wish to be reviewed for eligibility should reach out to their Benefits Counselor in Human Resources.

Those who utilized less than the maximum benefit available to them may request to use time up to the maximum benefit.

Once the Paid Parental Leave is exhausted or when the employee stops using leave in a manner covered by Paid Parental Leave, the usage of benefit will be as follows:

For continuous or reduced work schedule leaves:

• The employee must first use what they would normally accrue in a fiscal year (typically 12 working days) of their own sick time, less any time that has already been used in the current fiscal year. An employee who does not have 12 days in their balance will use whatever balance is available and will continue to use their sick accrual as it is received during the leave up to 12 days.
• Once the minimum personal sick leave is utilized, the employee may access the Extended Illness Benefit (20 working days per fiscal year).
• Once the Extended Illness Benefit is exhausted, an employee who contributed to the Sick Leave Bank may draw up to 20 working days from the bank.
• For employees who did not contribute to the Sick Leave Bank or who have exhausted the Sick Leave Bank time, remaining time will come first from their sick leave and then, if applicable, vacation, personal plus time, personal days, or compensatory time.

For intermittent leaves:

• Employees on intermittent leave will only have access to their own sick, vacation, personal plus time, personal days, or compensatory time benefits during absences.

In no instance will a Parental Leave be approved for longer than the maximum time allowed per policy 3.2.20, even if benefit time is still available.

No, Paid Parental Leave is not intended to provide time for an employee who served as a surrogate. Employees who are or will be surrogates should discuss a medical leave of absence with their Benefits Counselor in Human Resources.

Please reach out to Human Resources Benefit Services at hrbenefits@IllinoisState.edu or by calling Human Resources at (309) 438-8311.