Paid Parental Leave

Salaried employees in faculty and staff positions are eligible for paid parental leave to bond with children in the event of a birth, adoption, or foster or custodial placement of a child under the age of 18.

Full-time employees are allowed up to eight (8) weeks (320 hours) of paid parental leave to be used within six (6) months of the birth or placement. Parental leave must be used in full-day increments based on employment percentage. The total number of parental leave hours available is prorated based on the percentage of hours corresponding to the employee’s normal work schedule. 

Eligibility Criteria

Employees who become parents through the birth, adoption, or foster or custodial care are eligible for paid parental leave if they meet the following criteria:

• Employee is in a benefits-eligible, full- or part-time, regular or restricted faculty member or university or classified staff employee.
• Employee is eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which requires that an individual be employed by the state for a minimum of 12 months AND must have worked for at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12-month period.

Eligibility determinations are made as of the date the child is born or placed by adoption or foster or custodial care. An employee who is not eligible for parental leave on the date of birth or placement may become eligible during the following six (6) months and access parental leave once eligibility requirements are met. 

If both parents work for the university and meet the eligibility criteria, each is entitled to up to 320 hours of parental leave, which may be taken concurrently, consecutively, or at different times.

The leave can be used for any of the following reasons:

• To give birth, care for, and/or bond with a newborn child.
• To care for and bond with a child placed with the employee through adoption or foster care or a legal custodial arrangement.
• To supplement reduced income replacement disability benefits following the birth of an infant.

Additional Information

• Leave shall only be taken once in a 12-month period and only once per event. 
• Leave shall be provided at 100 percent of the eligible employee’s regular salary.
• Leave shall not be counted against an eligible employee’s annual or sick leave.
• Holidays shall not be counted against parental leave.
• Leave shall run concurrently with leave provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act, if the employee is eligible. 
• Parental leave may run concurrently or sequentially with the Virginia Sick and Disability Plan, if the employee is eligible for VSDP.
• Employees should complete the Paid Parental Leave Eligibility Form and submit to hrleave@vt.edu for eligibility determination.