The salient points of maternity leave include:

• 6 Weeks, regular births
• 8 Weeks, Cesarean
  

Note: The six and/or eight weeks is the norm, but the doctor can extend these at will, depending on the patient's recovery after birth. Also, if the doctor puts the patient out prior to delivery, any time taken for the maternity counts towards the twenty-six weeks available to the employee for Short-Term Disability. This is the rule for any type of disability - maternity or otherwise. Short-Term Disability is at half pay, but the employee can use Sick and/or Vacation Leave to supplement the disability.

In order for us to process your Short-Term Disability (under which Maternity Leave falls), you will need to provide the Administrative Service Center with a Doctor's statement indicating that you can no longer work. Upon receipt of this documentation, a Sick Leave Report will be filed. If there is time, you, your husband, or significant other can FAX the statement to us, or drop it off in the Office, 235 Sage Hall. The first eight (8) days (including weekends) are to be taken as Sick Leave (five (5) days actually) assuming you have the accrued time, then Short-Term Disability applies. If you do not have five (5) sick days accrued, you can use vacation, but you need to apprise the Administrative Service Center of your intentions. If you do not have sick leave or vacation, the first five (5) days must be taken as Leave without Pay. Disability begins on the eighth(8) day of absence. You will receive information directly from Central OHR regarding Disability. As soon as Central receives the Sick Leave Report from us, a letter will be sent directly to you at your residents regarding your status.

Disability is a fifty per center (50%) benefit. If you are unable to work at all, one-half your regular hours will be picked up by NYS Disability; the remaining time is unpaid leave or, if you have accrued Sick or Vacation Leave, you may supplement the unpaid leave. For example, if you normally work 39/hrs. a week, 19.5/hrs. will be charged to Short-Term Disability. The remaining 19.5 will be unpaid leave; unless you have accrued balances to supplement the time. If you go to the University's web site, the criteria for eligibility include an ambiguous statement:

"if your supervisor, your medical provider and you agree, you may return to work part-time for up to 20 hours per week at full pay, and receive 50% pay for the time not worked. Leave accruals may still be used to supplement this partial disability time."

Understand, what this is saying is that if you go out on partial disability, you will receive 50% pay for the time not worked; not 50% of your regular hours. Here's an example: The same 39/hr. a week employee, opts to work 10/hrs. He/she will receive regular pay for the 10/hrs. worked; NYS Disability will pick up only 14.5/hrs.pay (50% of 29/hrs.) and the employee will need to supplement the remaining 14.5/hrs. with accrued Sick or Vacation Leave; not 9.5 as one would imagine. Once again, pay particular attention to this example. If you opt to work part-time while you are on Disability, what NYS Disability pays is prorated accordingly.

If you want to supplement your Disability, you need to e-mail the Administrative Service Center authorizing us to exhaust your vacation and/or sick leave. You can do this at any time, but we cannot process the "supplemental" piece until/unless we have something from you.

The standard time allowed for maternity is six (6) weeks; eight (8) if it is a Caesarian delivery.

While you are out, nothing changes as to how you will receive your pay. If you have Direct Deposit, funds will be continue to be automatically deposited. If you do not, you will need to authorize someone to pick up your check for you in the Administrative Service Center.

When you return, you may want to adjust your payroll tax deductions to reflect an additional dependent? All you need to do is fill out a new W4 form. Download W4 forms. Also, when you are ready to return to work, you will need a second slip from the doctor authorizing your return. You can either drop that off, or FAX it to (607) 255-2823. Without such a statement you cannot officially return to work and we cannot process the paperwork to take you off Disability and return you to full pay.

See also Short-term Disability.

Leave policies and categories differ for those holding academic versus nonacademic appointments. Persons employed entirely in nonacademic titles, even if they work in an academic unit or in support of an academic program, are covered by Policy 6.9, Time Away from Work (Excluding Academic and Bargaining Unit Staff), at: http://www.policy.cornell.edu/Vol6_9.cfm. Academics are covered under Policy 6.2.1, Leaves for Professors and Academic Staff, at: http://www.policy.cornell.edu/vol6_2_1.cfm.

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Last Modified: May 13, 2008