Parental Leave Program

A mother wearing a jayhawk t-shirt holding a baby with the father touching the baby

The paid Parental Leave program detailed below is available for qualifying events as described below.

An eligible faculty/staff member may request Parental Leave for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. Parental Leave will be paid at the regular rate of pay and must be taken within the 12 weeks immediately following the date of the child’s birth, the adoption date, or foster placement date. Faculty/staff will continue to accrue paid leave for which they are eligible during the Parental Leave period.

Eligibility: faculty and staff members who meet the following criteria:

  • Benefits eligible
  • appointed to a regular position
  • 48% or greater FTE
  • twelve months of service in such positions with a State of Kansas agency.

An employee who has worked for the University for a minimum of six months but not yet long enough to qualify under the Parental Leave policy, may be granted Shared Leave for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child. 

Application Process: An eligible faculty/staff member may request Parental Leave (for consideration under the Parental Leave policy and Shared Leave policy) for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child by completing the Parental Leave Request form. Faculty and staff are urged to request Parental Leave with as much advance notice as possible so units/departments can plan for coverage.

If approved for Parental Leave by Human Resource Management (HRM), faculty/staff will be advised of the approval in writing and will be provided instuctions on how to report the Parental Leave absence through the HR/Pay system.  Parental Leave may be requested in quarter hour increments.

Guidance on how to request leave in HR/PAY.

Leave Period: Employees will be required to self-identify as either a primary or secondary caregiver. 

  • A parent designated as primary caregiver will receive up to eight (8) weeks of paid Parental Leave, and a parent designated as secondary caregiver will receive up to four (4) weeks of paid Parental Leave.

The fact that a multiple birth or adoption occurs (i.e., the birth or adoption of twins) does not increase the length of paid Parental Leave for that event.

For part-time faculty/staff, the leave shall be pro-rated to part-time appointment for the applicable time period.

If the paid Parental Leave is approved by HRM, the paid Parental Leave may be taken concurrently, consecutively, 30 days prior for a Family Medical Leave Act qualifying event related to the birth/placement of a child, or at different times intermittently within the 12 week period immediately following the qualifying event.

Parental leave and FMLA: Any paid Parental Leave shall be designated by HRM concurrently with leave permitted under the FMLA, if applicable. Visit the FMLA page for more information.

Parental Leave FAQs