The University has varying guidelines for its faculty and staff in regards to taking maternity and paternity leave in the event of childbirth or adoption.

Faculty members have specific guidelines for taking maternity leave, while UA staff members have no separate leave policy designated for them.

According to the UA faculty handbook, a faculty member is eligible to receive maternity leave for periods as long as six months. The faculty member’s maternity leave covers recovery from pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, childbirth and from any resulting disabilities.

“When a faculty member goes on such a leave, the department chairperson or dean must arrange for colleagues to carry out the faculty member’s obligations or must make other arrangements for fulfilling those obligations,” the handbook reads. “In order to facilitate programmatic planning, a faculty member should notify the department chairperson or dean of the need for maternity leave as far in advance of the anticipated leave period as possible. The faculty member should not commence maternity leave until advised to do so by her physician.”

Despite the faculty’s ability to take such a leave, the University does not have a separate leave policy designated for maternity and paternity leave for UA staff, according to UA Director of Media Relations Cathy Andreen.

“The University follows federal guidelines concerning the Family and Medical Leave Act,” Andreen said. “Employees on FML have the option of using a portion of the University’s generous annual leave/sick leave policy for maternity/paternity needs.”

According to UA’s staff handbook, staff members who meet eligibility criteria may take up to 12 weeks of FML within any 12 month rolling period and be restored to the same or to an equivalent position upon their return.

“Eligibility criteria are: must have been employed by the University of Alabama for at least six months and must have completed 625 worked hours in the past six months OR must have worked 1250 hours in the past 12 months; and must have completed the appropriate Family and Medical Leave application process,” the staff handbook reads.

Baillie Schantz, a senior majoring in English, said she hoped UA staff would soon gain the same rights as UA faculty members.

“I think everyone deserves equal time off because everyone works for the same University, just at different levels,” Schantz said. “Why is staff limited to half the time of leave? What if a staff member needs maternity leave and doesn’t meet the criteria?”

Both the faculty and staff handbooks are available online at ua.edu/faculty.html for students and all others interested in learning more about the University’s faculty and staff policies.