Unpaid Parental Leave: Under federal law, all employees are entitled to an unpaid family leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of up to 12 weeks during any twelve month period rolling backwards. If the Family Medical Leave extends beyond three consecutive days the employee will need to provide appropriate medical documentation. While on leave, employees on a Family Medical Leave are entitled to continue to receive health benefits as though working.

Paid Parental Leave: In addition to the basic employee rights provided by the FMLA, the college will grant paid parental leaves under the terms given below. Parental leave may be taken any time within 12 months of the birth/adoption of the child, and will count as time in service for salary increases. During all paid parental leaves, the College’s contribution to benefits will continue during these 12 weeks for medical, dental, life insurance, and retirement benefits.  Appropriate medical documentation will need to be submitted. If the primary and secondary caregivers in a family are both Carleton employees, the 12-week leave to the family can be flexibly shared by the caregivers, in consultation with department heads and chairs. If such leaves involve faculty, the provost should also be consulted.

Primary Caregiver is the designated biological or adoptive parent.

Secondary Caregiver is the spouse or recognized domestic partner of the designated biological or adoptive parent.

Primary Caregiver Benefit:
Any full-time tenured, tenure-track, PEAR, or continuing faculty member who becomes either a birth or adoptive parent and who is the primary caregiver may receive either: (a) a two-course reduction (equivalent of one term); or (b) a one-course reduction in each of two terms, at full pay, to be taken within one year of birth or adoption of a child. Course releases may be scheduled flexibly and should be in consultation with departments and the provost. Faculty on paid leave will normally be relieved of non-teaching duties. It is anticipated that a portion of these primary caregiver leaves will be replaced, in consultation with departments and the provost.

Secondary Caregiver Benefit:
Any full-time tenured tenure-track, PEAR, or continuing faculty member who is either a birth or adoptive parent and who is the secondary caregiver may elect to receive a one-course reduction receiving two-thirds pay (for the term in which the course reduction occurs) and some short-term reduction in non-teaching duties, in negotiation with the department chair.

Part-time tenured, tenure-track, PEAR, and continuing faculty members may be eligible for one of the benefits described above, though prorated depending upon the terms of their part-time status. Other faculty are not normally eligible for paid parental leave.

Delay in Reviews and Tenure
Faculty who take parental leave prior to tenure may request a delay in the third year review and tenure decision, in consultation with the department/program and the provost.

Health Insurance

Please note that birth or adoption is considered a qualifying life event. In order to add your child to your health insurance plan, it must be done within the “Depedent Special Enrollment Period,” a 31-day window from date of birth or adoption.