Benefits/ 2.5 Leaves

Yale Paid Parental Leave Policy for Postdoctoral Appointees

A postdoctoral appointee who becomes a parent of a newborn child or adopts a child under the age of six during the term of their appointment may be granted up to eight weeks of paid parental leave, unless such leave is explicitly restricted by an external source of funding for the appointee’s compensation.  To qualify for this leave the appointee must assume significant and sustained responsibility for the care of the child  and is expected to be the caregiver at least half-time during normal working hours throughout the period of the leave. If both parents are postdoctoral appointees, each is eligible for a full parental leave. This leave may be taken any time within a year of the birth or adoption. Parental leave is co-terminus with the postdoctoral appointment, if the appointment is not renewed.  The original source of the funding for the appointee’s compensation will continue to be responsible for covering the compensation during the time of the leave. If both parents are postdocs, they are eligible to take parental leave simultaneously. 

Connecticut State and Federal Family and Medical Leave Acts

Eligible postgraduate and postdoctoral appointees may opt to take unpaid and/or unpaid leave as granted under federal and State of Connecticut laws concerning family and medical leaves (federal and state family and medical leave acts are both commonly referred to as FMLA) and State Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). As delineated under FMLA, an appointee may take an unpaid leave of absence due to the appointee’s own serious health condition or to care for a seriously ill spouse, parent (natural, foster, adoptive, stepparent, or legal guardian), parent of the faculty member’s spouse, or child (natural, adopted, foster, stepchild, or legal ward) who is under 18 years of age or, if older, is unable to provide self-care because of serious illness, for up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period. Supporting documentation may include medical certifications to be completed by your healthcare provider. 

Leaves taken for Yale paid parental leave and CT PFML count as use of time granted under federal and State of Connecticut FMLA (CT FMLA) law. During a period in which Yale grants an unpaid leave under Federal and State of Connecticut FMLA, the University will continue to pay its share of health and any noncontributory insurance premiums for the appointee on leave.  An appointee who has authorized payroll deductions for benefits must make arrangements with the Benefits Office to make those payments in order to continue coverage. 

Effective January 1, 2022, an eligible appointee may take a paid leave of absence of up to 12 weeks for qualified family and medical leaves. Appointees must apply for the Connecticut Paid Leave (CT PFML) program and submit the Employer Verification Form to employee.services@yale.edu. If an appointee is not eligible for paid leave through the state, the original source of the funding for the appointee’s compensation will continue to be responsible for covering the compensation during the time of the parental leave, up to 8 weeks. Yale notice regarding FMLA absence pay administration.

For fellows - in the event that an appointee’s source of external funding specifies leave provisions that differ from those stated above, the terms of the funding source shall apply, and where necessary, the leave request shall also be sent to the funding Agency. 

Process and Forms

  • State and Federal Family and Medical Leave Acts have different eligibilty requirements. Appointees should visit the links above to determine which leaves apply in their particular case. 
  • Leave of Absence forms are on the Administrators page. Appointees must inform their faculty mentor of planned leave and work with their administrator to submit the form to postdoc.affairs@yale.edu
  • Leaves Process and FAQs for appointees and administrators.