Other Leaves

All leaves must be approved, regardless of the type of leave.  The standard approval process must be followed so an email or letter documenting both the approval of the leave and the applicable time period can be issued. MetLife has been designated as the adjudicator of Salary Continuance claims on behalf of the Provost.

New Parent (Primary Caregiver) Leave

Up to one semester of paid leave may be available to a full-time faculty member who will be the primary caregiver of a child who is in the first year of life or a newly homed child of five or younger. A faculty member requesting this leave must attest to their spouse’s inability during the period of the leave to be the full-time caregiver and document the expected birth or adoption date of their child. For more information on eligibility requirements and other details, select tenure-line faculty or full-time non-tenure line faculty.

Faculty are urged to discuss the need for a leave as early as possible with the appropriate academic administrator. A request for a new parent leave may be coordinated with a maternity leave.

Personal Leave for Family Care Needs

Two laws apply to these situations which run concurrently.  The Faculty Handbook also provides Family Care Leave regardless of eligibility under DC-FMLA and FMLA laws.

  1. The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): This leave is unpaid, but provides job security for a specified period of time.
  1. The DC Family and Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA), administered by the DC Paid Family Leave Program (DCPFL).
  1. Family Care Leave per the Faculty Handbook

For more information on federal FMLA, go to the office of Faculty and Staff Benefits and the Faculty Handbook, Section IV.K “FMLA Leave Policy“.  In some cases, a tenure clock stop may be possible for a tenure-track faculty with family care needs.

The DC Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program provides paid time off for qualifying reasons such as medical leave for a serious health condition, leave to care for a family member’s serious health condition or parental leave. These benefits run concurrently with Georgetown University’s leave policies and benefits whenever possible. At least 50% of your time at work must be for an employer and at a work location  based in DC. To learn more and determine your eligibility, click here.

Medical Leave- Short Term 

General – With continuation of salary and benefits (referred to as “Salary Continuance”)

Faculty and AAPs on the Main Campus who will be medically disabled for two weeks or more are eligible for Salary Continuance. This provides for the continuation of full salary and benefits for up to three months. Medical documentation is required. Click here for details .

Maternity Leave – With continuation of salary and benefits (referred to as “Salary Continuance”)
Medical leave for childbirth is managed as a short-term disability (3 months or less). During this time the eligible faculty member will continue to receive salary and benefits. Click here for details .

Medical Leave- long term- General

If an eligible faculty member or AAP remains medically disabled beyond 3 months and cannot return to work, s/he may apply for Long Term Disability through the Office of Faculty and Staff Benefits.  Medical documentation is required.

Unpaid Leave

A faculty member may request an unpaid leave for a variety of reasons. During an unpaid leave faculty are expected to pay for their Georgetown benefits if they want to retain these benefits. Reasons for an unpaid leave may include:

  • Research and/or to participate in the academic life of another institution
  • Personal reasons not covered by other leave policies
  • Leave to accept temporary employment elsewhere (visiting faculty appointment at another university, think tank, or industry expert).  
  • Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA):  A leave formalized in an institutional agreement with a government agency. (Past examples at Georgetown include the National Science Foundation, Department of Labor, Council of Economic Advisors, and State Department.)  The agency either reimburses Georgetown for the faculty salary and benefits, or these are paid directly by the agency.  In the latter situation the faculty member is not paid by Georgetown and therefore is on an “unpaid” leave from the perspective of the University.  For more information, visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

“Chair’s Leave”

This type of leave is granted to a faculty member assigned substantial administrative service responsibilities. The opportunity for this type of leave is noted explicitly in the appointment contract for  Department Chair, Vice Dean or Vice Provost.  Historically, this type of leave counts toward sabbatical service.