Faculty Personal and Family Leave
Faculty members are eligible for a leave of absence from work for qualifying personal or family reasons (School of Medicine professorial faculty, lecturers, and instructors who have employment contracts with practice plans do not receive the benefits described by the BU Faculty Handbook, but instead receive benefits in accordance with the policies adopted by the Boston University Medical Group). This Faculty Leave Policy describes the types of personal and family related absences for which faculty are eligible and their respective requirements. Academic leaves, such as sabbatical and junior scholar leave, are described in the Sabbaticals and Leaves of Absence including Junior Scholar Leave Policy.
Qualifying personal and family leaves may be paid or unpaid. This Policy incorporates the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (PFML) and other relevant federal and state personal and family leave laws, and presents the University’s general service eligibility requirements for and specific details of each leave type. Additional information about FMLA and PFML policies and entitlements may be obtained from the Human Resources Service Center.
Personal Leave
| Category | Type of Leave | Qualifying Conditions | BU Eligibility | BU Leave/Benefit Entitlement | |
| A | Personal | Personal Medical Leave | Serious health conditions of faculty member | Upon employment | Paid, up to 26 weeks |
| B | Personal | Childbirth Leave | Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Recovery | Upon employment | Paid, up to 6 weeks, for birth parent. |
| C | Personal | Other Leave | Varies and may be discretionary | Upon employment | Unpaid, unless extenuating circumstances; period varies |
| D | Personal | Military Leave | To fulfill military obligations as members of the United States Armed Forces (including National or State Guard) under applicable federal and state laws | Upon employment | Unpaid, up to 5 years or more |
| E | Personal | Jury Duty Leave | Service on a jury or grand jury | Upon employment | Paid, up to 3 days |
| F | Personal | Sympathy Leave | Death of immediate family member | Upon employment | Paid, up to 3 days |
| G | Personal or Family | Domestic Violence Leave | Issues related to domestic violence against self or family member. | Upon employment | Paid, up to 15 days (need not be consecutive) |
Family Leave
| Category | Type of Leave | Qualifying Conditions | BU Eligibility Summary | BU Leave/Benefit Entitlement | |
| H | Family | Family Leave – Illness/Medical Condition | Care for serious health condition of family member | Upon employment | Paid, up to 12 weeks |
| I | Family | Family Leave – Child Bonding/Caregiving | Birth, Adoption of a Child, or Assumption of New Foster Care | Upon employment; parent or non-birthing parent completed within first 16 months of date of child’s birth, adoption, or assumption of new foster care | Paid, up to 14 consecutive weeks of full relief (may be taken in one semester increment), or the equivalent of 28 weeks of half relief (may be taken in two semester increments) from all obligations |
| J | Family | Family Leave – Military Qualifying Exigencies | For family member active duty; see qualifying exigencies. | Upon employment | Paid, up to 12 weeks |
| K | Family | Family Leave – Military Caregiving Leave | Care for a family member who is a covered service member recovering from a “serious injury or illness” suffered in the line of active military duty. | Upon employment | Paid, up to 26 weeks |
Questions regarding the relationship between this Policy and any other University programs and benefit plans that are not addressed below should be directed to Human Resources at leaves@bu.edu.