Information about long-term leaves from teaching

Both FTLs and PTLs in the CAS Writing Program are eligible for paid long-term leaves (more than two consecutive weeks of teaching) under specific circumstances, including personal medical crises and caring for loved ones who are unwell. This page aggregates information about the process of taking a long-term leave in the hopes that it will make things easier for faculty who are already coping with stressful circumstances.

 

How do I know what types of leave I’m eligible for or how long of a leave I can take?

For full-time faculty, the BU Faculty handbook includes a section about Faculty Personal and Family Leave Policies that details the specific situations where faculty are eligible for paid leaves and how long these leaves can be. 

For part-time faculty, the BU HR website has guidance about benefits for various forms of leave and how much you need to have earned to be eligible.

While the guide below focuses on medical leaves for you or a loved one, please note that there are many other types of leave that BU employees are eligible for. You can also reach out to the Faculty and Staff Assistance Office or the Office of the Ombuds if you would like guidance from someone outside the Writing Program. 

 

What is the process for taking a leave of absence? 

If you think you might need to take a long-term leave, here are the steps in that process:

  1. Speak with a member of the Writing Program Director team as soon as possible. They can advise you on what makes sense given your unique situation, facilitate how to manage your class meetings in the short term, and coordinate with the rest of the WP admin team to put out a call for long-term coverage for your course.
  2. Submit a completed and signed Faculty Non-Academic Leave of Absence Request form to Dan Ivey. This form is available here. It includes basic contact information, the reason for your leave, and the anticipated period of your leave. Once you return your signed form to Dan, he will send it to the Program Director and Dean to sign.
  3. Contact Sedgwick, the company that administers long-term leaves for BU. Once the form mentioned above has been signed by all parties (or while you’re waiting for that to happen), you will need to communicate directly with Sedgwick about your leave. They will work with you and your medical provider (or your loved ones’ provider) to get the appropriate documentation for your leave. Please note that you should communicate directly with your provider as well about the paperwork that they will need to complete and ensure they return it promptly to Sedgwick. 
  4. Once Sedgwick receives all required documentation, you can expect a decision on your leave (whether it’s approved, denied, or more information is needed) within 2 business days. 
    • If your leave is approved as paid, you will be paid at your normal rate for the duration of the leave. Benefits that are normally deducted from your paycheck will continue normally as well. 
    • If your request for paid leave is initially denied, you can appeal that decision by following the process outlined here. Please note that you also may still be able to take unpaid leave and maintain many of your benefits. More information about how your benefits work while on a paid or unpaid leave of absence is available here. 
  5. While you are on leave, you should not do any work-related activities. This includes office hours (even remote ones), lesson planning, grading, committee work, and answering emails from students or colleagues. That said, you will still want to keep an eye on your BU email, as updates may periodically be sent there from BU offices that are involved in facilitating faculty leaves. 
  6. If your anticipated date to return to work changes, you will need to communicate with Sedgwick ASAP. It is likely that you will need to submit updated documentation to support these changes. You should also communicate this change directly to a member of the Writing Program Director team so they can maintain plans for the coverage of your classes. 
  7. Once you return to work, be sure to check your paystub to ensure you are still being paid appropriately and are no longer having leave benefits deducted. BU is a large institution and mistakes can happen in communications between offices. If you are not being paid appropriately or anything else looks amiss, please submit an inquiry promptly via the BU HR Portal so that the issue can be corrected. 

For additional information, you can search the FAQ about leaves on the BU HR website or contact BU HR or Sedgwick directly. 

 

Some additional things to keep in mind if you are taking a personal medical leave

  • If you are on a personal medical leave, BU Occupational Health will contact you in advance of your anticipated return to work date. They will ask you questions about your health as it relates to your work responsibilities to determine if and when you can return safely to work. They will also share a Medical Clearance form with you that your provider will need to complete and return to them to ensure you can return to work as planned. You can find that form and more information about this process here. 
  • If you are able to return to work but require ongoing accommodations, you should contact the BU Equal Opportunity Office. They can work with you to explore the process of applying for reasonable accommodations. Please note that this process will also require medical documentation from your provider that will need to be submitted directly to EOO.