SHS Paid Parental Benefit
Paid Parental Benefit
Our Paid Parental Benefit policy is intended to provide employees with time and financial support to adjust to the addition of a new family member during the important period immediately following the birth or adoption of a child. This policy provides eligible employees with a period of paid time off for activities related to the care and well-being of their newborn or adopted child.
Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) will provide up to 12 consecutive weeks of paid parental benefits that will be integrated with any amounts paid by EDD for the birth or adoption of a child. Paid Parental Benefits will be paid on the staff member's regular payroll dates. The benefit will ensure that the total amount received by the employee from SHS and EDD will equal the employee’s base salary as determined by the employee’s regularly scheduled hours of work. For example:
- Employee Shawn makes $4,000 gross, biweekly.
- In 2022, EDD pays a maximum of $1,357 weekly ($2,714 biweekly)
- Shawn will receive $2,714 from EDD and $1,286 from SHS every two weeks, for 12 weeks. In the event Shawn’s paid parental benefit falls over a week long break and the employee does not receive payment from EDD, SHS will pay 100% over the holiday break.
Paid parental benefit must be used within the first 12 months immediately following the birth or adoption of an employee’s child.
NOTE: If both parents are SHS employees that meet the eligibility criteria, SHS will provide a maximum of 18 weeks paid parental benefit, to be applied as follows:
- In the case of birthing: the birthing parent will receive 12 weeks of paid parental benefit, and the non-birthing parent will receive 6 weeks of paid parental benefit, for a maximum total of 18 weeks.
- In the case of adoption: the adopting parents will have a total of 18 weeks maximum of paid parental benefit, which they may split in whatever combination is suitable for them: For example:
- Parent A and Parent B each chooses to take 9 weeks of paid parental benefit, for a total of 18 weeks taken between both of them.
- Parent C chooses to take 10 months and Parent D chooses 8 weeks of paid parental benefit, for a total of 18 weeks taken between both of them.
Policy Details
Definitions
This policy applies to situations finalized by date of birth or adoption after June 30, 2022. Leaves of absence for babies born or adoptions finalized before June 30, 2022 are not eligible for this benefit.
An eligible parent is defined as a biological parent, same-sex spousal equivalent, or a new adoptive parent who have adopted a child who is 17 years old or younger. This provision does not apply to the adoption of a stepchild by a stepparent or the placement of a foster child. An individual who adopts a spouse or partner’s previous child(ren) is not eligible for this benefit.
Eligibility
Approved paid parental leave may be taken at any time during the 12-month period immediately following the birth or adoption of a child. Paid parental leave may not be used or extended beyond this 12-month time frame and must be completed before the child’s first birthday or the first anniversary of the adoption of the child. Employees must take paid parental leave in one continuous period of leave and must use all paid parental benefits during the 12-month time frame indicated above. Paid parental benefit cannot be used on an intermittent basis.
Upon termination of the individual’s employment at Sacred Heart Schools, he or she will not be paid for any unused paid parental leave for which he or she was eligible.
Coordination with other policies
SHS Paid Parental Leave will run concurrently with any state or federal leave laws to the extent permitted by law.
Reminder: The staff member may not concurrently use accrued time in the form of vacation, Wellness leave, discretionary/designated holidays, vacation, summer break retention pay or PTO while receiving Paid Parental Leave. Paid Parental Leave will be paid on regular payroll dates.
Coordination with FMLA
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child for employees who have been employed for 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the year prior to requesting leave, provided the employee has not already exhausted his/her FMLA entitlement for the year.
Eligible employees can take paid parental leave during the first 12 weeks following the birth or adoption of a child (i.e., during what is typically the FMLA period if the employee has FMLA time available), or at any time within the first 12 months after the birth or adoption event. If paid parental leave is taken while the employee is on approved FMLA leave for the birth or adoption of a child, then the paid parental leave will run concurrently with the FMLA leave
For employees who wish to take paid parental leave during a time when it will not run concurrently with FMLA leave, arrangements for the timing of the paid parental leave must be requested and approved in advance by the employee’s manager and Human Resources
Eligible employees are strongly encouraged to plan in advance for when they expect to use paid parental leave, and communicate their plans to their manager, department chair (if applicable) and Human Resources so they can do the necessary planning for their department’s work needs.
When an employee wishes to take paid parental leave concurrent with FMLA leave immediately following the birth or adoption of a child, the payment sequence shall be as follows, unless otherwise requested and approved in advance
For an employee who has given birth to a child, the employee will receive paid parental leave integrated with EDD payments to equal the employee’s base salary.
For an employee who has not given birth to the child, the employee will use paid parental leave, followed by PTO, with the option of retaining a portion of his/her PTO balance in accordance with Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) policy. Any remaining FMLA leave will be unpaid.
Coordination with CFRA
The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job- protected leave to care to bond with a new child. In addition, California law requires covered employers to provide employees disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition with unpaid, job- protected leave (PDL) and/or accommodations during the time period that they are disabled.
CFRA and PDL (pregnancy disability leave) cannot run concurrently since CFRA leave does NOT cover disability due to pregnancy. CFRA starts once PDL ends (i.e. the employee is no longer disabled due to pregnancy) and Baby Bonding begins. FMLA and CFRA will run concurrently for Baby Bonding.
Coordination with Other Policies
SHS will maintain all benefits for employees during the paid parental leave period just as if they were taking any other paid leave such as paid sick leave or paid time off.
If a SHS holiday(s) occurs while the employee is on paid parental leave, such holiday(s) will not extend the total paid parental leave entitlement, and the employee will not receive additional holiday pay for the day.