Paid Parental Leave Update: Your Questions Answered!
Thanks to everyone who wrote in this week with comments and questions about our new Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit.
We have a few more FAQs for you.
Q. If I choose to use STD for 12 weeks at 70% salary and not FMLA, then the PPL can kick in right after for 6 weeks? I am hoping to use 18 weeks if possible.
A. STD will only apply to the disability portion of your maternity leave, standardly, the first 6 weeks following your date of disability (typically the date you deliver the baby). FMLA is simply unpaid, job protected leave, so FMLA will run concurrently with how you get paid while on maternity leave. PPL kicks in after short term disability ends and baby bonding time begins. It simply replaces having to use your own PTO during baby bonding. PPL does not extend the 12 weeks of leave provided under FMLA. You would have to request a Personal LOA for additional leave beyond the 12 weeks of FMLA leave, which is subject to the approval of your leadership team.
Q. We had our son the month I came to Cook Children’s, and I had to use my 40 hours added on PTO. Can get those 40 hours back in this policy? Like grandfathered?
A. No, the PPL policy will not provide retroactive benefits to births or adoptions that occur prior to June 30, 2024.
Q. Once short term and PPL have been used, are we able to use PTO after to extend our 12- week leave?
A. In order to extend your leave beyond the 12 weeks provided under FMLA, you would need to request a Personal LOA, which is subject to the approval of your leadership team. If approved, you would use your remaining available PTO at that time.
Q. My due date is June 22. If I deliver on time, will I get the normal maternity leave pay and after June 30 I’d start to get 100%?
A. No, PPL will apply only to births and adoptions that occur on or after the effective date of the policy, June 30, 2024. If you deliver the baby prior to the effective date, your upcoming maternity leave will not be eligible for the PPL benefit.
Q. My due date is June 23. I have filed with Hartford for that due date. If my due date moved and the baby came late, would I be eligible for paid leave? Also, since short-term disability will come first, then the 6 weeks of paid leave, would I be eligible to receive the paid leave since I wouldn’t need it until after June 30?
A. PPL will apply only to births and adoptions that occur on or after the effective date of the policy, June 30, 2024. If you will deliver the baby prior to the effective date, your upcoming maternity leave will not be eligible for the PPL benefit. If you deliver the baby on or after June 30, 2024, you will be eligible for the PPL benefit since it will apply to births and adoptions that occur on or after the effective date.
Q. If an individual’s due date is late June and they take a week or two of PTO after the birth of their baby to hit the June 30th mark, could they then apply for PPL? Or is it all dependent on the date of the delivery of the baby?
A. No, PPL will apply only to births and adoptions that occur on or after the effective date of the policy, June 30, 2024. If you will deliver the baby prior to the effective date, your upcoming maternity leave will not be eligible for the PPL benefit.
Q. I am due with my first baby early August. I already began a claim with The Hartford. Do I need to make any updates or modifications to the claim or will this automatically go into effect when I deliver in August?
A. You do not need to make any updates or modifications at this time to your leave claim. Once you report the birth of the baby to The Hartford, they will update your leave claim and issue an approval notice accordingly at that time.
Q. In the FAQs, it states “Correct! PPL will replace having to use PTO or go unpaid during bonding time with a new baby or newly adopted child”, however, in the scenarios, it states PTO is to be used for the first week of leave, followed by STD for 5 weeks, then PPL for 6 consecutive weeks. Is utilizing the first week of PTO mandatory, vs. taking STD for 6 weeks, followed by 6 consecutive weeks PPL?
A. Our STD plan has a 1 week waiting period, which is why you are required to use available PTO to complete your Workday weekly FTE. Your disability period will still be 6 weeks, but since the first week is a waiting period, your actual STD pay will be for 5 weeks.
Q. The first week of PTO is to be used until STD kicks in?
A. Correct.
Q: Did you hear anything else from other employees about this new benefit?
A: Here's a sampling of other feedback we received. Thank you for sharing your input:
- This is literally life-changing! It was very stressful on my family unit without PPL and we faced many impossible choices under those circumstances. I am so happy for the positive emotional and financial ripple effects this will have.
- Congratulations to those who get to enjoy this wonderful benefit.
- I’m so proud to work for an organization that supports the well-being of employees and their families. Children are kind of our thing, so it makes sense that the organization would live up to its Promise!
- This is an excellent offering. Thank you for offering it for future new parents.
Additional Questions
Q: If I am not eligible for FMLA when I have a baby, but I am a full or half time employee, would I still be able to get the paid parental leave?
A: As long as you are full time, part time, or benefits-eligible, you would still be eligible for the Paid Parental Leave benefit even if you are not eligible for leave under FMLA. The disability portion of your maternity leave would be covered under our medical LOA policy.
Other employees had more specific personal questions, comments and inquiries and we have shared all comments with HR leadership.
Again, we are listening and we are grateful to you.
Keep your questions and comments coming our way: InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org.
Thank you.