Madison Reporter

The University of Wisconsin‒Madison has presented a new paid parental leave policy to the Board of Regents, which is set to be effective from July 1, 2024. The policy will provide eligible employees with up to six weeks (240 hours) of paid parental leave within a 12-month period for the birth or adoption of a child.

In a statement following the presentation of the policy, it was mentioned, "Following presentation of the policy to the Board of Regents, we are now in position to have a paid parental leave policy in place on July 1, 2024, before the start of our next academic year."

The Paid Parental Leave Policy, UW-5054, is designed to offer eligible employees paid time off when they experience a qualifying birth or adoptive event. Employee eligibility is not dependent upon gender or family relationships. The policy also ensures that when an employee experiences multiple qualifying events in the same 12-month period, they will be entitled to a total of six weeks of paid parental leave.

Alongside the implementation of the new policy, UW‒Madison will be updating the existing Postdoc Absence with Pay & Legal Holidays policy to provide Absence with Pay (Parental) to eligible Employee-In-Training appointments.

Campus leaders will engage in discussions with stakeholder groups to address any questions and comments regarding the policy. These inputs will be used to provide additional clarifying information and details to stakeholders before the policy takes effect.

Information about the Paid Parental Leave policy, including eligibility criteria and frequently asked questions, can be found on the university's Paid Parental Leave web page. Additional details, such as a Parental Leave Request Form and language translations, will be added before the policy's effective date in July 2024.

Employees who anticipate requesting parental leave in the future are encouraged to review the policy information carefully and seek assistance from Divisional Disability Representatives for any needed support.

The introduction of this new policy by UW‒Madison reflects a significant step towards supporting employees in balancing their work and family responsibilities.