The University of Iowa offers Family Caregiving Leave to support faculty and staff in providing care for ill or injured family members. This leave allows employees to use up to 40 hours of accrued sick leave annually, with the option to carry over unused leave from the previous year, totaling up to 80 hours. If sick leave is exhausted, employees may use vacation leave or unpaid leave to fulfill family-related responsibilities. Verification of the need for caregiving leave may be required.

What is Family Caregiving Leave?

Family caregiving leave is time given in addition to vacation leave and can be used:

  1. When an employee's immediate family member is ill or injured, and
  2. The employee must be present to provide care and necessary attention to their family member. 

The university may request appropriate verification of the status of the ill or injured person. (Reference: Family Caregiving Leave, Policy Manual). 

Eligible employees can use up to a maximum of 40 hours of family caregiving leave every calendar year. Any unused leave from the prior year will be added to the current year's family caregiving leave balance up to a total of 80 hours. All hours are prorated for part-time employees.

Eligibility

Regular benefit-eligible employees in a 50% or more appointment will receive up to 40 hours of family caregiving leave every calendar year. They can also use any unused allowance from the previous calendar year, up to a total of 80 hours (Hours are prorated for part-time employees).

  • For employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the carryover of unused allowances from the previous year applies if the benefit has been negotiated and is included in the contract.

Since family caregiving leave is subtracted from an employee's sick leave, employees must have adequate accrued sick leave to cover family caregiving absences. If an employee does not have sufficient sick leave, family caregiving leave may be recorded as vacation or taken as unpaid.

"Ill" or "Injured"

Defined as having a physical or mental personal illness, bodily injury, medically related disability, including disability resulting from pregnancy and/or childbirth, and medical, dental, and optical appointments, including preventative care.

"care of" and "attention to"

The UI employee's active involvement and presence are needed. Without the employee’s active involvement and presence:

  • A health/medical visit or treatment would not occur
  • A health/medical treatment or visit would be compromised, or communication with the health care practitioner would be significantly diminished

"Immediate family"

Defined as and limited to the employee's spouse/domestic partner, children, grandchildren, foster children, stepchildren, legal wards, parents, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, siblings, foster-siblings, step-siblings, children-in-law, siblings-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, first cousins, corresponding relatives of the employee's spouse/domestic partner, and other persons who are members of the employee's household.

Tracking Family Caregiving Leave

Family Caregiving Leave is recorded and tracked separately from regular sick leave using the following time reporting codes:

  • 03    Sick Leave - Family Caregiving Leave
  • 53    FMLA Sick Leave - Family Caregiving Leave

Travel Time

Travel time will be recorded as Family Caregiving Leave if the travel occurs during the employee's work schedule and is required to transport the employee or the ill or injured family member to provide or receive necessary care and attention as described above. 

Documentation

Departments may request verification of a family member’s illness or injury and the employee's required presence by using the FMLA Health Certification or Family Member Medical Request Form, as applicable.

Related Policy Considerations

Family Caregiving Leave and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Family Caregiving Leave and FMLA are separate programs—not all Family Caregiving Leave will qualify under FMLA. For example, FMLA covers more absences due to the severe health conditions of family members, and FMLA family members are defined more narrowly than specified in the Family Caregiving Leave policy. When events meet the eligibility criteria for both programs, they will be administered concurrently.

Examples

Examples of care and necessary attention for ill or injured family members that meet the definition of Family Caregiving Leave include:

  • Transporting the family member to and from health or medical  appointments related to illness or injury
  • Facilitating communication with a health provider, helping to understand health care decisions to help coordinate health care treatment and follow-up
  • Providing information to health care personnel regarding insurance and sources of payment
  • Monitoring and administering treatments, therapies, or medications
  • Providing direct care to family members to help them meet personal needs that cannot be met during non-work hours

Childbirth

The amount of leave available is subject to the limitations outlined above under “Leave Availability."

  • Faculty, Professional and Scientific, Merit Supervisory Exempt, and Confidential: A biological mother is presumed to be ill during a period of recovery following birth. Therefore, intermittent or continuous Family Caregiving Leave is available to the father or registered domestic partner during the labor, birth, delivery, and the biological mother’s recovery period, which is typically six weeks following the birth.
  • AFSCME: An employee covered by the AFSCME bargaining agreement, the father or registered domestic partner, may use sick leave as Family Caregiving Leave for the delivery or birth of their child.
  • SEIU: An employee covered by the SEIU bargaining agreement, who is the father or registered domestic partner, may use Family Caregiving Leave during the birth/delivery of their child.
  • SEIU and AFSCME: A father or registered domestic partner who is an employee covered by the SEIU or AFSCME bargaining contract may be able to use intermittent or continuous Family Caregiving Leave after the biological mother’s discharge from the hospital, which is typically the six weeks of recovery if the wife/partner meets the definition of ill and injured and if the father/partner is needed to provide care and necessary attention.

Well Health Exams

Dental, well-baby, and physicals or examinations that do not involve illness or injury are covered by Family Caregiving Leave. 

Elder Care

Family Caregiving Leave is available for an aging parent or relative (see definition of immediate family member above). The aging parent or relative must meet the criteria of being ill or injured, and the employee must be needed to provide care and necessary attention as described above. The illness or injury can include a chronic condition, and the event can be a scheduled appointment.