Our goal is to provide an environment and culture where employees becoming new parents are treated fairly during pregnancy, upon their return to work, and beyond to allow them the ability to be successful in their professional lives and to provide a supportive work/life balance.

New Parent's Guide for Returning to Work

Download the New Parent's Guide

Iowa Paid Parental Leave

The University of Iowa offers Iowa Paid Parental Leave (IPPL) to support employees following the birth of a child or placement for adoption.

 

What IPPL offers: 

  • Up to four weeks of paid leave for birthing and adoptive parents

  • One week of paid leave for non-birthing parents, including spouses and partners

  • Paid leave that is not charged to sick or vacation accruals

IPPL must be used within 12 months of the birth of a child or placement for adoption. For employees who qualify for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), IPPL runs concurrently with FMLA leave. While employees may still use accrued vacation or sick leave, as permitted by university policy, to extend their paid time off. IPPL does not accrue, carry over, or pay out upon separation from the institution.

 

Adoption leave 

Per existing policy, adoptive parents, including those who become parents through surrogacy, will continue to receive one week of paid adoption leave charged to sick leave accruals, provided they have sufficient sick leave accruals available. This adoption leave may be used in addition to IPPL leave.

 

Questions? 

Employees should first contact their HR representative for assistance with IPPL. HR will coordinate with Faculty and Staff Disability Services (campus) or Leave and Disability Administration (health care) for assistance in determining eligibility and providing guidance.

For policy details and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the IPPL policy page or explore the FAQs below. Additional resources are available to support nursing parents, childcare needs, and adoptive families, including UI’s Adoption Assistance Pilot program.

Iowa Paid Parental Leave FAQs

Who is eligible for Iowa Paid Parental Leave?

IPPL is available to university employees who become parents by welcoming a child into their home through birth or adoption and hold a 50% or greater appointment in a position required to offer employer-provided health insurance.

IPPL must be taken within 12 months following the birth or adoptive placement of the child and is not available to employees who give birth and place the child for adoption or who serve as a surrogate.

Subject to the conditions above, eligible employees include:

  • Regular faculty and institutional officers

  • Fixed-term, benefit-eligible faculty (e.g., visitors and instructors)

  • Regular staff, including Professional and Scientific (P&S), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Merit employees

  • Postdoctoral scholars

  • Clinical Residents and Fellow Physicians

  • Graduate assistants appointed at 50% effort on an academic year or fiscal year appointment
     

The following employees are not eligible for IPPL: 

  • Employees with appointments of less than 50% 

  • Other temporary employees

    • Biweekly appointments

    • Student positions

    • Temporary faculty and staff who do not meet the eligibility criteria above

    • Emeritus appointments

    • Fellows who are not considered university employees

Employees with questions about their eligibility should contact their local HR representative.

How much paid leave is provided to eligible employees?

An eligible employee who gives birth may take up to the equivalent of four weeks of IPPL (160 hours for a full-time employee). A non-birthing parent, including a spouse or partner, may take up to the equivalent of one week of IPPL (40 hours for a full-time employee). An employee who adopts a child may take up to the equivalent of four weeks of IPPL (160 hours for a full-time employee). IPPL is prorated for eligible part-time employees.

Is Iowa Paid Parental Leave charged to my paid leave accruals (sick leave or vacation)?

No. IPPL is a separate category of paid leave established by state law. It does not utilize or reduce your sick leave or vacation accruals. However, eligible employees may still use accrued paid leave, as permitted by university policy, to extend their paid time beyond the IPPL period. For employees who are eligible for FMLA, IPPL runs concurrently with FMLA leave when the absence also qualifies for FMLA. Employees who are not FMLA-eligible may still qualify for IPPL if they otherwise meet university eligibility requirements.

Is Iowa Paid Parental Leave taken at the same time as FMLA leave?

Yes, for employees who are eligible for FMLA leave, IPPL runs concurrently with FMLA leave. However, FMLA eligibility is no longer required to qualify for IPPL. Employees who are not eligible for FMLA may still be eligible for IPPL if they otherwise meet university eligibility requirements.

Are there any limits on when I can take Iowa Paid Parental Leave?

Yes. IPPL must be taken within 12 months following the birth or adoptive placement of a child. It may be taken all at once or intermittently over the 12-month period. Intermittent leave requires supervisor approval to accommodate operational needs, regardless of whether the employee is also using FMLA leave.

Is there an order in which I should use my leave following the birth or adoption of a child?

Yes. University policy establishes the order in which leave is used. For employees who give birth, accrued sick leave is generally used during the period of medical disability following childbirth. Available IPPL is then used, followed by available vacation leave and/or compensatory time. Employees should refer to the UI Policy Manual and contact their local HR representative to discuss leave planning and available options.

How and when should an employee initiate a request for Iowa Paid Parental Leave?

Employees should notify their local HR representative as soon as possible when they anticipate taking IPPL. Employees should provide the expected dates and duration of leave. Advance notice helps departments plan for staffing and operational needs.

How does Iowa Paid Parental Leave apply to employees who become parents via a surrogate?

Employees who become parents through surrogacy (i.e., intended parents), and who meet IPPL eligibility criteria are treated as adoptive parents for purposes of IPPL.

Eligible employees may receive up to four weeks of IPPL. In addition, they may use the university’s existing one week of adoption leave, charged to accrued sick leave, if sufficient sick leave is available.

Employees who serve as a surrogate are not eligible for IPPL.

I had a new child or a child placed with me for adoption within the 12 months prior to April 30, 2026. Am I eligible for Iowa Paid Parental Leave?

Possibly. Employees who added a new child to their family between April 30, 2025, and April 29, 2026, while employed by the University of Iowa, may be eligible to take IPPL.

One-time transition provisions. Eligible employees who welcomed a child through birth or placement for adoption, or whose spouse or partner gave birth, during the 12 months prior to April 30, 2026, may have an opportunity to use IPPL under one-time transition provisions.

Employees who added a child between April 30, 2025, and December 31, 2025, may utilize IPPL through December 31, 2026. This one-time extension allows eligible employees more time to use available IPPL while helping departments plan for operational needs. The examples below illustrate application of IPPL, but they are not exhaustive. Contact your local HR representative for guidance on your individual circumstances.

IPPL cannot be applied retroactively to any period of leave taken prior to the April 30, 2026, effective date.

Example 1: An employee who was not eligible for FMLA gave birth to or adopted a child on August 1, 2025. Beginning April 30, 2026, the employee may use up to four weeks of IPPL through December 31, 2026, provided they meet IPPL eligibility requirements.

Please remember, IPPL cannot be applied retroactively to leave taken before April 30, 2026.

Example 2: An employee who is not eligible for FMLA has a child born or placed with them for adoption on May 10, 2026. If the employee otherwise meets IPPL eligibility requirements, they may use up to four weeks of IPPL within 12 months of the birth or placement for adoption.

Example 3: An employee who is eligible for FMLA gave birth on March 15, 2026. The employee may use available IPPL concurrently with FMLA leave related to the birth of the child.

I had twins. Am I entitled to Iowa Paid Parental Leave for each baby, for twice the standard amount of leave?

No. IPPL is provided per qualifying event (e.g., birth or placement), not per child. Having or adopting multiple children at one time, such as twins or siblings placed together for adoption, is considered a single qualifying event and does not increase the total amount of IPPL available.

My spouse/partner and I both work for the university and are welcoming a child into our home via birth or adoption. Are we both eligible for Iowa Paid Parental Leave?

Yes. Each eligible parent may use their full IPPL entitlement, as detailed above, within the first 12 months following the birth of a child or adoptive placement.

I am welcoming a child into my home via adoption. Will I receive four weeks of Iowa Paid Parental Leave in addition to the one week of adoption leave already available in university policy?

Yes. Eligible adoptive parents receive up to four weeks of IPPL, which is not charged against other paid leave balances, in addition to the university’s existing one week of adoption leave. The adoption leave is charged to accrued sick leave, provided the employee has sufficient sick leave accruals available.

How much leave time can a non-birthing parent receive after their spouse or partner gives birth?

A non-birthing parent is eligible for one week of IPPL.

IPPL was established by state law, which distinguishes between birthing, non-birthing, and adoptive parents.

Non-birthing parents may also qualify for Family Caregiving Leave, which allows them to use up to one week of accrued sick leave each calendar year to care for a spouse or partner recovering from childbirth. If they didn’t use caregiving leave in the previous year, they may be eligible for an additional week, potentially bringing their total paid leave to three weeks.

How do I record Iowa Paid Parental Leave on my time record?

Time reporting codes have been created for IPPL. The applicable codes differ based on the employee’s FMLA eligibility status. Employees who are FMLA-eligible will use one set of IPPL codes, while those who are not FMLA-eligible will use a different set. Please consult with your local HR representative to determine the appropriate code to use.

Do I have to use my existing sick leave or vacation accruals before I can take Iowa Paid Parental Leave?

No. IPPL is a separate, state-mandated paid leave benefit and does not require employees to exhaust other leave balances first.

However, employees who give birth have a period of medical disability (typically six weeks) following the birth during which they may use accrued sick leave accruals. Sick leave is not available after this period of medical disability. To maximize access to available paid leave, birthing parents are encouraged to consider using paid sick leave during the period of medical disability, then using IPPL for the bonding period. After that, if additional time off is needed, employees may use accrued vacation, compensatory time or leave without pay.

Please consult with your HR representative for help creating a leave plan that meets your needs and supports department operations.

Is Iowa Paid Parental Leave available to a faculty member on a 9-month academic appointment?

Yes. Faculty members on a 9-month academic appointment are eligible for IPPL. However, IPPL must be taken during the 9-month period of active employment and cannot be used during months when the faculty member is not in contract.

Will I receive payment for unused Iowa Paid Parental Leave when I leave university employment?

No. IPPL does not accrue and is not eligible for payout upon separation from the institution. It is a program intended to provide paid time off for eligible employees to care for and bond with a newly added child.

Who pays for IPPL?

IPPL is a state-mandated paid leave benefit that does not reduce an employee’s vacation or sick leave accruals. Since IPPL can be used in place of sick leave or vacation leave, it allows employees to use that sick or vacation leave at another time, potentially.

There is no additional cost to the department to fund IPPL. A possible additional cost to a department would be if an employee went into leave without pay status without the IPPL, or if additional staff needed to be hired during their absence to cover their duties.

What is the impact of IPPL if I am paid by external funding on grants and contracts (Fund 500 and 510)?

Per 2 CFR 200.431.b, IPPL can be used if employees are funded by external funding on grants and contracts, because IPPL meets all the criteria for leave to be allowable compensation. There is no additional documentation or justification needed for employees to use IPPL who are funded by external funding on grants and contracts. 

I hold multiple regular appointments at the university. Am I eligible for Iowa Paid Parental Leave if my combined appointments equal or exceed 50%?

Possibly. Employees who hold multiple regular appointments may be eligible for IPPL if their combined appointments equal or exceed 50% and otherwise meet the eligibility requirements. Employees with questions about their eligibility should contact their local HR representative, who will consult with FSDS and/or LDA.

I am a graduate assistant with a summer appointment (for example, a four-week instructor appointment). Am I eligible for IPPL?

No. Graduate assistants are eligible for IPPL when they hold a 50% or greater appointment for an academic year or fiscal year in a position that requires employer-provided health insurance.

  • For academic-year appointments, IPPL is available only during the academic year; it does not extend into summer.
  • Graduate assistants on a fiscal year appointment may be eligible for IPPL during the summer months.
  • A summer-only appointment, or a summer appointment following a completed academic year appointment, does not confer IPPL eligibility.

Graduate assistants with questions about their eligibility should contact their local HR representative, who will consult with FSDS and/or LDA.

Parental Leave Resources

Return To Work Guidance

The Parental Leave Policies & Best Practices webpage is a collaborative effort between UI Family Services and UI Faculty and Staff Disability Services.