Paid Medical Leave for Full-Time Faculty

Full-time faculty members (ladder and non-ladder) who are paid by the School, suffering from a serious health condition that prevents the fulfillment of normal duties may be entitled to a paid medical leave of absence of up to six months. The School may count medical leaves toward the fulfillment of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 12-week leave entitlement; if the reason for the leave meets the FMLA criteria (see the FMLA definition below).

Please complete the paid leave of absence form: Faculty Sabbatical and Paid Leave of Absence Form and submit completed form to the Office of Faculty Affairs at facultyaffairs@hsph.harvard.edu.  The faculty member must also submit a claim to Lincoln Financial, Harvard’s third party leave system. In cases of medical emergencies, the Department Administrator may submit the request on behalf of the faculty member.

If the illness is expected to continue following the completion of the six-month paid medical leave, use of long-term disability (LTD) coverage, if previously elected by the faculty member, should be investigated during the medical leave. For information about LTD coverage, faculty members should contact the Harvard Benefits Office directly.

Notes:

  • Harvard complies with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) , which provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave (to be taken and completed during a 12-month period) for: 1) the birth of a child and to care for an employee’s child within 12 months of birth, adoption, or the initiation of foster care; 2) to care for a parent, child, or spouse with a serious health condition; or 3) because the employee’s own serious health condition makes the employee unable to perform his or her job.