Leave Policies for Non-Faculty Academic Appointees (excluding postdoctoral research fellows)

Benefits-eligible non-faculty academic appointees on the monthly payroll are eligible for parental and medical leave as detailed below. All leaves must be coordinated with the appointee’s faculty supervisor and department and require that the appointee complete the appropriate leave form(s). Paid leaves are supported by school funds. However, because paid leaves may be replaced by an appointee’s accrued vacation and personal time, appointees and departments are urged to maintain accurate records of paid time off accruals, despite the fact that these appointees are not subject to the university’s formal absence management system. Please note, research scientists are under academic plan two.

Paid Family and Medical Leave:

Employees may take up to 20 weeks of paid Medical Leave in a benefit year due to the employee’s own serious health condition that incapacitates the employee from performing the essential functions of the employee’s job.

Employees may take paid Family Leave for the following reasons beginning January 1, 2021:

    • Up to 12 weeks to bond with a child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth, adoption, or foster placement.
    • Up to 26 weeks to provide care to a family member who is a covered service member.
    • Up to 12 weeks because of any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that a family member is on active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces.
    • Up to 12 weeks of paid Family Leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

Total Leave: Employees may take up to a maximum of 26 weeks, in the aggregate, of paid leave per benefit year for the purposes listed above.

Coordination with Other Types of Leave or Approved Time Off

If an employee takes a leave associated with an MAPFML-qualifying reason under any other Harvard policy (including but not limited to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), parental leave, vacation time, sick time, personal time, PTO, or any other type of approved absence from work), MAPFML leave will run concurrently with the leave whether or not the employee applies for MAPFML leave.

Parental Leave:

Non-birth parents are eligible for up to twelve weeks of paid bonding leave following the birth or adoption of a child, four of which are fully paid, the remaining of which is paid at 64% of their base wage replacement or up to a maximum benefit of $1,149.90/week.

Birth parents are eligible for up to twenty weeks of paid leave following the birth of a child, twelve of which are fully paid, and the remaining of which is paid at 64% of their base wage replacement or up to a maximum benefit of $1,149.90/week.

Medical Leave:

Employees may take up to 20 weeks of paid Medical Leave in a benefit year (eight of which are fully paid) due to the employee’s own serious health condition that incapacitates the employee from performing the essential functions of the employee’s job. Please note, research scientists are not eligible for short term disability.

Family and Medical Leave Act:

In addition to the paid leave policies described above, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) provides an eligible employee (who worked with their employer for 12 months, with at least 1,250 hours) with up to twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. An employee is entitled to up to twelve weeks of Family and Medical Leave during a rolling twelve-month period in the following situations:

  • Care for the appointee’s child after birth or placement with the appointee for adoption or foster care.
  • A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of her/his job.
  • Care for the employee’s spouse (or qualified domestic partner), child (including the dependent child of a qualified domestic partner), or parent with a serious health condition.

Absences from work for the above-stated reasons will be considered as Family and Medical Leave and will count toward fulfillment of the twelve weeks.

Leave Process

To request Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) or Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML), please inform your department administrator and contact Lincoln Financial Group, Harvard’s third-party administrator, at least thirty days prior of your expected leave date:

Employees may contact Lincoln in one of several ways:

  • To file a leave request by phone, employees may call the Harvard-dedicated number at 1-844-600-3978.
  • To file a leave request online, employees may go to My Lincoln Portal at com and click on “Register for an account” under the “Log In” button. Instructions will be provided on the website throughout the leave submission process.

Funding for Leaves:

Academic Appointees are not allowed to supplement their leave with paid time off; however, if an appointee chooses to completely replace their leave with vacation or personal time, departmental funds may be used for this replacement.  If the appointee’s salary is paid by grant funding, the department must check with the funding agency to determine if a leave is allowable under the funding terms of the award. Please note, the complete duration of parental and medical leaves is financed by the School.

Leave Checklists and Resources: 

MA PFML Leave Type and Benefits for Faculty and Academic Appointments (Research Scientists fall under academic plan 2)

Faculty and Academic Appointee Checklist  

Department Manager MA PFML Checklist 

MA PFML (University Page) 

OFA Wasabi and Billing Code Tip Sheets