Navigating Leaves of Absence at UCLA: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the various leave of absence options available at UCLA is crucial for both employees and students. Whether facing a personal health challenge, family responsibilities, or academic pursuits, knowing your rights and the procedures involved can help you manage your time away from work or studies effectively. This article provides a detailed overview of UCLA's leave of absence policies, covering eligibility, types of leave, and important considerations for a smooth transition.

Leaves of Absence for UCLA Staff

UCLA employees have access to several types of leaves of absence, each designed to address specific needs and circumstances. These leaves are governed by University of California Personnel Policies for Staff Members (UC-PPSM) and collective bargaining agreements, which may vary depending on the employee's bargaining unit.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA)

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) entitle eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a calendar year to care for certain family members with a serious health condition. If certain members of an employee’s family are sick, the employee may be entitled to leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA). At the University, this group includes the employee’s spouse or domestic partner, parents, and children. COVID-19 may qualify as a “serious health condition” if complications arise.

Sick Leave

Per the Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) 2.210 regarding absence from work, policy-covered employees may take up to thirty (30) sick days in a calendar year when required to attend to or care for ill family members who are not considered family members under FMLA. University employees may be permitted and/or required to use paid leave in certain circumstances, depending on the applicable policy or collective bargaining agreement. The leave provisions contained in the collective bargaining agreements may vary.

Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)

As stated in UC-PPSM 43 (Leave of Absence), any female employee is eligible for up to four (4) months leave during the time she is actually disabled and unable to perform her job due to pregnancy or childbirth, as permitted by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. A pregnant employee may also request temporary reassignment to a less strenuous or hazardous position upon the advice of her health care provider. If such a request can be reasonably accommodated, it must be granted. Pregnancy Disability Leave runs concurrently with Family Medical Leave.

Supplemental Family & Medical Leave

Refer to UC-PPSM 43 (Leave of Absence), Section D.

Work-Incurred Illness & Injury Leave

Refer to UC-PPSM 43 (Leave of Absence), Section E and to the UCLA Workers' Compensation Supervisory Manual.

Personal Leave

A career employee may request, and the Organization Head or designee may grant the employee, a personal leave with or without pay for up to six months. In granting the leave, the best interests of the University, as well as the interests of the employee, shall be considered. Personal leaves may be granted for reasons such as extended illness, need to provide care for family members, or education and professional development which will directly increase job effectiveness. In special situations, a personal leave for temporary employment outside the University may be approved provided that the outside work is in the interest of public service and/or will be beneficial to the University upon the employee's return. Following consultation with CHR's Employee Relations Consultant, the Organization Head or designee may approve an extension of a personal leave for a total leave of not more than twelve months. An employee who has been granted a personal leave shall be reinstated to the same position or, at the department's discretion, a similar position in the same department provided that the employee returns to work immediately following termination of the leave.

Eligibility for FMLA

Any employee who meets the following criteria is eligible:

The employee must have at least twelve (12) months of University service. All prior service counts, regardless of any breaks in service; and
The employee must have worked at least 1250 hours during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the commencement of the leave.

Concurrent Leaves

The Organization Head or designee shall designate all paid and/or unpaid leaves (including accrued sick leave and vacation) due to medical reasons (including work-incurred) to run concurrently with, and be counted against, the employee's family medical leave entitlement, provided the employee qualifies for FMLA and receives written notice. All leaves, whether paid or unpaid, which meet the qualifications for FMLA should be designated as Family and Medical Leave at the beginning of the leave period.

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Health Benefits During FMLA

Health benefits are to be continued during FMLA, as if the employee is on pay status. Therefore, the University will continue to pay its portion of health benefit costs for the FMLA period only (a maximum of 12 weeks). This includes medical, dental, and optical insurance. An employee who continues on leave beyond the initial 12 weeks of FMLA, and who is qualified to receive disability benefits under the University-Paid Temporary Disability Plan, is eligible for the continuation of Regents' contributions toward medical insurance. Employees should be advised to contact CHR's Benefits and Personnel Services (794-0830) to arrange to pay her/his normal portion of health benefit costs and/or to continue non-health benefits (i.e., life insurance).

Notification and Certification for FMLA

Advance Notification: An employee is required to give thirty (30) days advance notice if the absence is foreseeable. The employee should complete the Leave of Absence Request form. The employee must provide his supervisor with evidence of a serious health condition from her/his health care provider or the health care provider of the ill family member. The department should complete the Leave of Absence Request form and forward a copy to the employee indicating approval or denial of the leave.

No Advance Employee Notification: If an employee has not previously requested a leave, and has been absent for three days or more for personal or family illness reasons, the department must provide written notice that the leave has been provisionally designated as FMLA within two (2) working days. If the department does not have sufficient information (e.g., no medical certification) to determine whether the leave qualifies as FMLA, provisional designation of FMLA should be made, subject to verification. The employee must provide verification from her/his health care provider (or the health care provider of the ill family member) within fifteen (15) calendar days of the request.

Reinstatement and Return to Work After FMLA

The employee is entitled to reinstatement to the same or an equivalent position. If the employee was absent for two weeks or longer because of her/his own serious health condition, a Return to Work Certification form (or doctor's release) must be completed by the employee's health care provider, and returned to the supervisor upon returning to work. The supervisor may also require a doctor's release (or Return to Work Certification form) for absences of less than two weeks.

Resources for Employees

Department representatives are advised to contact their Employee Relations consultant in CHR before initiating FMLA actions and to receive a Family and Medical Leave Packet. The packet includes:

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FMLA Department Checklist
Leave of Absence Request form
Your Rights and Obligations Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
Family and Medical Leave Benefits Checklist
Family and Medical Leave Certification form
Family and Medical Leave Return to Work Certification form
Record of Reduced Work/Intermittent Leave Schedule
University Contribution Indicator (UCI) form

Practical Steps for Employees Considering a Leave of Absence

Consult with Your Supervisor: Your department head, manager or supervisor can help you determine the types of leaves you qualify for and help you fill out appropriate forms. It’s best to do this as soon as your need for a leave arises, so your department can plan for your absence. Try to be as specific as possible about the length of time and reasons for the leave of absence.
Determine the Type of Leave: Which type of leave fits your circumstance?
Understand Benefits Implications: Make sure you understand how going on leave affects your UC-sponsored health and welfare benefits, as well as your service credit in the UC Retirement Plan.
Manage Benefits Payments: While on leave, you are responsible for paying your monthly benefits premiums. If you choose to cancel your benefits during your leave, you’ll need to complete an election form (available from UCPath).
Address Retirement Plan Loans: If you have an outstanding 403(b) Plan loan, you’ll need to suspend or set up monthly payments during your leave, or repay the loan in full.
Keep Contact Information Updated: Be sure to keep your address and other contact information up to date while you’re on leave.
Contact UCPath Upon Return: Contact UCPath within 31 days of your return to work to restart any benefits you chose not to continue during your leave. If your unpaid leave was less than 120 days, you may re-enroll yourself (and your eligible family members) in the same plans, with the same coverage levels as before.
Consider Purchasing UCRP Service Credit: If you are not getting paid while on leave, you usually don’t earn UCRP service credit. You may be able to purchase service credit for your leave period.
Plan for Non-Return: If you do not return to work at UC.

Leaves of Absence for UCLA Graduate Students

UCLA graduate students may also be eligible for a leave of absence under certain conditions. The Division of Graduate Education oversees these leaves, and specific requirements apply.

Eligibility and Duration

Continuing graduate students in good standing (3.0 GPA or above) who have completed at least one term of UCLA graduate work may, with the support of their department and the approval of the Division of Graduate Education, be eligible for a leave of absence. Graduate students are allowed a maximum of three quarters of official leave of absence. Additional requests are reviewed in exceptional circumstances. Students submit a leave of absence request through the Graduate Education leave of absence web page. Typically, leaves last from 1 to 3 quarters. Retroactive leaves (requests submitted after Week 10 of a term) can only be considered for medical reasons. By exception, requests for additional quarters beyond the 3-quarter limit may be approved; such approval is at the discretion of an Associate Dean or the Dean of the Division of Graduate Education.

Types of Graduate Student Leaves of Absence

A Leave of Absence may be for academic, medical, personal, and/or administrative reasons.

Academic Leave of Absence

An approved Academic Leave of Absence is generated by the student, and provides students with the necessary time to complete an academic pursuit and is not subject to the two-year maximum leave interval as indicated above. Examples of an approved Academic Leave of Absence include but are not limited to:

Participating in the Ph.D. phase of the UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). Students participating in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) will require an approved Academic Leave of Absencegreater than two years in order to complete the requirements of the MSTP program, and are not subject to the two-year maximum leave interval as indicated above.
Pursuit of an additional degree, such as MBA, MPH, MPP, Ph.D., either at UCLA or another institution.
Research, including working with a research mentor at UCLA or another institution, or participating in a formal research program (such as the Medical Research Scholars Program at the NIH).
Global Health Fellowships (such as GloCal and SAPHIR Fellowships).

Medical Leave of Absence

An approved Medical Leave of Absence may be generated by the student, by the Dean's Office, or the institution and must be accompanied by documentation from the student's health care provider and/or an independent evaluator must attest to the student's inability to participate in the curriculum due to a medical condition.

Personal Leave of Absence

An approved Personal Leave of Absence is generated by the student in order to attend to family, economic, or other personal factors that affect the student’s ability to participate in the curriculum, or to pursue an opportunity outside of medicine. Examples of reasons for a Personal Leave of Absence include but are not limited to:

Loss of a loved one or family member.
Need to care for a loved one or family member.
Any personal situation preventing participation in the curriculum.
An extracurricular opportunity such as employment.

Administrative Leave of Absence

An Administrative Leave of Absence may be generated by several institutional entities including an Academic Performance Committee (APC), the Committee on Academic Standing, Progress, and Promotion (CASPP), Associate Dean for Student Affairs; and the Dean's Office.

Restrictions During Leave

Graduate students cannot go on a leave of absence to write their dissertation. Graduate students actively working on their dissertation must be either registered or registered in absentia. F-1 students requesting Curricular Practical Training (CPT) cannot be on leave of absence status and must be registered. International graduate students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) can take a leave for outside employment for up to the maximum 3 quarters allowed. legally. A student may not use more than 12 hours of university time (faculty and facilities) during the quarter in which they are on an approved leave of absence. student, if you are using more than 12 hours of university time, including working with a professor, you are not allowed to be on an official leave.

Important Considerations for Graduate Students

International Students: International students must consult with the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars before applying for a leave of absence. Federal policy governing students on F-1 and J-1 visas restricts leaves of absence to certain conditions. The Dashew Center, in consultation with the Division of Graduate Education, individually evaluates each international graduate student request for a leave of absence to determine that it meets federal (and university) eligibility criteria. F-1 or J-1 status holders may not maintain continuous immigration status while on LOA. Please note that this may also affect their employment/internship eligibility in the future. International graduate students may be required to obtain a new I-20 or a new DS-2019 from Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars (DCISS) when returning to UCLA from a leave of absence.
Registration: Graduate students must register upon returning from an official leave of absence. If you do not enroll and are not on an approved leave of absence, you will have a “lapsed status.” This happens when a graduate student is not enrolled for classes, registered in absentia, on an approved leave of absence, or for the final quarter, on filing fee status.
Residency: Students returning to the University after an absence of two or more consecutive terms must submit a statement of legal residence (SLR) to the Registrar’s Office and are assessed registration fees. Non-resident tuition, professional fees and registration fees continue to be based on where you are in the program. If you are taking two or more quarters of leave you must complete the Statement of Legal Residence prior to the first day of the quarter you return.
Refunds: Refunds of registration fees are calculated based on calendar days, beginning with the first day of instruction. The effective date for determining a refund of fees is the date the request is submitted to the Division of Graduate Education. Departments typically rescind ALL department funding. Based on the refund percentage applied, this may leave students responsible for a balance of the fee assessment. Please reach out to your program’s SAO if requesting an exception to the schedule of refunds. While on an approved leave of absence there is no automatic refund of the UC SHIP fee. Students who purchased UC SHIP, withdraw, and/or receive a 100% refund for tuition, only the UC SHIP fee is not automatically refunded and UC SHIP coverage remains for that term. Refunds are calculated on the remainder of registration fees minus the cost of UC SHIP. The UC SHIP office must verify that the student has not accessed the benefits or used any aspect of plan services before any refund can be considered. This process may take up to 30 business days to complete. No refund of the UC SHIP fee is granted if any claim(s) have been paid.
Loans: Loan repayment can be deferred for 6 months after a graduate student graduates or drops below part time enrollment. For students whose leave of absence extends beyond six months, loans will enter repayment.
Student Health Insurance: Students on approved leave of absence may enroll voluntarily in UCSHIP. Plan coverage may be purchased for a maximum of one semester or two quarters. Health insurance is available to nonregistered students who are on official LOA through Voluntary UC SHIP. Students must complete an enrollment application with Wells Fargo Insurance Services.
University Housing: Residents of university housing can maintain their residency while taking up to one quarter leave of absence. If the leave is longer, the student must leave housing and then re-apply upon return.

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