Leaves of Absence

Employees shall be entitled to leaves of absence as per University policies for Officers of Research outlined in the current Faculty Handbook, as required by law, and according to the Agreement. The University reserves the right to modify leave policies after notice to the Union, provided that such leave policies are substantially equivalent to those provided to other similarly situated employees. Effective January 1, 2021, full-time Employees who have worked at Columbia for a minimum of one (1) year and who become a parent of a newborn child or adopt or foster a child under the age of six (6) during the term of their appointment may be granted up to six (6) weeks of paid parental leave at full salary. The six (6) weeks of paid parental leave at full salary will run concurrently with NYSPFL, not in addition to it. This leave may be taken any time within a year of the birth or adoption or foster placement. Employees who wish to extend their parental leave time may opt to take leave as granted under Federal and New York State laws and/or University policies. Under current University policy, full-time ARSs and PDRSs who are primary caregivers may request unpaid or partially paid leaves to care for a newborn or adopted child. The total period of pregnancy-related medical and parental leave may not exceed 12 months.

Employees may take unpaid personal leave in accordance with the University’s established personal leave policies and are entitled to 3 days of paid bereavement leave. Longer paid absences for bereavement in circumstances of logistical difficulty or religious observance may be taken, subject to supervisor approval, which will not be unreasonably denied.

Postdoctoral Research Fellows shall be entitled to the same leaves unless their source of external funding specifies provisions that differ. The external source of funding will continue to be responsible for covering compensation during the leave.