Types of Leave
Sometimes events occur in an employee’s life which may require a leave of absence. Berkeley Lab has a variety of leave of absence policies. Where eligible, an employee may request a full absence away from work, intermittent days off, or a reduction in work hours.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that grants an eligible employee up to 12 weeks/480 hours of unpaid, job and benefit protected leave in a calendar year.
Employees are also covered under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), which provides up to 12 weeks/480 hours of family and medical leave for reasons unrelated to pregnancy disability. This can include the employee’s own serious health condition, or that of a family member, but can also include care for a newborn child or recently placed adopted or foster child.
Pregnant employees, employees who are the partners of a pregnant person, as well as adopting parents are eligible for various types of protected leaves of absence.
Berkeley Lab’s leave options now provide eligible employees up to five days of protected leave following a reproductive loss which includes a failed adoption or surrogacy, a miscarriage, stillbirth, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction. The policy change aligns with California legislation that became effective January 2024.
Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB) is an income replacement option for eligible employees while on a Family and Medical Leave. PFCB replaces 100% of an employee's eligible earnings for up to eight weeks.
Paid Parental Leave (PPL) provides non-represented employees ineligible for Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB) up to four weeks of paid parental leave at 100% pay.
Postdoctoral Fellow Paid Family Leave (PPFL) provides represented postdoctoral fellows up to eight weeks of paid family leave at 100% pay.
Eligible employees whose spouse, son, daughter or parent is on covered active duty or called to covered active duty status may use their FMLA 12-week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. Qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.
Berkeley Lab provides paid sick leave to continue the salary of eligible employees who are absent from work because of their own illness or injury; for medical appointments; for parental bonding; for family illness; or for other leaves as described in the Sick Leave policy and other related policies.