Leave requests must be made 30 days in advance of the leave start, when anticipated.
Unplanned leaves must be requested as soon as possible.
Requesting a Leave
- Who can submit a leave request?
- Employees should submit their leave request via AggieService. If unable, the employee’s direct supervisor can submit a leave request on the employee’s behalf via AggieService.
- What information should an employee share with their supervisor?
Employees must notify their direct supervisor of the need to take a leave and the estimated leave duration.
Medical documentation should be provided directly to the leave specialist.
- What happens after the leave request is submitted?
A leave specialist will be assigned to the AggieService case and will contact the employee and their supervisor to coordinate the leave.
1. LOA Services notifies the employee of eligibility and rights
Provides notification within five (5) business days of receipt of leave request; requests medical certification of the need for leave
2. Employee provides appropriate medical certification
Employee provides certification within 15 days of receiving their Notice of Eligibility or notifies LOA Services if extra time is needed. If certification is unclear or incomplete, LOA Services requests additional information.
3. LOA Services provides employee with designation
Within 5 business days of employer receiving sufficient information regarding qualification of leave, LOA Services provides written notification of designation, disability filing instructions, benefits contact, and return to work information to the employee.
- How do I extend my current leave?
- Employee must notify their Leave Specialist and supervisor of the leave extension as soon as possible. Employee must provide an updated medical certification to the Leave Specialist one week before the original return-to-work date.
FMLA / CFRA
- What are the eligibility requirements?
Employees must have at least 12 months of university service (need not be continuous) and at least 1,250 hours actually worked in the 12-month period immediately preceding the leave start.
Actual worked hours include overtime; however, holiday, vacation, sick leave, or other paid leaves are excluded.
- How is the 1,250 hours worked determined?
To determine eligibility for FMLA, your actual worked hours are calculated on a rolling 12-month basis for the time immediately preceding the leave start.
For example, if you are requesting medical leave with a 91/26 leave start, the leave specialist will review your worked hours for the 12-month period prior, 9/1/25 - 8/31/26.
- How much leave can an employee take?
FMLA and/or CFRA allow for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per calendar year. In most instances, FMLA and CFRA will run concurrently.
FMLA/CFRA can be taken as a continuous leave, reduced work schedule or intermittently.
- Who is considered a qualifying relationship?
FMLA covers:
- Employee’s own serious health condition
- Parent, child, or spouse/domestic partner with a serious health condition
- Baby bonding
CFRA covers:
- Employee’s own serious health condition
- Parent, child, or spouse/domestic partner with a serious health condition
- Sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or parent-in-law with a serious health condition
- “Designated person” with a serious health condition
- someone else related by blood or in a family-like relationship with a serious health condition
- Baby bonding
Pregnancy Disability Leave
- Can I take leave related to pregnancy disability if I have worked for UC less than a year?
- Yes, there is no minimum length of service or hour requirement for pregnancy disability leave.
- What leave am I entitled to for pregnancy disability and/or baby bonding?
If medically necessary, pregnancy disability may extend for up to 4 months.
If you are FMLA/CFRA eligible, PDL and FMLA will run concurrently. CFRA (for baby bonding) will begin following the period of pregnancy disability.
Pay During Leave
- How do I get paid during continuous leave for my own serious health condition?
You may use your Sick & Vacation accruals in accordance with your collective bargaining agreement or personnel policy.
You can file a disability claim with Lincoln Financial Group; or
If your accrued time balances are exhausted you may be eligible for a Catastrophic Pay donation.
- How do I get paid during continuous leave to care for a family member?
You may use your Sick & Vacation accruals in accordance with your collective bargaining agreement or personnel policy.
You may also be eligible to receive Pay for Family Leave and Bonding, which provides income replacement of 100% of eligible earnings for up to 8 workweeks per calendar year to replace the income that employees would otherwise lose during an approved Family and Medical Leave taken for a qualifying reason.
- How do I get paid for intermittent leave?
- You may use your Sick & Vacation accruals in accordance with your collective bargaining agreement or personnel policy.
Disability Income
- How do I file a disability income claim?
File your disability income claim online at Lincoln Financial. If you are a new user, select Register Now to create an account. If you are a returning user, enter your username and password.
Company code: UNIVERSITY
- When will I start receiving disability income?
Disability income will begin after the required waiting period. Based on the amount of Sick time you have accrued, the waiting period will extend 10 – 22 business days.
Once your disability benefits are approved, you can expect to receive checks every two weeks. Be sure to provide information to the carrier about your medical, legal or financial situation, as requested.
- What about State Disability Insurance (SDI)?
- UC does not participate in SDI. However, if you have been with UC for less than 18 months or if you have a second job that pays into SDI, then you may be eligible to file a claim for SDI in addition to filing a claim with Lincoln Financial. Visit CA State EDD for more information regarding SDI or to file a claim.
- What is the disability benefit offered through UC?
Short Term Disability - Basic
- UC paid
- Enrollment is automatic as soon as you become eligible
- Benefit: 55% of eligible earning; max of $800 per month
- Duration: up to 6 months
Short Term Disability – Voluntary
- Employee paid contribution
- Must elect to enroll within 31-day period of initial eligibility (PIE)
- Benefit: 60% of eligible earnings; max of $15,000 per month
- Duration: up to 6 months
LongTerm Disability – Voluntary
- Employee paid contribution
- Must elect to enroll within 31-day period of initial eligibility (PIE)
- Benefit: 60% of eligible earnings; max of $15,000 per month
- Duration: after 6 month waiting period through Social Security retirement age for most conditions
Benefits while on Leave
- What happens to my benefits while on leave?
On Pay Status
- Use of Sick Leave, Vacation/PTO, PFCB, or Academic Paid Medical Leave
- Benefits continue as if EE is working
- Regular EE contributions taken from paycheck
- UC continues to pay UC contribution
Off UC Pay Status / Entitled Leave
- EE responsible for regular contributions (UCPath sends Benefits Billing Statement)
- While on FMLA, CRFA, or PDLL, UC continues to pay UC contribution for medical, dental, and vision
Off UC Pay Status / STD / No Entitled Leave
- EE responsible for regular medical contribution for up to 6months (UCPath sends Benefits Billing Statement)
- EE responsible for EE + UC contribution for dental and vision (UCPath sends Benefits Billing Statement)
- UC continues to pay UC medical contribution for up to 6 months
Off Pay Status / No STD / No Entitled Leave
- EE responsible for full EE + UC contribution for medical, dental, and vision (UCPath sends Benefits Billing Statement)
UCPath will send Benefits Billing invoices for the current month of coverage. For example, you’ll receive a January 1 invoice for January benefits coverage.
For further assistance, login to UCPath and click "Ask UCPath". Payments can be made online via the Benefits Billing Portal.
Note: Depending on the duration of your leave without pay (i.e. less than a month), you may not receive a Benefits Billing statement and UCPath will reconcile any missed premiums upon your return from leave.- What happens to my Health and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending accounts while on leave?
Your options for the Flexible Spending Accounts depend on the type of leave. Please refer to the following Summary Plan booklets for detailed information.
Returning to Work
- Is a medical note confirming release to work required?
- Employees who were on a reduced schedule or continuous leave for their own serious health condition are required to provide medical documentation of their ability to return to with or without restrictions prior to returning to work.
- How do I return to work with restrictions?
If you received a return to work note with restrictions, contact your department to engage in the interactive process to review your restrictions, essential functions of your job, and explore potential accommodations. Please feel free to consult with Disability Management Services (DMS), if needed. Then your department will need to ensure any accommodations are documented
If your department is unable to accommodate your restrictions or if there are additional questions, please contact DMS at [email protected].
- How do I confirm my benefit enrollment upon return to work?
Review your benefits within 31 days of your return to work or pay status to verify your benefit enrollment is accurate. Prior plan enrollment in Basic Disability, Voluntary Short Term Disability, and/or Voluntary Long Term Disability is automatically reinstated upon return from approved leave of absence.
To view your enrollment, go to your Benefits Summary on the UCPath Portal.
UCPath will complete a review and reconciliation of your benefit enrollment upon your return from leave and notify you if any premium adjustments are needed. This may take up to 60 days to complete.
If you were on unpaid leave for 4 consecutive weeks or more, you may be able to purchase UCRP service credit for your unpaid period. For more information, see the UCRP Service Credit Purchase Guide.
For questions or assistance with your benefit enrollment, contact UCPath. For help with this process, view the instructions to Ask a Question in UCPath.
- Who do I contact for benefit enrollment verification and to resume any benefits not continued during my leave?
Contact UCPath within 31 days of your return from leave or to pay status for benefit enrollment verification and to restart benefits not continued during the leave. Submit an inquiry using the "Ask UCPath" button on the UCPath portal or call 855-982-7284.
If your unpaid leave was less than 120 days, you may re-enroll yourself (and your eligible dependents) in the same plans as before your leave. Following an unpaid leave of 120 days or more, you may enroll yourself and eligible dependents in any UC-sponsored plans for which you are eligible.
If you canceled any benefits during your leave of absence, you have a 31-day Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE) to reinstate coverage or make any changes, if eligible.
Military Leave
- How do I request a Military Leave?
- Employees should submit their leave request via AggieService. If unable, the employee’s direct supervisor can submit a leave request on the employee’s behalf via AggieService.
- Is Military Leave paid?
- Employees are allowed 30 days paid military leave per year.
- What happens to my benefits during Military Leave?
In most cases the first 30 days of Military leave are paid and your benefits coverage continues automatically, with both you and UC making the premium contributions as normal.
You have the option to continue Medical, Dental, Vision, and Legal coverage through the sixth month of your leave by paying the total monthly premium. Contact [email protected] to arrange to pay in advance.
To continue Medical, Dental or Vision coverage for up to an additional 18 months after that, you may apply for COBRA continuation coverage. WageWorks, a company that handles COBRA for UC, will send you an information packet with instructions.
If you choose to cancel your benefits during your leave, you’ll need to complete an election form (available from UCPath). For any benefits you cancel (or if you don’t pay premiums on time), your coverage ends the last day of the last pay period for which premiums are paid.
For additional information regarding health and supplemental benefits while on Military Leave please visit UCnet – Going on Military Leave.
- What about my benefits after Military Leave?
If you continued coverage during Military Leave, your benefits continue automatically.
If you did not continue coverage, sign up within 31 days of your return for the same plans with the same coverage you were enrolled in prior to leave.
- What steps should I take to return following Military Leave?
- Contact your leave specialist and supervisor to provide your return date.
- Do I earn Retirement Service Credit while on Military Leave?
Service credit for your military service is not granted automatically. You must submit form UBEN 132 (Service Credit Verification Request) with documentation to the address on the form.
The amount of service credit you earn while on leave varies by service type and the duration of Military Leave.
- Am I required to provide documentation for my return from Military Leave?
- Since you’ve already provided a copy of your military order, no additional documentation is needed prior to your return.
- How soon after Military Leave and I required to return to work?
- Reinstatement timeframes depend on the length of service.
- 1–30 days of service: Employees generally report back to work on the next scheduled workday after returning home and an eight-hour rest period.
- 31–180 days of service: Employees must return within 14 days after the end of their service.
- 181 days of service or more: Employees must return 90 days after the end of their service.
- These timeframes assume the military member does not have a service connected injury or illness, in which case the timeframes may be longer.