The information included is meant to answer basic questions. To get the best response for your individual maternity leave for childbirth, recovery, and baby bonding leave you need to work with Payroll and Personnel to schedule an appointment as every leave is different based on the type of birth, amount of time off, available sick leave and percentage of contract employed. Specific/individual salary and/or benefit questions will be addressed at the meeting.

Terminology
“Maternity” leave includes two separate types of leave: 

Pregnancy Disability leave (PDL): for conditions of pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery. The PDL leave is for the period from the first day your health care provider takes you off work to the last day of your period of actual disability. It may be up to four months (17.3 weeks), and sick leave may be applied concurrently. 

Child bonding/Parental leave: leave to bond with a new child by birth, adoption, or foster care placement. Child bonding is up to twelve weeks (60 work days) and is available to the birth mother after the conclusion of the pregnancy disability. It is also available to the father or second parent after the child is born, and to all new parents of an adopted or foster care child. Child bonding may include paid parental leave under the Education Code.

How to request maternity leave?

Start by contacting Payroll and Personnel of your need for maternity leave for PDL or child bonding, or both.  They will send you information and can schedule an appointment to go over your specific leave.

Once you and your health care provider determine the dates for your PDL leave, please submit a letter to Meghan Baichtal, Assistant Superintendent – Personnel Services, requesting maternity leave based on your anticipated due date and include a written verification note from your health care provider reflecting the date the leave is to begin and the anticipated due date. The letter should also include how much total time off you’d like to take including any child bonding leave and unpaid leave that you would like to take after your Pregnancy Disability Leave and Child Bonding (maternity leave).

How is the amount of time off determined?

The Roseville City School District bases the approved paid time off on the State’s guidelines. Your doctor will determine the length of your Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL). In addition, you may be eligible to take up to 12 weeks of child bonding leave, as defined above.

How do you get paid for maternity time?

If the leave is for pregnancy-disability, you start using sick leave from the first day your health care provider puts you off work.  If you have enough sick leave to cover all of your allowed PDL time off there will be no difference in pay. If you use all of your sick leave before the PDL time is complete and you’re on a minimum 40% contract, you will be eligible for income protection through the District provider which entitles you to 75% of your income.  Income protection does not start until the seventh (7) day out and is paid through the end of your Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL). Income protection does not apply to child bonding leave.

Do you get/need to apply for State disability?

No, with the exception of any coverage you purchased on your own, all disability you’re entitled to is handled through the District.  The District has its own company/provider which makes sure, for those working a minimum 40% contract, you get 75% of your income for allowed maternity disability leave.

How will the time off affect your paychecks?

This question will be answered during your meeting with Payroll and Personnel.  Since each leave is different based on the amount of sick leave available (length of service, type of birth, any additional days taken non-paid, how the pay dock is spread out) it is not possible to give a ‘general’ response.

What happens to your pay if you take additional time after the maternity leave that includes PDL and Child Bonding?

Once your Pregnancy Disability Leave is complete, you may also qualify for Child Bonding Leave.  Beyond this, any additional time off would be non-paid. The pay you are entitled to for the remainder of the year would be decreased by one (1) day’s pay for every non-paid work/service day you elect to extend your leave. 

Will the unpaid time affect moving up on the salary schedule for the next year?

To gain a service year for salary movement you need to be in a paid status for at least 75% of the year.

How to arrange for a sub?

You need to work with your site administrator and Sub Services to determine what subs are available and if the sub you choose has the appropriate credential to cover the whole assignment.

How to add your baby to your benefits?

If you elect to add your newborn to your benefits you need to notify Payroll within 30 days of birth or you’ll be required to wait until open enrollment.

Other things to know

STRS credit for the year is reduced by one day for each non-paid day you are out.

FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act/CFRA)/CFRA (California Family Rights Act) – who is eligible and what it actually means.  Employees with one year of service and who meet certain hours worked in a 12-month period are eligible for FMLA/CFRA. If you’re eligible, FMLA will be automatically initiated on your first day out on PDL leave and runs for  a maximum of 12 weeks; CFRA (same eligibility requirements as FMLA) begins immediately after the period of actual disability for PDL/FMLA is concluded if you continue to take time off and runs for a maximum of 12 weeks. Both FMLA/CFRA cover the cost above/over the District’s paid portion of benefits but is still considered NON-PAID time off, unless you are using paid parental leave under the California Education Code. Paid parental leave, when applicable, is generally partial pay (subdifferential) and is considered paid status.