The University is dedicated to helping you find balance between your work and personal life. Vacations and other types of leaves of absences provide time away to care for yourself or others. For details about each of these leaves, including eligibility, check your employee group governance document and the administrative policies for leaves.
Vacation and Time Away
You can request time away,in MyU or use your unit’s time and absence process to make requests to make your request for:
Vacation Leave
Vacation leave is paid time off from work for you to use for your personal activities and to create a healthy balance between your work and personal life.
Availability and Requesting Vacation Leave
The amount of vacation leave available to you and the guidelines for using vacation leave vary by employee group. Refer to your employee group governance document or the Vacation Leave Administration Policy for Faculty and P&A Staff to find details.
You can request vacation leave or view the balance of your vacation time and rate of accrual in MyU by clicking My Time.
Be sure to talk with your supervisor about the best time to use your vacation leave.
Sick Time
Sick leave is time away from work to care for your own wellbeing or for the wellbeing of your dependent children or immediate family members.
Availability and Requesting Sick Time
You can request sick leave or view the balance of your sick time and rate of accrual in MyU by clicking My Time.
Also refer to your employee group governance document or the Paid Medical Leave and Disability Benefits for Faculty and P&A Employees Administrative Policy for details about your eligibility and guidelines for using sick leave.
Vacation Donation Program
The Vacation Donation Program supports eligible Civil Service and non-faculty Labor-Represented employees who are experiencing serious medical hardship or are caring for immediate family members with serious medical conditions and have exhausted all their paid leave options.
If you are interested in either donating or receiving paid vacation hours, review the Vacation Donation Program Administrative Policy and Administrative Procedure for Requesting or Donating paid Leave before participating.
COVID Absences & Emergency Paid Leave
School Conference and Activity Leave
The University of Minnesota supports a healthy balance between your work and family life. School conference and activity leave provides you with 16 hours of unpaid leave each year to attend your child’s school conferences or classroom activities.
You may be able to substitute this unpaid time with vacation or compensatory time, but be sure to read your employee group governance document or the Administrative Policy for Unpaid Personal Leaves for Faculty and P&A Employees for information about terms of this type of leave.
Court Appearance, or Civic Duty Leaves
Court Appearance, Jurry Duty, Voting, and Civic Commitments
Court appearance and civic duty leave allows employees to be absent from work for:
- Testifying before a court or legislative committee on matters concerning federal or state government, the University, or when called to testify as an expert
- Serving on a jury
- Voting in any state-held general election, primary special election, and special primary
- Serving as a precinct election judge
- Short times away due to military commitments
Refer to the Military, Court Appearance, or Civic Duty Leaves Administrative Policy and your employee group governance document to find details about each leave and procedures for requesting military leave.
Bereavement
The University offers bereavement time away to support employees experiencing a significant personal loss due to the death of an immediate family member. Bereavement leave allows you to:
- Attend funeral services, ceremonies, and interment
- Make necessary arrangements, including travel if necessary
- Serve as a pallbearer
Be sure to review your employee group governance document or the Bereavement Leave for Faculty and P&A Staff Administrative Policy for more information about bereavement leave.
Religious Holidays
The University provides employees with time away from work to observe religious holidays. Refer to the Employee Absences for Religious Holidays Administrative Policy and your employee group governance document for details.
Employee Development and Educational Activities
The University supports a culture of excellence and is committed to providing its employees with opportunities to participate in professional development, education, and training activities. The University provides employees with time away from work to attend these activities.
Refer to the Employee Development, Education, and Training Board of Regents Policy (pdf) and your employee group governance document for details.
Leave of Absence
ertain types of extended leaves of absence are more complex to administer. To help guide employees through the process, the University now uses a case management approach to support employees, their families, and supervisors during an extended leave.
You can start the Leave of Absence process three ways:
- Go to MyU to submit your leave information.
- Email [email protected].
- Or, call OHR’s Leave Administration team at 612-624-8647 or 800-756-2363 and choose option No. 2, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.
Once you submit your request, a leave specialist will contact you within one business day.
Parental Leave
Parental leave is available to employees who welcome a new child into their family. Whether by birth or adoption, parental leave allows you time away from work to care for your new child.
Details about who is eligible for parental leave and other requirements are outlined in your employee group governance document or the Parental Leave for Employees Administrative Policy.
Other Resources
You may also be eligible to enroll in FMLA in addition to your medical leave. Consult with your collegiate or administrative unit human resources staff.
Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, is a federal law that allows you up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave per fiscal year. With the proper medical documentation and supervisor approval, FMLA can be used for:
- Your own serious health condition
- The serious health condition of an immediate family member
- Caring for a newborn or newly placed adopted child or foster child
- The urgent need of an immediate family member who is on active duty in the military services
For more information, see the Family and Medical Leave web page.
Personal Leave
Personal Leave
The University offers unpaid personal leave to support eligible employees who need time away from work to attend to matters that affect their lives that are unrelated to their career at the University and that significantly interfere with their ability to meet their University work responsibilities.
Refer to your employee group governance document or the Administrative Policy for Unpaid Personal Leaves for Faculty and P&A Employees for details about this type of leave, including procedures for requesting a personal leave of absence.
Your Benefits During a Personal Leave of Absence
During an unpaid personal leave of absence, the University will not pay toward the cost of your medical, dental, and life insurance benefits. However, you do have the option to continue your medical, dental, and life insurance benefits and Flexible Spending Accounts. Be sure to review the Administrative Policy for Unpaid Personal Leaves for Faculty and P&A Employees, your employee group governance document, and federal and state continuation provisions (COBRA).
Employee Benefits will send a bill to you with the cost to continue your benefits while you are off payroll. If you choose to continue some or all of your benefits, you will pay the full cost of the coverage.
Once you return to active employment, the University will again pay toward the cost if you remain eligible.
Military Leave
Military duty leaves allows employees to be absent from work for longer periods to fulfill military service activities.
Leave of Absence
Certain types of extended leaves of absence are more complex to administer. To help guide employees through the process, the University now uses a case management approach to support employees, their families, and supervisors during an extended leave.
Who Can Use the Service
The leave of absence process includes faculty and staff. It does not cover graduate assistants, residents, fellows, or professionals-in-training.
How to Request a Leave
- Go to the My Time tab in MyU and click Request a Leave of Absence. How-to information is available if you have questions.
- If you have questions on how to submit your leave, call OHR’s Leave Administration team at 612-624-8647 or 800-756-2363 and choose option No. 2, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.
Once you submit your request, a leave specialist will contact you within one to two business days.
Employee Leave Checklist
1. Prepare
Timing
Before your leave (~4 weeks+)
My Tasks
Prepare for your leave of absence:
Review the Leave of Absence page.
Contact the Leave Administration team if you have further questions.
Related Resources
2. Plan
Timing
Before your leave (~1-2 weeks)
My Tasks
Plan coverage for your work:
Discuss leave with your supervisor.
Work with your supervisor to transition your work to others, as needed.
Keep your supervisor informed of any date changes related to your leave of absence
Request your leave:
Submit your leave of absence request in MyU > MyTime
Plan with your leave specialist:
Make sure your leave specialist has your contact information for when you’re away.
Meet with your leave specialist to develop a pay and absence plan.
Related Resources
3. Take Time Off
Timing
During your time away
My Tasks
Track your time off:
Enter your time off in your absence tool (for example, in the My Time tab in MyU) each week.
Pay + Benefits:
Understand pay information, especially if considering extending your leave.
Utilize Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for concerns, if necessary.
Stay connected:
IMPORTANT: Stay in touch with your leave specialist. Make sure you respond to emails, and notify them if you need to change your leave plans.
Related Resources
4. Return
Timing
Upon Return
My Tasks
Prepare for your return to work:
Your leave specialist will contact you one to two weeks before your planned return to confirm your return.
Update your leave specialist if your planned return date changes so they can notify your supervisor and HR staff.
Work with your leave specialist to ensure you have the right accommodations when you return.
Related Resources
- Employee Services | Disability Resource Center
- Resources available when returning from leave (for example, lactation policies and spaces)