Overview

Employees are expected to make every reasonable effort to attend work regularly and consistently; however, we recognize the complexity of family circumstances and healthcare services. UNI supports employees in their family responsibilities during an immediate family member's illness or injury by offering employees the option to use a designated portion of their accrued sick time for this purpose.

What is "Family Caregiving"?

Family Caregiving is a designated portion of accrued sick time that employees may use for absences related to the care and necessary attention of an ill or injured family member which cannot take place outside of regular work hours. This type of time off may also be used for absences for the birth of their child.

What is the definition of "immediate family"?

Immediate family means the employee's spouse/domestic partner, children, grandchildren, foster children, stepchildren, legal wards, parents, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, brothers, foster brothers, stepbrothers, sons-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters, foster sisters, stepsisters, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, first cousins, corresponding relatives of the employee's spouse/domestic partner and other persons who are members of the employee's household.

How much family caregiving time off is available to employees?

• Staff members may use up to forty (40) hours of family caregiving (prorated for part-time positions) per their work anniversary year or FTE change date.
• Staff members may carry over up to forty (40) hours of their unused family caregiving balance to the next anniversary year for a maximum utilization of eighty (80) hours in an anniversary year (prorated for part-time positions).
• Family caregiving hours cannot be used in excess of available accrued sick time because those designated hours are deducted from an employee's accrued sick balance.
• Staff members who need additional time to care for ill or injured family members beyond their available hours of family caregiving may request vacation, compensatory time, or unpaid time off (if vacation and/or comp time accruals are unavailable), if appropriate.
• Faculty members may use up to fifteen (15) days of family caregiving per academic year. Review the Faculty Handbook for more information.

What is the difference between family caregiving and the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

• Family caregiving reflects the designated portion of accrued sick time an employee may use for absences to care for an ill or injured family member, or for the birth of their child.
• The Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave per 12-month period to eligible employees for qualifying family, medical, and military-related reasons.
• Not all family caregiving leave situations will qualify under the rules of the FMLA because employees must meet eligibility criteria and be approved by Human Resource Services (HRS).
• Family member relationships covered by the FMLA include an eligible employee’s parents, spouse, and child whereas the family caregiving benefit allows for care of a broader range of family members.
• When absences to care for family members meet criteria for FMLA entitlement and are approved by HRS, employees may use their available family caregiving hours concurrently with those absences.

How do I know if my situation qualifies to use family caregiving time off?

Examples of care and necessary attention for ill or injured family members that meet the definition to use family caregiving time off include:

• Transportation to and/or from medical appointments related to your family member's illness or injury.
• Facilitate communication with your family member's healthcare provider.
• Help your family member understand healthcare recommendations and make decisions.
• Coordinate your family member’s healthcare treatment and follow-up.
• Provide information to healthcare personnel regarding insurance/sources of payment.
• Monitor and/or administer treatments, therapy, or medications to your family member.
• Provide direct care to your family member to help them meet personal needs that cannot be met during non-work hours.

Can I use family caregiving hours for the birth of my child?

• If you are an expectant parent who needs to care for your spouse or domestic partner during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery for the birth of your child, you may use family caregiving hours on an intermittent or continuous basis.
• Eligible expectant parents may also qualify for FMLA leave entitlement to care for your spouse or domestic partner due to this qualifying event and/or to bond with your healthy newborn child. Contact HRS for more information at 319.273.6164 or hrs-leaves@uni.edu.

Can I use family caregiving for childcare?

• Family caregiving time off should not be used if you are unable to work due to the need to care for your healthy/well child or grandchild when the usual childcare provider is unavailable or when school is closed.
• If you are unable to report to work due to lack of childcare, you will need to request vacation, compensatory time, or unpaid time off (if you have no vacation/comp time available). You may also choose to work with your manager to determine if it is feasible for you to make up missed work time, if appropriate.

Can I use family caregiving to take my family member to a wellness exam or annual physical?

• Family caregiving should not be utilized for routine dental visits, well-baby/child exams, and annual physicals.
• If you need to miss work for this reason, you should request vacation, compensatory time, or unpaid time off (if you do not have vacation/comp time accruals available). You may also choose to work with your manager to determine if it is feasible for you to make up missed work time, if appropriate.

Is travel time included when I need to use family caregiving hours?

• Travel time may be included if the travel occurs during your regular work schedule and you are requred to transport your ill or injured family member to receive necessary care.

Does care for an elderly family member qualify for family caregiving?

• Family caregiving may be used to care for an aging parent or relative. See definition of immediate family member.
• The aging parent or relative must meet the criteria of being ill or injured and you must be needed to provide care and necessary attention.
• The illness or injury may include chronic conditions and the event may be a scheduled appointment for treatment or monitoring of their chronic condition(s).

Do I need to provide documentation in order to use family caregiving time off?

• Departments may request verification of your need to be absent from work to care for your ill or injured family member, as applicable.
• If your family care situation might also qualify for FMLA protected leave, you should contact HRS at hrs-leaves@uni.edu to inquire about your eligibility.
• For eligible employees with a qualifying family member situation, HRS will provide you with the necessary FMLA paperwork to be completed by your family member's healthcare provider.

Where do I find my family caregiving balance and how do I request time off?

To find your balance, login to UNI Works and locate the Menu → Absence → View → Absence Balance

• Your Family Caregiving hours are listed separately from your balance of Sick hours; however, the maximum family caregiving hours that may be used is limited by the amount of sick accruals available.
• For example: if you only have 10 hours of sick time and your family caregiving hours balance is 25 hours, you may only use up to 10 hours of your family caregiving balance.
• To determine your total accruals balance available, take the total hours on the Absence Balance and subtract the Family Caregiving hours.

To request family caregiving time off, login to UNI Works and locate the Menu → Absence → Request Absence → Absence Calendar → Select Date(s) → Request Absence → Select Time Off → Select Family Caregiving → Enter Quantity Per Day → Submit

Questions regarding timecard completion may be directed to kim.andersen@uni.edu.

Additional Resources

• UNI Works
• 4.57 Sick Leave
• 4.49 FMLA Leave
• Faculty Handbook