The Research Foundation Human Resources office helps to coordinate many resources that can enhance the health and well-being of all faculty and staff and maximize the quality of working life while minimizing the negative impact of illness and disability. Faculty and staff are welcome to meet with Human Resources Benefits Coordinator regarding any medical leave or disability accommodation.
Please review our Leave Administration Handbook for a comprehensive view of RF Leaves of Absence.
Request a Leave of Absence
In order to initiate a request for leave accommodation, an employee must fill out the RF Request for Leave form and submit it to rfbenefits@binghamton.edu.
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Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave each year for their own serious health condition or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. During this time, group health insurance continues at the same cost as when working.
Eligibility:
You must have worked for at least 12 months and logged 1,250 hours in the past year.
A break in service doesn’t reset your 12 months of service if you reached that milestone before leaving or after returning. However, if the break caused you to work less than 1,250 hours in the last year, you won’t be eligible.
Key Points:
How to Use FMLA: You can take leave all at once or intermittently.
Overlapping Leave: FMLA runs at the same time as Disability or Paid Family Leave.
Use of Paid Time Off: You can charge up to the FTE you were at prior to going on leave(except with NY State Disability, where sick days must be used first).
Required forms:
FMLA (Employee) - Certification of Healthcare Provider - WH-380-E
FMLA (Family Member) - Certification of Healthcare Provider - WH-380-F
FMLA (Military) - Certification - WH-385
For more information, please visit the Family Medical Leave Act page.
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Disability
New York State Disability provides partial income replacement for employees unable to work due to an illness or injury that happens outside of work.
What it Pays: Employees receive 50% of their average weekly salary, up to $170 per week, for up to 26 weeks within a 52-week period.
Eligibility: All RF employees are automatically enrolled. If you had coverage with a previous employer, there’s no waiting period. Otherwise, coverage starts:
- After 4 weeks of full-time work
- After 25 workdays for part-time employees
Key Points:
Notify HR and Supervisor: Let them know as soon as possible if you need to use this benefit.
When Benefits Begin: Payments start on the 8th consecutive day you’re unable to work (after a 7-day waiting period).
Use of Paid Time Off: PTO sick must be charged at your FTE. If an observed holiday falls during the period of disability, holiday is charged for that day. If a floating holiday falls during the period of disability, sick accruals are charged for the day and the holiday is banked for future use. Once PTO sick accruals cease, you will begin receiving disability payments.
You may use accrued PTO Vacation, Holiday or Personal to supplement disability income up to your equivalent regular salary.
Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits: Benefits continue at no cost while you’re receiving disability payments.
Maximum Duration: Benefits are available for up to 26 weeks.
Returning to work: You are required to provide a doctor’s note clearing you to return to work. If an accommodation is needed, please review our process for a Reasonable Accommodation.
Required forms:
Disability Claim Form - DB-450
For more information, please visit the NYS Disability Insurance page.
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Voluntary Short Term Disability
The Research Foundation offers eligible employees the option to purchase additional short-term disability coverage, beyond those provided by the New York State Disability Benefits Law.
You pay the full cost of this benefit.
Enrollment can be completed by submitting a Benefits Enrollment form and Voluntary Short-Term Disability Enrollment Form to rfbenefits@binghamton.edu.
Eligibility:
You’re eligible if you work at least 50% of full time and earn at least $15,000 a year.
If you enroll as soon as you’re eligible, you’re guaranteed coverage—no medical exams or health questions—and pre-existing conditions won’t be excluded.
Key Points:
Benefit Amount: You can choose a weekly benefit in $100 increments, up to the lesser of $2,000 or 60% of your salary. Your voluntary benefit will be reduced by any payments you get from NY State Disability.
Maximum Duration: Benefits are available for up to 26 weeks.
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Long Term Disability
Long Term Disability provides income replacement benefits to employees on the first day following 180 days (26 weeks) of an approved certified total disability.
Eligibility:
Full-time Research Foundation employees are eligible after completing one year of full-time service.
Effective July 1, 2024, part-time employees working at least 50% of a full-time schedule are eligible after completing the required waiting period.
Key Points:
Benefit Amount: You’ll receive 60% of your regular monthly salary, up to $7,500 per month.
Duration: How long benefits last depends on your age when the disability begins.
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Paid Family Leave (PFL)
New York State Paid Family Leave provides job protection and income replacement to eligible employees who need to be away from work for the following reasons:
- To take care of a seriously ill family member (spouse, domestic partner, child, parents, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild)
- To bond with a newborn, adopted or foster child in the first 12 months after birth or placement
- To attend family issues related to a qualifying military deployment
Eligibility:
If you work 20+ hours a week, you’re eligible after 26 consecutive weeks of employment.
If you work less than 20 hours a week, you’re eligible after working 175 days, which do not have to be consecutive.
Key Points:
Benefit Amount: You can receive 67% of your average weekly wage for up to 12 weeks.
How to Use: Take leave all at once or intermittently.
Use of Paid Time Off: You can use accrued PTO to make up the difference to reach your full pay. For Baby Bonding you may charge Vacation, Holiday and Personal. Family Member you may charge Sick (maximum of 30 days annually), then Vacation, Holiday and Personal. Military you may charge Sick (if applicable, maximum of 30 days annually), Vacation, Holiday and Personal.
Continuing Benefits: Fill out a Continuation of Benefits form to keep RF benefits during leave. You’ll receive a bill from the Central Office for payments.
Required forms:
For more information, please visit the New York State Paid Family Leave page.
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PTO Parental Leave
Parental PTO provides income replacement during an approved Child Care leave. Eligible employees may accrue up to a maximum of 12 weeks of Parental PTO which may be used for bonding following the birth of a child or placement for adoption or foster care.
Eligibility
Salaried regular or post-doc employees appointed at a minimum of .5 full time equivalent (FTE) are eligible to accrue and use Parental PTO unless they are:
- Within the first six months of their date of hire. (Eligible employees will be credited with Parental PTO accruals, based on their FTE, from their date of hire, upon completion of six months service.)
- Appointed for the summer only.
Key Points:
Payment Rate: Employees receive full pay, based on the number of days they have accrued.
Accrual Rate: Employees accrue 1.154 days (or at a reduced amount if effort is less than 1.0 FTE) of PTO Parental bi-weekly as of January 1, 2024 or their service date (whichever is later).
When to Use: Parental PTO must be taken all at once within 6 months of the child’s birth or placement. It can only be used once per year, starting from the first day PTO is used.
PTO Usage: If an observed holiday falls during the period an employee is using Parental PTO, holiday is charged for that day.
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Workers Compensation
The RF, in compliance with the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law, provides partial income replacement and payments for medical expenses for a work-related illness or injury.
Eligibility:
All RF employees are covered.
Key Details:
Report Immediately: Let HR and your supervisor know about any work-related illness or injury as soon as possible. The HR department will file a claim on your behalf.
Coverage Start: Coverage starts on your first day of work.
Use of Paid Time Off: You may choose to remain on RF payroll and use sick accruals from the first day of the injury/illness until accruals are exhausted. A portion of these accruals may be credited back to your balance once the claim is approved.
Income Replacement:
- Payments start on the 8th day of your disability.
- If your disability lasts more than 14 days, payments will be retroactive to the first day of your disability.
- You can receive up to two-thirds of your average weekly pay, but no more than the state’s maximum benefit.
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Maternity Leave
A maternity leave can encompass Disability, Paid Family Leave, PTO Parental Leave and/or FMLA. If you qualify for all types of leave, you may be able to take up to 30–32 weeks off! HR can help you decide whether your priority is maximizing pay or taking the most time off.
Eligibility:
Employees seeking maternity leave must meet the qualifications of each leave available (Disability, Paid Family Leave, PTO Parental Leave and/or FMLA.)
A typical maternity leave for an employee who qualifies for all 4 leaves, looks like this:
Family Medical Leave Act – FMLA runs concurrently (or at the same time) as Disability, PTO Parental Leave, and/or PFL for up to 12 weeks. This is unpaid, job protection.
The following plans run consecutively (or 1 after another):
Disability - You begin on disability for 6 weeks (natural birth) or 8 weeks (c-section).
- You are required to drain your sick accruals and once PTO sick accruals cease, you will begin receiving disability payments. You may use accrued PTO Vacation, Holiday or Personal to supplement disability income up to your equivalent regular salary.
- Maximum $170/week, unless enrolled in Voluntary Short-Term Disability
- Must be used in 1 block of time
- Can end early and switch to PFL or PTO Parental, or waive altogether, however once you waive disability, you cannot restart it, therefore this will shorten the length of your leave
- Benefits are covered while on disability
* The disability period can be longer than 6-8 weeks if your doctor states you are unable to work prior to delivering (ex. Your doctor states you are unable to work on 1/1, and you deliver your baby via c-section on 1/8. You will be in disability for 9 weeks; 1/1-1/7 when you were pulled from work in addition to the 8 week c-section recovery period.)
PTO Parental Leave – The day after your disability period ends, you switch to PTO Parental Leave for up to 12 weeks (based on accruals).
- Must be used within the first 6 months of birth
- Must be used in a block of time, at full day increments
- 100% pay through the RF
- Time off depends on the number of days accrued
- Benefits will come out of your bi-weekly pay on PTO Parental leave
Paid Family Leave – The day after PTO Parental Leave ceases, you switch to PFL for 12 weeks.
- Must be used in the first 12 months of birth
- 67% of your average weekly wage from carrier
- Can supplement 33% of accruals with the RF
- Can be used intermittently or in a block of time
- Benefits will be billed by our Central Office at regular employee rate, unless supplementing 33% of accruals and your check is enough to cover the cost of benefits.
HR can guide you through the process to ensure your leave aligns with your needs!
