Adopting a Child

• When and How Benefits Apply?
• What are the Initial Steps?
• What happens to my Salary?
• What happens to my Benefits?
• While I am out...
• When I return...
• Quick Reference – To Do List

If you are adopting a child, you may qualify for benefits under DePaul’s Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations. Please refer to the following chart to learn when and how these benefits apply to the birth of a child. (To read a description of the policy, please click on the policy name.)

What should I do first?

Contact your manager. Then, contact the Reed Group, DePaul’s leave of absence administrator, at 1-866-302-2378, to inform them of your absence. The Reed Group will send you instructions and the forms you need to complete.

Is the leave paid?

FMLA leave is unpaid. However, salary may be continued by using accrued vacation time.

Do my benefits continue while I am on an approved FMLA leave?

Coverage under the following university benefit plans may continue during a qualified FMLA leave of absence if you were covered on the day the leave began and employee contributions (where applicable) are paid:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision Care
• Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Adoption Assistance
• Faculty and Staff Assistance Program
• 403(b) Retirement Plan Contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Transportation Program Deductions
• Health Savings Account Contributions
• Sick Time
• Vacation Time

During Unpaid Leave

Generally an FMLA leave taken because you are the father of a newborn child will be unpaid. You may use accrued vacation time. If you are not eligible to receive pay under the University vacation policy, the leave will be unpaid and you are responsible for paying the employee contribution amount for those benefits that require an employee contribution. This can be done on an after-tax basis by personal check and forwarding such payment to the Human Resources department, by arranging pre-payment via pre-tax (if appropriate) deductions prior to the leave or by retroactive payment of premium on a pre-tax (if appropriate) basis after returning to active employment.

Retirement plan contributions and Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions will be suspended during an unpaid FMLA leave. You may make Health Savings Account post-tax contributions directly to your HSA account. Upon your return from unpaid leave, contributions that have been suspended by Human Resources will re-start automatically.

During Paid Leave

If you are eligible to receive pay under the university vacation policy, some or all of the FMLA leave may be paid. While you are receiving pay, all of the above-mentioned plans and contributions continue during an FMLA leave. Regular employee contributions will continue through payroll deduction.
You may elect to discontinue your participation in Flexible Spending Accounts – but you must do so within 31 days of the commencement of the leave. If you elect to discontinue participation in your Spending Accounts, your participation ends at the end of the month following your last active pay period. Expenses incurred during the leave after your participation ends are not eligible for reimbursement. Note: Dependent care expenses are not generally eligible for reimbursement while you are on a leave. Therefore, you may want to give particular consideration to discontinuing participation in the Dependent Care FSA during a leave of absence.

Faculty and staff can change or stop retirement plan, transportation program, and Health Savings Account contributions at any time.

Vacation and Sick Time

Sick pay can not be applied during an FMLA for the purpose of caring for a new born child.

Under the University FMLA policy, if the approved leave is for the purpose of caring for a new born child, you must use at least half of your accrued vacation time during the leave. If an employee uses accrued vacation for part or all of an approved FMLA leave, the FMLA leave and vacation days will run concurrently so that each day or portion of a day in which the employee receives vacation pay will count toward the 12-week FMLA limit.

What happens if a performance review or salary increase is scheduled during the time I am on leave?

If you are on an unpaid FMLA leave, the review and/or increase will be postponed until you have returned to work.

What do I need to do during my absence from work?

Stay in touch with your manager and the Reed Group, DePaul’s leave of absence administrator at 1-866-302-2378. Notify your manager and the Reed Group of your expected return date.

What do I do if I need to extend my absence?

Stay in touch with your manager and contact the Reed Group, DePaul’s leave of absence administrator at 1-866-302-2378. The Reed Group will provide you with instructions and any forms which need completion to request an extension.

Is any documentation needed in order to return to work?

No. Contact your manager and the Reed Group (1-866-302-2378) a week prior to your return to confirm your return to work date.

Do I need to re-elect my benefits plans?

No. If your leave was unpaid, all benefits contributions you were making when your leave began, such as the 403(b) Retirement Plan contributions, will re-start automatically.

If you choose to discontinue any benefits while on leave, you may need to re-enroll upon your return to work.  Contact HR for more information.

If your leave was paid, and you elected to stop Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account contributions, you will need to re-elect participation in that program.

Otherwise no re-elections are required.

What will happen if I do not return to work when my leave time has expired?

Failure to return may result in termination of employment