Paid Parental Leave

The Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Program at Wichita State University has been updated to implement the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Paid Parental Leave policy effective September 19, 2021. PPL provides eligible employees designated as a Primary or Secondary Caregiver with paid leave at 100% of their base rate of pay following the birth or adoption of a child (up to six (6) years of age), or of placement of a child for foster care.

Program Provisions

The following provisions apply for PPL requests:

  • PPL may be granted for use during a designated Benefit Period. For adoption or foster placement, the Benefit Period is the first twelve (12) weeks following a qualified adoption or foster placement of a child. For birth of a child, the Benefit Period may begin up to thirty (30) days prior to birth with an FMLA qualifying event (e.g., complications of pregnancy), and continues for the first twelve (12) weeks following the qualified birth.
  • Employees designated as a Primary Caregiver (a parent of a newborn, adoptive child, or foster child with primary child-rearing responsibility) may receive up to eight (8) weeks of PPL during the Benefit Period.
  • Employees designated as a Secondary Caregiver (a parent of a newborn, adoptive child, or foster child with secondary child-rearing responsibility who shared caregiving with a Primary Caregiver) may receive up to four (4) weeks of PPL during the Benefit Period.
  • PPL must be taken in one continuous block of time within the Benefit Period. Any exception to this frequency of leave (i.e. reduced schedule/part-time or intermittent leave) must be approved by the employee's department.
  • PPL will not be granted after the Benefit Period. Any remaining PPL balance not utilized during the Benefit Period will be forfeited.
  • If applicable, PPL will run concurrently to qualified leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA provides up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid job-protected leave within the first twelve (12) months from the birthdate or adoption placement date.
  • Employees may use other paid leave benefits before or after the PPL Benefit Period in accordance with other applicable WSU policies.
  • The use of PPL for placement of a foster care child is limited to one Benefit Period per calendar year.

Request Procedures

Eligibility Requirements

All benefit-eligible employees (0.5 full-time equivalency (FTE) or greater position as faculty, unclassified professional or university support staff) who meet the following requirements, as determined by Human Resources (HR), are eligible to request PPL:

  • You have at least twelve months of continuous service with the State of Kansas;
  • You are requesting leave to be a Primary or Secondary Caregiver for a birth, adoption (up to six years of age), or foster placement that occurs on or after September 19, 2021;
  • You will be in active paid appointment status at the time of your request for leave; and

If you are eligible for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), you must also apply for and be approved for FMLA coverage for the birth or adoption of a child when requesting PPL. (You may refer to University Policy 3.34 / Family and Medical Leave Act and the FMLA website for more information about FMLA.)

Employees taking leave for reasons unrelated to the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child (e.g. care of a child with a serious health condition following birth or adoption) are not eligible for PPL.

Requesting Paid Parental Leave

To request PPL, please carefully review and complete the following steps:

  • Read University Policy 3.57 / Paid Parental Leave Program for Employees.
  • Provide written notice to your leader of your leave request at least 30 days in advance of your anticipated leave period unless extenuating circumstances arise. This notice should outline your planned leave schedule, including:
    • The anticipated length of leave,
    • The type(s) of leave (i.e. PPL, FMLA, accrued vacation leave, etc.) you plan to use and when you plan to use them, and
    • The frequency of leave (i.e. continuous, part-time/reduced schedule, intermittent) you plan to use and when you plan to use them.
  • Submit a completed Leave Request Form to HR via email at TotalRewards@wichita.edu or fax to 316-978-3274 to request leave. You will need to include:
    • The outline of the planned leave schedule you discussed with your leader, and
    • A copy of the written notice you provided to your leader regarding your leave request.

HR will review your request to confirm if you meet the individual eligibility requirements for PPL and FMLA. The Leave Administrator will respond within five (5) business days to advise your next steps and request any additional documentation needed to make a decision on your request. HR will provide a final determination following review of all required documentation.

Leave Entry during Paid Parental Leave

If your request for PPL is approved, you will be granted an equivalent number of hours associated with the benefit timeframe for which you qualify – eight weeks (320 hours) for designated Primary Caregivers and four weeks (160 hours) for designated Secondary Caregivers. The benefit hours will be loaded to a Paid Parental Leave bank.

The PPL bank will be activated at the beginning of your individual Benefit Period and the PLV (Leave – Paid Parental) code must be entered on your timesheet or leave report during the applicable period. Use of the PLV (Leave – Paid Parental) code will ensure you receive PPL and it will also designate your leave as FMLA, if applicable.

Following the end of your PPL benefit, if you are continuing qualified FMLA, FMLA-specific leave codes will be used to designate your leave for the remainder of your qualification period.

More specific information about appropriate leave entry during PPL and/or FMLA will be sent to you and your department by HR during the leave request process. 

Additional Information:

Who to contact

HR Total Rewards Team
totalrewards@wichita.edu
Human Resources Logo

SME: JO

Revised: 02/08/2024 NH