For Expectant Fathers

To be eligible for a job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or California Family Rights Act (CFRA), an employee must meet all of the following:

• Have been employed by the University for at least 12 months,
• Have completed at least 1,250 hours of service (an average of about 24 hours per week) during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the leave commences, and
• Work in a location with 50 employees or within 75 miles of such location.

Employees who do not qualify or no longer qualify for FMLA or CFRA under this policy may be eligible for a LOA under the University's Supplemental Medical or Supplemental Personal Leave policies. Please contact Human Resources at benefits@pepperdine.edu for more information.

Employees are required to complete Pepperdine's Leave of Absence Intake Form prior to the start of their leave.

If you are not a California resident, please contact Human Resources at benefits@pepperdine.edu for more information on your state’s leave policy.

California employees may be eligible to receive eight weeks of paid benefits under Paid Family Leave (PFL). PFL is a partial wage replacement benefit and provides up to 70-90% of your gross weekly salary while you are on an approved FMLA/CFRA leave for bonding time. 

Employees eligible for leave under CFRA are provided 12 workweeks of “bonding time” of which the first 8 weeks are partially paid by PFL.

COORDINATION OF BENEFITS

Staff have the option to use accrued and available sick and vacation time to cover:

• The 10-30% of their gross weekly salary that is not covered by PFL, and/or
• The last 4 weeks of leave that PFL benefits do not cover.
• You also have the option to take the leave unpaid.

Per California's Kin Care provision, your paid leave accruals will be used in the following order:

• one-half of your annual accrued sick leave, then
• unaccrued and available vacation leave, then
• any remaining accrued and available sick leave.

If staff would like Human Resources to supplement their PFL pay with their accruals, they must provide HR with their written approval to use accruals. Without approval, employees will not receive payment from Pepperdine for the duration of their leave.

Eligible faculty will receive salary continuation less any amount of PFL received during the leave.

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APPLY FOR PFL THROUGH UNUM

California employees participating in "CA VDI" may apply for PFL through Unum, Pepperdine's managed partner.

When completing the claim form, please follow the steps below:

• Visit Unum’s website or download the My Unum app on your smart device.
• Register for an online account by creating a username and password.
• Click on Start a new claim or leave.
• Select My family is growing.
• Provide the necessary details for your claim, select your desired payment method (check or direct deposit), and submit your claim.

If you are unable to file a claim online, you may also file by calling Unum at 888-673-9940. Representatives are available to assist you 5 AM to 5 PM (Pacific), Monday through Friday.

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APPLY FOR PFL THROUGH THE CA EDD

California employees who opted out of VDI may apply for PFL on the Employment Development Department's (EDD) website, https://edd.ca.gov/. When completing the form, please follow the steps below:

• Click on Claims
• Under the Paid Family Leave heading, select How to file a PFL Claim in SDI Online
• Follow each step below:
  • Gather your information/documentation
  • Register for an online account by creating a username and password or log in to your existing account
  • File a claim: When filling out the SDI form, please answer "no" to the question "Has or will your employer continue to pay you during your disability leave?"
• Upload any required documentation that notates the Proof of Relationship, as applicable.

If you are mailing a paper form to the EDD, you may request a paper application from benefits@pepperdine.edu.

While your claim is under review, the EDD will provide you with a Notice of Computation report which lists the daily pay rate for PFL payments. It is important that the Notice of Computation report is submitted to HR as soon as it is available to ensure timely coordination of your Pepperdine pay.

Please review our Parental Leave Resource Page for important information regarding healthcare and benefits enrollment.

Please be aware that if you do not return to work after your CFRA (bonding) leave, you will be required to repay the University the full cost of benefits extended to you during the CFRA portion of your leave. You should only apply for this extended leave if you are planning to return to work at the end of the leave period.

No repayment will be required if you are unable to return due to the continuation, recurrence, or onset of a serious health condition for yourself or eligible family members as certified by a medical provider, other circumstances beyond your control, or if you return to work for a minimum of 30 calendar days following the leave. If you believe that this type of circumstance applies to you, please contact Human Resources at benefits@pepperdine.edu for more information.