A House Officer in a Program that is three (3) years or longer is eligible for a maximum of six (6) weeks paid Caregiver Leave one (1) time during their Program. A House Officer in a Program that is two (2) years or less in length is eligible for a maximum of six (6) weeks of paid Caregiver Leave once during their Program, but the paid Caregiver Leave requested will be offset by any paid Maternity Leave, paid Serious Illness Leave, or paid Parental Leave benefits previously received by the Employee during the course of their clinical training program. For example, an Employee who received four (4) paid weeks of Serious Illness Leave during their first program year, and who later requests paid Caregiver Leave during their second program year, would be eligible for a maximum of two (2) weeks of paid Caregiver Leave.

Caregiver Leave is defined as leave requested by the Employee for the purpose of providing care for the Employee's immediate family member with a serious health condition.

An immediate family member includes:

1. Either the Employee's spouse or Other Qualified Adult as defined by University Policy; or
2. The Employee's child (biological, adoptive, or legally placed foster child, or child in the House Officer's care through legal guardianship); or
3. The Employee's sibling, parent, grandparent, or grandchild.

A serious health condition is defined, consistent with US Department of Labor standards, as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves:

1. Inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility; or
2. Continuing treatment by a health care provider

An Employee who wishes to apply for paid Caregiver Leave pursuant to this Article will initiate their request with their Program Administrator. The request will be processed according to procedures specified by the Employer, consistent with the application and approval process for other forms of leave provided in the collective bargaining agreement. The Employee will be required to submit appropriate documentation of the need for the Caregiver Leave. The required documentation must be consistent with the type of documentation that would be required by the HR Solutions Center, or similar UM unit, to support an FMLA covered leave.

In order to facilitate uninterrupted patient care and clinical training, Caregiver Leave is intended to be taken in a continuous block. However, it may be taken on an intermittent basis if properly supported pursuant to paragraph 101 above and with appropriate notice by the House Officer to the Program Director, and/or consistent with FMLA requirements if applicable.

In the event an employee completes a training program with the Employer and then enters a second ACGME/CODA/CPME accredited training program, the Employee's eligibility for the paid Caregiver Leave benefit renews upon entry into the second training program.