There are two separate leave categories offered to House Officers who become parents. Maternity Leave for House Officers who give birth and Parental Leave for all House Officers who become parents. House Officers who give birth are eligible to take both leaves if they wish for a total of 12 - 14 weeks of paid time off.

Maternity Leave

• 6 weeks paid time off.
• Cesarean births automatically receive an additional 2 weeks of Serious Illness Leave for a total of 8 weeks.
• If additional time off is medically required, that would be governed under Serious Illness Leave.
• Time off must be taken consecutively.
• Must be taken immediately after giving birth.
• If time off before birth is medically required, that would be governed under Serious Illness Leave.

Parental Leave

• 6 weeks paid time off.
• Available to all House Officers who become parents, including those who take Maternity Leave.
• Is intended to be taken consecutively, but the House Officers may request to take their leave non-consecutively at the sole discretion of their Program Director.
• Requests for Parental Leave must be submitted 3 months in advance of the expected start date of the leave.

Please see the following language from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that governs how parental leave works.

¶95 - A House Officer who gives birth shall receive six (6) weeks of total paid time for the physiological recovery from childbirth. A House Officer who gives birth by Cesarean section shall receive an additional two (2) weeks of paid Serious Illness Leave for physical recovery, pursuant to Section B of this Article. In either case, if additional time off is medically required for recovery, the House Officer will be granted Serious Illness leave under Section B of this Article. The six (6) week period of Maternity Leave, plus any additional Serious Illness Leave as described above, if requested by the House Officer, is to be used during the period immediately following delivery of the child. Regardless of when the time is taken, it is to be taken for a consecutive period of time. A House Officer who elects to take less than six (6) weeks for paid time for childbirth must present a written release from her physician to return to work. Maternity Scheduling Considerations: During the last trimester of pregnancy and for two (2) months post-partum, overnight call will not be scheduled and duty will be limited to twelve (12) consecutive hours. Exceptions may be approved by the House Officer's Obstetrician, or other appropriate physician only. A good faith effort will be made by the Employer to accommodate any other health care needs, including scheduling, that may arise during the course of the pregnancy.

SECTION G. PARENTAL LEAVE

¶96 - Parental Leave: A House Officer who becomes a parent on or after their employment start date, including birth mothers who take maternity (childbirth) leave, are eligible for up to six (6) consecutive weeks of paid time off to bond with a newborn, newly adopted or newly fostered child, or minor child for whom legal guardianship has been newly appointed. Parental leave is available for use within one (1) year of the event. Requests for Parental Leave must be made to the Program Director at least three (3) months in advance of the expected start date of the parental leave. If three (3) months advance notice is not possible due to emergency or reasonably unanticipated circumstances, the request for Parental Leave shall be submitted as soon as practicable. Program Directors will make every effort to honor the requested start date for the Parental Leave, but patient care and other critical operational needs may be taken into account when scheduling parental leave. Parental Leave shall be taken as a single, continuous block of time. A House Officer may request to take their Parental Leave on a non-continuous basis, but the Program Director retains sole discretion to determine whether such non-continuous leave can be accommodated. A House Officer shall not alter Parental Leave dates when taken in a continuous block or non-continuous Parental Leave dates that have been approved by the Program Director, unless the requested change is prospectively approved by the Program Director.