What to expect at North ColonieWhen you’re expecting!

So many questions!!!!!

Who can I call?

Dottie Bovard – Human Resources Dept.

Carol McAuliffe – Payroll Dept.

John Gara– NCTA Benefits Chair

When do I let the District know?

Per the NCTA Contract (Article IX, Section C, 4),

requests for maternity leave must be filed with the

District at least sixty (60) days prior to the

estimated date of delivery or adoption.

If the estimated date of delivery or adoption is in

August or September, the request must be filed by

June 1.

How do I let the district know?

The “NCTA FMLA/Maternity Leave Request Form” is

found on the “Staff Resources” page of the District

Internet site. Paper copies are available from HR.

Fill it out and return it to Dottie.

Dottie will send you a letter with more information.

Definitions

Pregnancy Disability

The period of time after delivery that is medically

necessary for the mother to recover from giving

birth. Available after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Six weeks for a natural delivery

Eight weeks for a C-section delivery

Doctor’s note is not required.

Pregnancy Disability

• You will be paid for this period of disability.

If you have sick leave available and leave occurs

during the regular school year, you will be required to

use your sick leave.

If you have less than six or eight weeks of sick leave

accrued and meet the eligibility requirements for paid

LTD leave (NCTA contract, Article VIII, Section D, 1),

you may utilize paid Long Term Disability Leave after

you have exhausted your accrued sick leave.

If you have personal days available, you may use

them at the end of pregnancy disability leave.

Family and Medical Leave Act

FMLA is a federal job protection law that allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks unpaid leave in a 12 month period to manage qualifying personal or family reasons, such as having or adopting a baby.

Your FMLA leave will begin on the first day you miss work due to your pregnancy and will run concurrently with pregnancy disability leave.

Sick leave can not be used for the balance of FMLA leave that is not pregnancy disability leave.

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Maternity/paternity leave is provided to allow time

for the parents to bond with the child.

Runs concurrently with pregnancy disability leave

and FMLA.

Except for the pregnancy disability portion, this

leave is unpaid.

How much time can I take off?

Per the NCTA Contract (Article IX, Section C, 1), a

teacher on maternity/paternity leave must return to

a position no later than two (2) years following the

date of birth or adoption.

Can I return to work at any time?

There are specific time frames for returning to work from a maternity/paternity leave:

At the end of the pregnancy disability period,

Between the end of pregnancy disability and the end of FMLA,

At the end of FMLA leave = 12 weeks

At the start of a trimester for elementary schools or at the start of a marking period for secondary schools,

After two years – must return at start of a trimester or marking period.

Notice of return to work

You must provide an estimated date of return when you request your leave.

Requests to extend leave or return early are submitted to Kathleen Skeals, Deputy Superintendent and will be considered with respect to their impact on the students and the District.

Return from an extended leave (greater than the maximum 12-week FMLA period) must be at the start of a marking period for secondary teachers or the start of a trimester for elementary teachers.

Time line – Natural Delivery

Time Frame Event Pay Status

Date of Birth Begin Pregnancy Disability and FMLA

Leave

Using Sick Leave and LTD benefits,

if available

After 6 Weeks End of Pregnancy Disability – possible

return date

End sick leave/LTD usage, begin

unpaid time if not returning

Weeks 7-12 Possible return dates Unpaid

After 12 Weeks End of FMLA – possible return date Unpaid time from end of 6 week

pregnancy disability to end of 12

week FMLA

Beginning of a

marking period

(secondary) or

trimester

(elementary)

Possible return date Unpaid time from end of 6

week pregnancy disability to

return date

Two years from

birth

Maximum time available for

maternity/paternity leave

Unpaid time from end of 6

week pregnancy disability to

return date

Continuation of insurance

While on paid leave, your insurance will continue

and premiums will be deducted from your

paychecks.

FMLA and Insurance

FMLA provides the right to continue health and dental

benefits at the current contribution level while on FMLA

leave.

While on unpaid FMLA leave, you will need to pay

your current contribution amount either by personal

check or cash (Dottie) or by making arrangements to

pay in advance through payroll deduction (Carol).

Employees whose FMLA leave ends in June will be

charged the employee rate for summer premiums

deducted from the June 30 check.

Insurance after FMLA ends

You can continue medical and dental insurance

coverage while on unpaid maternity/paternity

leave by paying 100% of the premium cost.

Vision and life insurance coverage can be continued

upon request and by paying 100% of the premium

cost.

If you choose not to continue coverage while on

unpaid leave, you may re-enroll when you return to

work.

The baby arrives!

Please call Dottie in HR within one week of your baby’s birth. I’ll need to know:

The actual date of birth,

Your last day at work,

Whether you qualify for six or eight weeks of pregnancy disability leave,

If you have personal days available that you want to use atthe end of the pregnancy disability leave,

Whether you want to add your child to health insurance.

If you would like the baby’s birth announced in The Inside Resource.

Adding your baby to insurance

You can add your baby to your health insurance

coverage by submitting a benefits form. Coverage

will be effective on the date of birth. If you don’t

have the baby’s SSN, it’s important that you send it

to us when you receive it.

If this is not done within 30 days, you may be

required to wait until the next open enrollment

period to add your child.

Flexible Spending Account

Having a child is considered a “qualifying event”

which allows you to open or make changes to an

existing Flexible Spending Account during the FSA

plan year.

The maximum amount for a medical account is $2,650

per fiscal year.

The maximum amount for a dependent care

reimbursement account is $5,000 (married, filing

jointly or unmarried) or $2,500 (married, filing

separately).

Breast feeding – after you return to work

You will be provided reasonable break time to express

breast milk each time you need to express milk for your

nursing child for up to 3 years after the child’s birth.

Reasonable means no less than 20 minutes and no more than

30 minutes – one break every 3 hours.

We will provide a place to express milk, other than a

bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from

intrusion by others.

Request this accommodation from Jenna Bongermino

who will coordinate with the Building Principal.

How unpaid leave affects step

In order to go up a step, a teacher must be in

attendance a total of 90 days, minus any sick and

personal days accrued in the current school year.

For most teachers, this means a total of 80 days in

attendance (minus 7 sick days and 3 personal days).

Snow Days

If a snow day occurs during your paid pregnancy

disability leave, you do not have to use sick leave

for that day. You will be paid for the snow day.

Snow days do not count against attendance and do

not count as a missed day for a step increase.

Seniority

Seniority is based upon the actual length of paid

service in a specific tenure area. All days that you

miss that are unpaid will not be counted towards

seniority.

If you are a probationary employee, taking leave

may extend your probationary period.

How taking leave will affect your pay

Salary calculations during paid pregnancy

disability leave

A teacher’s annual salary is based on the

assumption that the teacher will work the required

number of working days in the school year.

Given that assumption, the annual salary is divided

by the number of pays you elected to receive,

either 20 or 24, so that each check equals the same

amount.

Salary calculations during paid pregnancy

disability leave

If a teacher does not work the required number of

working days in the year, salary is prorated.

If less than half of the working days in a month are

worked, the teacher is paid 1/200th of the annual

salary for each day worked.

If more than half the working days are worked, the

teacher is deducted 1/200th of the annual salary for

each day of absence.

Salary calculations during paid pregnancy

disability leave – to recap

A teacher receives 20 paychecks of an equal amount, based on 200 days per year.

If the teacher has sick time available for the entire pregnancy disability period, that time will be paid as sick leave and all other time will be unpaid.

If the teacher does not have enough sick time available for the entire pregnancy disability period, the teacher will be paid all sick leave and LTD (if eligible) and the remainder of leave will be unpaid.

Salary calculation upon return to work

Upon return to work, we look at the month in which

the teacher is returning.

How many work days are there in that month?

How many days in that month will the teacher work?

If the number of days worked is less than ½ of the

available days, 1/200 of salary is deducted from the

monthly salary for each day not worked.

If the number of days worked is more than ½ of the

available days, 1/200 of salary is paid for each day

worked.

Salary calculation example – paid for more than ½

of the available days in month of return

There are 22 available paid days in October.

The teacher makes $50,000 per year and receives 20

paychecks of $2,500 each. This is based on 200 days or

$250 per day.

The teacher is returning on October 15.

The teacher will work 13 days in October and will incur 9

days of unpaid time. Days paid are more than ½ of the

available work days in the month.

The teacher will be paid $5,000 for the month minus 9

days not paid times $250, or $2,250.

Total Monthly Pay = $5,000 – (9 x $250) = $2,750

Salary calculation example – paid for less than

½ of the available days in month of return

There are 22 available paid days in October.

The teacher makes $50,000 per year and receives 20

paychecks of $2,500 each. This is based on 200 days or

$250 per day.

The teacher’s last day of paid time is October 5. Unpaid

leave begins October 8.

The teacher will be paid five days for October .

The teacher will be paid for five days times $250 per day,

or $1,250 for the month of October.

Salary calculation example – returning in a month

with a break week

There are 15 available paid days in December.

The teacher makes $50,000 per year and receives 20 paychecks of $2,500 each. This is based on 200 days or $250 per day.

The teacher returns to work on December 18 and works four days in the month before the holiday break beginning December 24.

The teacher will be paid for the four days worked.

The teacher will be paid for four days times $250 per day, or $1,000 for the month of December.

Questions?