Paid parental leave is an addition to all other leave benefits at UT, including sick leave, annual leave, short/long-term disability, and leave without pay. Those leave categories will not be reduced while an employee is on Paid Parental Leave. An eligible employee should consult with the Office of Human Resources for assistance when planning a paid parental leave. 

Paid parental leave may be taken within the 12 months following the birth or adoption of a child and is available on a continuous, intermittent (separate blocks of time), or reduced schedule (reduces number of work hours per day or per week) basis. However, intermittent or reduced schedule paid parental leave requires approval by the immediate supervisor/chair and may require approval by the Dean, Director or Department Head in accordance with the respective department’s procedures. Intermittent or reduced schedule leave may not be taken in increments of less than one day. 

An eligible regular, active faculty or staff employee will be provided up to 6 weeks (240 hours) of paid parental leave within 12 months following the birth or adoption of a child. The amount of leave is prorated based on the employee’s Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) at the time of the leave. 

Yes. Paid parental leave will be paid at 100 percent of the employee’s base pay rate. 

State of Tennessee law provides a period of up to four (4) months of leave to employees for adoption, pregnancy, childbirth and nursing an infant, where applicable.