FILE:  GBRIC

Cf:  GBRIB, GBRIBA

 

MATERNITY AND ADOPTIVE LEAVE

 

 

MATERNITY LEAVE

 

The St. Martin Parish School Board shall grant to regular employees leave without pay for maternity purposes for a reasonable period of time before and after the birth of a child.  Reasonable period of time means that period during which the female employee is disabled on account of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.  Regular employees, for purposes of this policy, shall mean teachers serving under contract (not to include substitute teachers or teachers replacing others on leave) and other female employees who are employed by the School Board on a regular basis.  Such leave shall be granted upon proper application to the School Board for maternity leave.

 

It is the policy of the St. Martin Parish School Board to give an expectant employee the option of choosing maternity leave without pay or using current and accumulated sick leave for the period of medical disability occasioned by pregnancy and childbirth.  The School Board requires the completion of its Request for Maternity Leave form, regardless of the option chosen, by the employee's physician as to the exact period of time of medically determined disability.  Furthermore, the School Board reserves the right to have the employee examined by a physician of its own choosing at its cost, whenever it deems appropriate.  If there are any questions concerning maternity leave, the employee should immediately contact the Personnel Department.

 

Each teacher granted maternity leave in accordance with state law who has no remaining sick leave days available may also be granted up to thirty (30) days of extended sick leave in each six-year period of employment in accordance with policy GBRIB, Sick Leave.

 

Employees shall be granted maternity leave without pay up to one calendar year, upon proper application.  Written application for such leave must be submitted to the Personnel Office at least thirty (30) days prior the beginning date of leave.  Along with the St. Martin Parish School Request for Maternity Leave form, a physician's statement form must be submitted.  Such certificate shall follow the same standards as for submission of certificates for sick leave as found under Certification of Absence in policy GBRIB, Sick Leave.  Failure to comply with the notice and other requirements of this policy may be considered willful neglect of duty and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

 

Procedures

 

  1. A Notification of Pregnancy form along with a physician's statement must be presented to the Personnel Office prior to the end of the fourth month of pregnancy.

  2. Employees shall be allowed to continue in service on an indefinite basis during pregnancy, provided at least a thirty (30) day notice is mailed to the Personnel Officer specifying the date of leave.  Exceptions to the thirty (30) day notice would be allowed when written notification is presented from a physician.  Any person on maternity leave is to assume the responsibility of notifying the Personnel Office and the school principal as to the day she plans to return to work.

  3. The Personnel Office shall notify the applicant of School Board approved maternity leave in writing.

  4. Should an employee desire to extend a maternity leave, the Personnel Office must be notified in writing.  A physician's statement must accompany the request.  The Personnel Office will then establish the effective date or reassignment based on what is received in writing from the physician and employee.

  5. An employee may not return to her position prior to the end of her leave unless that position becomes vacant.

  6. Employees are permitted to return to work as soon as the physician determines that the employee is physically able to resume her duties after the birth of her child.  The doctor's statement stating that the employee is physically capable of returning to her work is required in the Personnel Office prior to her returning.

  7. Years of teaching prior to the maternity leave will be counted among those years required for tenure.

  8. Maternity leave of up to one calendar year will count as experience for pay purposes.

  9. Maternity leave shall count toward retirement as long as the requirements of the retirement system are met and provided the employee on leave pays both the employee's and employer's share of the cost.

  10. Maternity leave for the period of disability occasioned by pregnancy and/or childbirth shall not interrupt the consecutive service for sabbatical leave purposes.  Once leave extends beyond the period of disability, however, such period of leave shall be considered an interruption of the accrual of consecutive semesters for sabbatical leave eligibility

 

ADOPTIVE LEAVE

 

The School Board shall grant leaves of absence not to exceed thirty (30) days to regular employed teachers after the legal adoption of a child.  If multiple children are adopted on the same date, the event shall be considered a single qualifying event.  The granting of such leave shall not affect any of the tenure rights with the teacher may have acquired under state law.

 

Each teacher granted adoptive leave in accordance with state law who has no remaining sick leave days available may also be granted up to thirty (30) days of extended sick leave in each six-year period of employment for personal illness related to illness of an infant, or for required medical visits certified by a physician as relating to infant health.

 

Adoptive leave shall not interrupt the consecutive service for sabbatical leave purposes.

 

Revised:  February 6, 2019

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:1171, 17:1211, 23:334, 23:341, 23:342

Board minutes, 10-1-75, 12-26-84, 7-12-17, 2-16-19

 

St. Martin Parish School Board