L&S Student Assistant Leave
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Policy Overview
Leave Provisions
The Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures (GAPP), UW-5082, provides employees with the following:
- Vacation
- Sick leave
- Paid Parental Leave
Employee Eligibility
Employee Eligibility is dependent on appointment type and compensation basis.
The following job titles are eligible for Vacation time off:
- Project Assistants and Research Assistants on a 12 month compensation basis
The following job titles are eligible for Sick time off:
- Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants and Project Assistants
The GAPP policy does not apply to:
- Graduate Assistantship titles not included above
- Employees in Training titles
- Temporary Employees
- Student Hourly titles
Specifics regarding employee eligibility are provided in the policy, Detailed Information and Assistance, and Frequently Asked Questions panel below.
How to Request Leave
- Each department or supervisor should have expectations on how to request leave. Some departments have this outlined in a handbook. Ask your supervisor for this information.
- If you are asking for a long medical leave, more than 5 days in a row, reach out to the L&S Divisional Disability Representative (DDR).
- L&S requests medical documentation for a medical leave that is more than 5 days. It will be collected by the DDR and will remain confidential.
- If you are a TA, give the department as much notice as possible if you are taking a leave so they can find coverage.
- See the Paid Parental Leave section for details on how to request it.
For any inquiries on how to request leave contact, Brenda Powles, HR Manager and DDR for the Student+ team, brenda.powles@wisc.edu
Detailed Information and Assistance
This section includes information about each leave type with subsections on eligibility, accrual, usage, and example calculation & scenarios.
Leave tracking and usage is managed outside of Workday and by the department. L&S recommends using the Graduate Student Leave Tracker template.
Note: Non-exempt PA’s will continue entering regular time on their Workday timesheet, even if they are approved and using leave.
Vacation Leave
Employee Eligibility
- Project Assistants (PA) and Research Assistants (RA) on a 12 month compensation basis (Annual/A Basis)
Accrual
- Earned at a full-time rate of 180 hours per fiscal year
- Prorated based on appointment FTE and length of appointment
- Can earn leave in concurrent PA or RA appointment per fiscal year.
Usage
- PA: enter in 15 minute increments
- RA: enter in 1-hour increments
- Must be used during the active appointment period.
- No carryover or payout of unused vacation.
- Pre-approval required by supervisor.
Example Calculation & Scenarios
- Scenario: PA appointment of 50% for one full year earns 90 hours of vacation.
- Scenario: RA appointment of 50%. The RA is taking one day off.
- 50% is equivalent 20 standard hours a week
- 20 hours / 5 days = 4 hours a day
- Full day of leave = 4 hours
- Scenario: Person has 33.4% PA appointment and a concurrent 10% RA appointment. Each appointment is for a full year during the same dates.
- PA: 180 x .334 = 60.12 hours of vacation leave
- RA: 180 x .10 = 18 hours of vacation leave 60.12 + 18 = 78.12 hours of vacation leave between both appointments
- Scenario: Person has a 33.4% PA appointment for 2 months.
- 180 x (2/12) X .334 = 10.02 hours of vacation leave
Sick Leave
Employee Eligibility
- Teaching Assistants (TA), Project Assistants (PA) and Research Assistants (RA)
Accrual
- Maximum credit is based on length of appointment(s) period.
- One semester = 48 hours
- Full academic year = 96 hours
- Summer = 24 hours
- Other short term appointments = 8 hours per 30 days period
- 30 days does not need to be consecutive
- Note: Maximum applies to eligible concurrent appointments. Accrual is based on duration of all eligible appointments, not per appointment.
Usage
- PA: enter in 15 minute increments
- RA: enter in 1-hour increments
- Must be used during the active appointment period. No payout of unused sick time.
- Carryover allowed if:
- Appointment will be in same department and title.
- Break between appointments is less than 2 weeks
- Pre-approval required by supervisor.
Example Calculation & Scenarios
- Scenario: PA is working over the summer for 27 days
- Earns 8 hours of sick time
- Scenario: Person has 33.4% TA in one department and a 15% PA in another department during same semester.
- Earns 48 hours
- Both departments need to coordinate how much sick leave is used in each appointment.
Sick Leave for Family Care
Eligible employees may use sick leave for temporary emergency care of ill or injured members of the immediate family, or for other family emergencies, for a limited period of time to permit the employee to make other arrangements.
Definition of Immediate Family: the spouse, the spouse equivalent residing in the household of the employee, parents, stepparents, grandparents, foster parents, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, foster children, brothers (and their spouses), and sisters (and their spouses) of the employee or spouse, and other relatives of the employee or spouse residing in the household of the employee.
- Must consult with L&S DDR Student+
- Limited up to 5 workdays per illness/injury
- May be extended with supervisor and DDR approval
TA Sick Leave Coverage
The Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures (GAPP), UW-5082, notes TA’s are not required to find replacements, make up work, or “swap”’ with another TA. Departments must arrange coverage.
Coverage Options (Heading 3)
- Increase another TA’s FTE
- Hire a short term TA
- Hire a qualified Undergraduate Assistant – TA
- Hire academic staff
Note: Any changes to TA appointments or hiring alternatives require approval from the L&S Teaching, Learning, and Academic Planning team. To request a change, go to the L&S Instructional Staffing Options KB 1118505.
Paid Parental Leave
The Paid Parental Leave policy provides eligible employees with a maximum of up to 6 (six) weeks of paid time off every 12 months when they experience a qualifying event covered by this policy.
Employees may take up to 6 (six) weeks of Paid Parental Leave following a birth or adoptive event to allow for time to bond with their new child, adjust to their new family situation, and balance personal obligations that result from a birth or adoptive event. When an employee experiences multiple events that would qualify for Paid Parental Leave in the same 12-month period, the eligible employee will only be entitled to a total of 6 (six) weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
Full-time employees working 40 hours per week are eligible for the full 240 hours. Part-time employees receive a prorated amount based on their scheduled hours. For example, an employee working 20 hours per week (50% FTE) would receive 120 hours of paid leave.
Paid Parental Leave can be taken all at once or in separate blocks. It must be used within one year of the child’s birth or adoption, and the employee must remain in a qualifying position at the university during that time.
Employees should discuss their leave plans with their department.
More information is available on the Paid Parental Leave Policy webpage
For any inquiries on Paid Parental Leave contact, Brenda Powles, HR Manager and DDR for the Student+ team, brenda.powles@wisc.edu
Leave without Pay
For any inquiries on leave without pay or leave from an academic program contact, Brenda Powles, HR Manager and DDR for the Student+ team, brenda.powles@wisc.edu
Leave without pay must be consulted with the DDR to review potential impacts to health insurance and tuition remission.
Other Leave types
Additional leave options include:
- Paid Parental Leave
- Parental Leaves without Pay
- Family Medical Leave
- Return to Work
- Funeral Leave
- Jury Duty
- Appearance as a Witness in Legal Action
- State Legal Holidays
- Religious Observances
Refer to the Graduate Assistant Policies and Procedures (GAPP) (UW-5082) for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much leave do I get? It depends on your appointment type and compensation basis (9 or 12 month appointment).
- Where can I find the policy about leave? The Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures has this information.
- What do I do if I want to work remotely while I am out on an extended leave? You will have to follow the Flexible Work policy if it is for more than 30 days or it is outside of Wisconsin/International.
- I need an accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) to do my Assistantship, what do I do? Reach out to your L&S Divisional Disability Representative (DDR).
- Who will know about my accommodation(s)? The UW strives to keep accommodations as confidential as possible. Only those who are responsible for establishing the accommodation will be involved in the interactive process.
Resources and Links
- Graduate Assistant Policies and Procedures (GAPP)
- Graduate Student Assistant Paid Leave Summary
- L&S Standard Rates for Short-term Instructional Staff (STS) and Student Assistants
- L&S Procedures for Undergraduate Student Assistants
For questions, contact the department’s Administrative Regional Team (ART) representative or the Student+ team at studentplus@ls.wisc.edu