Eligible leave reasons
Parental leave
All employees can use FAMLI for parental leave. CU provides an additional Parental Leave policy for faculty and staff that runs concurrently with FAMLI. Review the policy for eligibility.
Related guides: Refer to CU Leave Benefits guides for full details, especially the Paid Parental Leave guide as well as the Paid Parental Leave and Other Leave Benefits, which outlines how CU FAMLI interacts with Parental Leave and Short-Term Disability policies by job classification and campus policies.
Eligibile University Staff and 12-month Faculty
CU provides up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave that can be used within 12 months of birth, adoption or foster care placement. These 26 weeks can be taken consecutively, intermittently or on a reduced schedule and is inclusive of FMLA and FAMLI, not in addition to these leave programs.
To be paid during the 26 weeks, CU provides six weeks of full compensation for the birth, adoption or foster placement of dependent children. The 240 hours (six weeks) of paid leave will be funded between FAMLI and CU Paid Parental Leave (PPL).
Employees will also be entitled to six additional weeks of FAMLI payments, where an employee can use sick or vacation time to supplement their compensation.
The remaining 14 weeks would require sick leave exhaustion, vacation leave exhaustion and/or leave without pay.
Nine-month Faculty
CU provides for 18 weeks of at least 50% pay, allowing the faculty member to use sick leave to receive full pay. This pay is funded by FAMLI and faculty parental leave.
Classified Staff
CU provides up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave that can be used within 12-months of birth, adoption of foster care placement. These 26 weeks can be taken consecutively, intermittently or on a reduced schedule and is inclusive of FMLA and FAMLI, not in addition to these leave programs.
To be paid during the 26 weeks, CU provides six weeks of full compensation for the birth, adoption or foster placement of dependent children. The 240 hours (six weeks) of paid leave will be between FAMLI and Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) provided by the State of Colorado.
Employees will also be entitled to six additional weeks of FAMLI payments, where an employee can use sick or vacation time to supplement their compensation.
The remaining 14 weeks would require sick leave exhaustion, vacation leave exhaustion and/or leave without pay.
CU Boulder employees are strongly encouraged to review the Boulder Parental Leave Policy for additional information regarding time-off and compensation options.
Medical leave to care for yourself
Employees may need to use FAMLI and FMLA to take care of themselves if they have a serious health conditionSerious Health ConditionAn illness, injury, impairment, pregnancy, recovery from child birth, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a medical facility or continued treatment by a health care provider.. A serious health condition is defined as any of the following that involve inpatient care in a hospital, hospice or residential medical care facility, or continuing treatment by a health care providerHealth Care ProviderAny person licensed, certified, or registered under federal or Colorado law to provide medical or emergency services:
- Illness
- Injury that is not work related
- Surgery
- Impairment
- Pregnancy complications
- Physical or mental conditions
Employees may also use CU's short-term disability plan concurrently with FAMLI and FMLA, if enrolled.
Medical leave to care for a family member
FAMLI and FML is available to employees who may need to take time to care for their loved ones who is experiencing a serious medical condition. The definition of family member is different between FAMLI and FML, but CU understands that families are unique. For FAMLI eligibility, CU will determine familial relationships by looking at the totality of the circumstances, including but not limited to:
- Shared financial responsibilities
- Emergency contact designations
- Expectations of care created by the relationship
- Cohabitation and geographic proximity
Military family members (exigency) leave
The FAMLI benefit is available for family members to support them through the service member’s duty to the state and country. Military Family Members (Exigency) Leave is based on a need arising out of an individual's family member's active-duty service or notice of an impending call or order to active duty in the armed forces. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Providing for the care or other needs of the military member's child or other family member.
- Making financial or legal arrangements for the military member.
- Attending counseling, military events or ceremonies.
- Spending time with the military member in preparation for deployment or during a rest and recuperation leave following the return from deployment.
FMLA also entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave to care for a family member who is a current servicemember with a serious injury or illness. FMLA leave for this purpose is called “military caregiver leave.”
Safe leave (domestic violence)
FAMLI Leave provides employees job-protected time off to attend to their needs if they or a family member have experienced domestic violence, stalking, abuse, sexual assault or other situations. This may include time to obtain safe housing, care or legal assistance in response to intimate partner violence.