Leave & Disability

Georgetown University recognizes the importance of taking time away from work to rest, recharge and to care for your self and your family. We invite you to explore the paid and unpaid leave options that are available to help you manage your personal, medical and family needs.

Applying for Benefits

Learn how to apply for Short Term Disability, Parental Leave and FMLA.

Welcoming a new child to your household? Explore our new guide:
Leave Benefits for New Parents and Growing Families.

Staff & AAP

Please refer to Section 6 of the HR Policy Manual for details regarding university leave policies for administrative employees.

Holidays: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Special Leave Days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. View the current holiday calendar.  (new window)Refer to HR Policy #601 for more details.

Georgetown University grants to eligible staff & AAP employees paid leave for rest and recreation; personal reasons; health maintenance; illness, injury or disability; family and medical leave; sick and safe leave; religious observances; emergencies or other events. Refer to HR Policy #602 for more details. If you qualify for family and medical leave pursuant to HR Policy 603, use of accrued paid leave will run concurrently (or may be substituted for) leave under FMLA and/or DCFMLA (new window).

Georgetown automatically enrolls eligible employees in benefit plans designed to replace your income if you are unable to work due to a non-work related illness, injury, or medical condition (including childbirth). Staff and AAPs employees are covered by Short Term Disability Insurance. These benefits are coordinated with DCFMLA & FMLA and, as applicable, with benefits provided through the District of Columbia’s Office of Paid Family Leave. Should your disability period last more than 10 weeks, benefits will transfer to Long Term Disability.  See HR Policy #604 for more details.

The Office of Risk Management oversees Workers’ Compensation claims. Geta Wold in Risk Management can be reached at (202) 687-6627. Please refer to HR Policy 613, Injury On The Job and Workers’ Compensation.

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons in accordance with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, as amended (“Federal FMLA”), the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act (“DC FMLA”), and other applicable law.

Upon hire, eligible administrative employees receive 5 days of paid sick leave to care for their own (or a family member’s) illness, medical treatment or medical care. Sick leave is requested in GMS. Learn more in HR Policy #605.

Benefits under DC’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program are administered directly through the Department of Employment Services. Benefits are provided for qualifying reasons such as medical leave for a serious health condition, leave to care for a family member’s serious health condition or parental leave. You can learn more and apply for these benefits at dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov.

To assist and support new parents, Georgetown University provides eligible administrative employees with up to eight weeks of paid Parental Leave for parent/child bonding and care. This includes employees designated as “staff” or “academic and administrative professionals (AAP)” as well as University-employed postdoctoral fellows. See HR Policy #614 for more details.

There are several temporary policies and programs in place to provide additional paid time off and support for employees who cannot work due to various scenarios related to COVID-19. You can learn more by viewing the COVID-19 PTO Policy, COVID-19 Vaccination PTO Policy and PTO Donation Program page.

Other forms of leave are provided as set forth in the following University Policies:

I have a question about…
Who do I contact?
Policies & Eligibility
Requesting Time Off in GMS
Timesheets, Time Off Requests & Corrections
Your Departmental Timekeeper
Applying for Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Paid Parental Leave, FMLA
MetLife @ 877-638-8262 or mybenefits.metlife.com
General Questions About Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Paid Parental Leave, FMLA

Faculty

To arrange a leave of absence, faculty should make their request in writing through their Department Chair or unit director and the appropriate Dean.  The final decision to approve the leave will be communicated in writing by EVP or Provost.  Each campus may have different leave policies in addition to those noted in the Faculty Handbook.  For additional information, please be in touch with your campus representative noted ahead.

Full-time faculty who will be medically disabled are eligible for Salary Continuance (new window), a disability leave funded by the University that provides for continuation of salary and benefits for up to 90 days as medically necessary. To apply for Salary Continuance, contact MetLife at 877-638-8262. If a faculty member remains medically disabled beyond that point, they may transition to Long Term Disability.

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons in accordance with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, as amended (“Federal FMLA”), the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act (“DC FMLA”), and other applicable law.

Benefits under DC’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program are administered directly through the Department of Employment Services. Benefits are provided for qualifying reasons such as medical leave for a serious health condition, leave to care for a family member’s serious health condition or parental leave. You can learn more and apply for these benefits at dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov.

Faculty members may request personal leave for a variety of reasons ranging from family care needs (in which case DCFMLA and FMLA may apply) to an opportunity to participate in the academic life of another institution.

Full-time, benefits-eligible Main Campus faculty who will be the primary caregiver of a child who is in the first year of life (or a child who is five years or younger and newly placed in the home) are eligible for one semester of paid leave. Certain eligibility rules apply. For detailed information on New Parent Primary Caregiver Leave, please review the policy statement.

The Office of Risk Management oversees Workers’ Compensation claims. Geta Wold in Risk Management can be reached at (202) 687-6627. Please refer to HR Policy 613, Injury On The Job and Workers’ Compensation.

University Holidays, Breaks and Closures. Faculty breaks are based on the Academic Calendar.

Who Do I Contact?

Faculty members can refer to the Faculty Handbook for policies and procedures regarding leave. Questions should be directed to your department chair, dean or the contact for your campus listed below.