Getting Paid While on Leave
You may have several options available to help you get paid while on your leave
- Sick and/or Vacation Accruals
By using sick and/or vacation accruals, you will receive full pay.
- Disability Insurance: for your own medical condition or pregnancy disability.
Basic disability pays 55% of your eligible earnings, to a maximum of $800/month, for up to 6 months. Voluntary (STD and LTD) plans pay 60% of gross salary up to $15,000/month. Check your Benefits Summary for your enrollments.
- Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB): for FMLA/CFRA leaves to care for family members, military leave, or parental bonding.
Pay for Family Care and Bonding is income replacement of 100% of eligible earnings for up to 8 workweeks per calendar year beginning on January 1, 2023. Contact the Leave Administration to request leave and your pay options will be presented.
- Catastrophic Leave Sharing Program
While participating in the Catastrophic Leave Sharing Program, you will receive full pay, so long as you have donations available. You would have exhausted all your accruals. Eligible employees can donate their vacation accruals. Apply through ServiceNow.
- UCRP Disability Insurance
UCRP Disability Insurance pays up to 40% of your final salary (minus $106.40). This pay option is available for UCRP members with a minimum of 5 years service credit who meet the UC Disability Definitions criteria.
- State Disability Insurance (SDI)
Although the UC is a state-funded organization, the UC is not a government agency. Therefore, you are not considered a state government employee. UCSB does not pay into State Disability Insurance, however, if you have been employed with the UC less than 18 months, then you may be eligible for SDI benefits from your previous employment. The UC has their own disability insurance administered by Lincoln Financial. The UC does not have paid Family Medical Leave, instead UC employees can use sick leave and/or vacation pay according to their Collective Bargaining Agreement or the Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM).
If you are filling out an SDI application, use this address for UCSB:
UCSB Human Resources
3101 SAASB, Mail code 3160
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Benefits While on Leave
Please review the Quick Guide to UC Benefits Continuation While on Leave to understand what happens to your benefits while you're on leave. Available in Spanish here. In general, please consider the following:
- Leave with Pay
While on leave with pay using accruals, your benefits will remain active, whether or not you are covered under any state/federal leave entitlements. Deductions for your benefits will continue to be taken from your paycheck as if you were working regular hours.
- Leave without Pay
If you are not eligible for state/federal leave entitlements and you are on an unpaid leave, you may owe total premiums, both your contribution and the UC’s contribution, to your benefits. If you are on an unpaid leave and eligible for state/federal leave entitlements, you will have UC contributions to your benefits. You will still owe your typical premium costs, and depending on the length of your leave, you will receive monthly benefits billing statements to pay these premiums directly to UCPath. The Leave of Absence Specialist will guide you on what you can expect for benefits billing during an unpaid leave of absence.
- Cancel Benefits
You do have the option to cancel your benefits during a leave of absence. If you want to cancel your benefits, the Leave of Absence Specialist can guide you through the process of canceling and options to reinstate upon your return to work.
Returning to Work
It is important for employees on a leave of absence to maintain regular communication with their supervisor to support the employee during the leave.
- Requesting to extend
If you are unable to return to work on the date anticipated, you should contact your department and the Leave of Absence Specialist as soon as you know. The Leave of Absence Specialist can guide you on what additional information and/or documentation is required to extend your leave of absence.
- Return from medical leave
Prior to returning from a medical leave, a release from your provider will be required. Your provider should outline any restrictions/limitations that you may have upon your return to work. Our Workplace Accommodation Services Team will be able to help you and your department plan for your transition back to work. A release to work from your provider should be received at least one week before the employee's expected return to work date.
- Restart your benefits
If you canceled any benefits during your leave of absence, you will have a 31 day Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE) to reinstate them or make any changes, if eligible. You will contact UCPath to do so.
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