Family Leave Pool

Overview

Pursuant to Section 661, Sub-Chapter A-1 of the Texas Government Code, the Family Leave Pool (FLP) was established to provide employees more flexibility in:

• Bonding with and caring for children during the child’s first year following birth, adoption, or foster placement; and
• Caring for a seriously ill family member or themselves, including pandemic-related illnesses or complications caused by a pandemic.

Donating Time

The FLP’s success is entirely dependent upon the generosity of employees who choose to donate their available sick and vacation time off.  If you would like to contribute to that success by donating time to the FLP, you may do so by completing the following steps:

1. Log in to Workday
2. Search for and select Create Request in the search box
3. From the prompt, type "donate" and select a Request Type of Donate Hours to the Family Leave Pool
4. Complete the donation form and click Submit

When completing the FLP Donation form, you will be asked whether you would like to donate your time on either a taxable or non-taxable basis.  Taxable donations will be used for employees whose need for time off is not considered a “medical emergency” by the Internal Revenue Service (i.e. bonding with a new child, minor illnesses, etc.).  Non-taxable donations will be used for employees whose need for time off is considered a “medical emergency” by the Internal Revenue Service (i.e. serious accidents or illnesses that result in extended unpaid time off), but is not eligible for an award of time from the Sick Leave Pool.

If you choose to donate time on a taxable basis, you will be taxed on the entirety of your donation.  The hours donated will be multiplied by your hourly rate of pay and added to a future paycheck as taxable income, thereby increasing the taxable gross amount.  For more information, please visit Payroll Services’ Taxable Fringe Benefits webpage.

Requesting Time

If you have exhausted all of your own available paid time off accruals, and your need for leave would otherwise result in 40 hours or more of unpaid time off, you may request time off from the FLP for:

• The birth of a child;
• The placement of a foster child or adoption of a child under 18 years of age;
• The placement of any person 18 years of age or older requiring guardianship;
• A serious illness to an immediate family member or the employee, including a pandemic-related illness;
• An extenuating circumstance created by an ongoing pandemic, including providing essential care to a family member; or
• A previous donation of time to the pool.

To request time from the FLP, please complete the following steps in Workday:

1. Log in to Workday
2. Search for and select Create Request in the search box
3. From the prompt, type "request" and select a Request Type of Request Hours from Family Leave Pool
4. Complete the request form and click Submit
5. Click on the To Do button that appears after clicking submit, and review the documentation requirements
6. Submit any required documentation within 15 days of submitting your request

Requests for time off from the FLP will be processed in the order in which they are received, and you, your supervisor, and your HR Partner will be notified once your award has been approved or denied.  If you have not yet exhausted your available accruals, your request for FLP will not be approved.  

To ensure that as many employees as possible may benefit from the FLP, the university reserves the right to determine the amount of time awarded from the FLP, and to limit those awards based upon the pool’s available balance. 

Supporting Documentation

Depending upon the reason for your request for time off from the FLP, you may have to provide additional documentation in support of your request.  If you are required to provide such documentation, you will receive a task in your Workday inbox with additional information.

If your request for time off from the FLP is due to a medical reason, you must submit a certification from your or your family member’s healthcare provider that specifies the nature and expected duration of your need for time off:

• If you have already submitted such certification in support of a request for FMLA or Sick Leave Pool, then no additional documentation is required.
• If you have not yet submitted such certification, then you must submit a completed Certification of Healthcare Provider –Employee or Certification of Healthcare Provider –Care for Family Member to Human Resources –Benefits and Leave Management before your request for time off from the FLP will be reviewed.  If certification is not received within 15 days of the date you submitted your request for time off from the FLP in Workday, then your request will be denied.

If your request for time off from the FLP is due to an extenuating circumstance created by a pandemic, such as caring for a child whose school or daycare is closed, then you must provide a letter from your child(ren)’s school or daycare that states the reason and dates of closure.

If your request for time off from the FLP is to care for a person other than yourself, you will be required to submit proof that you are the other person’s legally married spouse, parent, or guardian.

• If the other person is listed as a dependent on your UT insurance, then no additional action documentation is required.
• If the other person is not listed as a dependent on your UT insurance, then you must submit documentation (i.e marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.) that establishes your relationship to the other person in addition to the documentation requirements listed above. If documentation is not received within 15 days of the date you submitted your request for time off from the FLP in Workday, then your request will be denied.

All documentation submitted in support of your request for time off from the FLP will be evaluated for job protected time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).  If it is determined that you are eligible for time off under the FMLA, you FMLA entitlement will run concurrently with any hours awarded from the FLP.