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UC-AFT Parents Caucus: COVID Paid Leave for Parents

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The inaugural meeting of our UC-AFT Parents Caucus was held August 28 -- and we began (as expected) by sharing pictures and bragging about our kids! Our group included parents with babies to parents of kids beginning college.

The consensus was that the pandemic has only gotten harder for us all. Work-Life balance is extra strained as we prepare to return to teach and our kids gear up for online learning. Everyone felt that mental health has especially been taking a hit - several shared that family therapy has been helpful. We talked about the difficulty in deciding whether to enroll in day care during COVID and the scary realities when reappointment delays over summer cause a loss in benefits.

All this to say: things are hard for parents (duh!) - but they don’t need to be this hard. There are institutional changes and shared aid that can support families. We want to:

  • Share widely the paid child care leaves available to faculty during Fall term (additional information below)

  • Survey UC-AFT parents to inform bargaining, advocacy, and organizing efforts

  • Promote mutual support among local parents

  • Support COVID bargaining efforts for more flexible paid leaves for parents

The UC-AFT Parents Caucus invites all of you to join our next meeting and bring questions, ideas, or just come to listen and learn! Please fill out this doodle poll so we can schedule a time that works for everyone and if you have questions or concerns, email Cody at codytrojan@gmail.com.

UC Child Care Leaves under Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

Did you know UC Lecturers may be eligible for family leave this fall? This includes:

  1. Two-week leave: “Emergency Paid Sick Leave” (EPSL) - can be used for recovering or caring for a person with symptoms or diagnosis of COVID-19 or if your child(ren)'s school or child care provider is closed or otherwise unavailable.
  2. Ten/Twelve-week leave: “Emergency Family and Medical Leave” (EFML) - can be used if you can confirm there is no other suitable person who can provide care for you or your family member and that you have been on payroll at UC for the preceding 30 days.

Both forms of leave are set to expire Dec. 31st, so, basically, use it for Fall, or don't use it at all.
Submit a request for either of these leaves using this form to your department supervisor. Your department may request that you fill out a separate or supplemental forms.

To learn more about the specific eligibility requirements, application procedures, and compensation associated with each of these forms of leave, click here for additional information or contact your UC-AFT Campus Rep.