The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) provides up to 11 weeks of paid maternity leave within a 12-month period to eligible employees for the purpose of pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for a newborn child.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Paid Maternity Leave (PML), an employee must:

• Be a regular full-time employee with at least one full year of continuous service at CIA; and
• Have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months prior to the commencement of leave; and
• Require leave for pregnancy, childbirth, recovery from childbirth, or the care of a newborn child.

Waiting Period

There is a 7-day waiting period before PML eligibility begins. Staff must use any accrued PTO to cover this period. Staff without available PTO will take this time as unpaid. While on paid maternity leave, paid time off will cease.

Reasons for Leave

An eligible employee may take PML for any of the following reasons:

• For the period of pregnancy and recovery following childbirth;
• For the care and bonding with the employee’s newborn child.

Any maternity leave must be completed within one year of the child’s birth.

Use of PML

Paid Maternity Leave (PML) will be subject to the following requirements:

• Employees are entitled to take up to 11 weeks of leave in a single 12-month period based on medical certification from a licensed healthcare provider.
• CIA will calculate PML using a “rolling” 12-month period measured backward from the date an employee uses PML.
• PML will run concurrently with any applicable federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitlement as outlined in Section 5.5 of this handbook.
• Leave must be taken continuously in order to qualify for PML.
• Employees will be eligible for up to 11 weeks of paid leave after the 7-day waiting period.
• During the waiting period, staff are required to use accrued paid time off.
• Full-time employees will be compensated at their regular base weekly rate of pay.
• The maximum total leave under PML cannot exceed 11 weeks. Any time taken under short-term disability for the same condition will count toward the 11-week maximum.
• Employees enrolled in CIA group health insurance or other benefits will continue coverage through payroll deductions during PML.

Certification

To support the need for PML, the employee must provide a complete and sufficient certification from a licensed healthcare provider within 15 calendar days of the request. If not practicable, the employee must contact CIA within 15 days to explain the situation.

The certification must include:

• The expected delivery date;
• The date the employee will be unable to work due to pregnancy or childbirth;
• The expected duration of the leave; and
• Any medical restrictions or limitations relevant to the leave period.

Reinstatement

Employees who return to work timely from PML and used the leave for the stated purpose will be reinstated to their same position, or to an equivalent position with the same pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment.

Return from PML will be governed by CIA’s FMLA policy as outlined in Section 5.5 of this handbook.

Prohibitions

The following conduct is strictly prohibited in relation to PML:

• Engaging in fraud, misrepresentation, or providing false or misleading information;
• Obtaining additional employment while on leave;
• Failing to comply with employee obligations under this policy;
• Failing to timely return from leave.

Employees engaging in such conduct will be subject to denial or termination of PML benefits and may face disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.