UCSF General Surgery Residency Parental Leave Resources

Process overview:

UCSF General Surgery Residency Parental Leave Resources

Review the information below to determine the amount of leave you would like to take.
Email [email protected] with your due date, start time of expected leave, and duration of leave.
A short Zoom consultation meeting will be scheduled to go over the process and review your pay status while on leave.
Once the amount of leave is determined, HR will be notified of your leave request and additional paperwork will be requested from you and your physician.

Paid Parental Leave:

UCSF GME/union contract details:

Contact language for the new union agreement has yet to be finalized, but should be updated here: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/m2/index.html
Leave can start no more than 2 weeks prior to your due date or earlier if determined by your health care provider.
4 work weeks (28 days) of vacation
12 sick days
From 2 to 4 weeks of parental leave:
- Parental leave begins once the disability period concludes. The disability period is determined by your health provider.
- Parental leave does not need to be taken all at once. Can be used up to 12 months from date of birth and taken in 1- week increments.

Income replacement:

Trainee can use sick/vacation to cover up to 6 weeks of leave without signing up for disability insurance.
Cigna Disability insurance requires a 30 day waiting period and pays 66.67% of pre-disability income up to $700/week for the remainder of your disability period as stated by your physician.
Parental leave can only be used after the physician-stated disability period ends. It can no longer be used during the disability waiting period.
You can also take leave without pay (LWOP) once you have used your balance of sick/vacation/parental leave. (See eligible unpaid leave under Job/Benefits Protections below)

Job/Benefits Protections for all Employees (typically unpaid)

FMLA – Family & Medical Leave Act

job protections for up to 12 weeks per calendar year
continued medical contributions covered by UCSF.
Eligibility requirements (12 months of service AND at least 1250 hrs worked)

PDL – Pregnancy Disability Leave

CA state law allowing employees to take up to 4 months of leave for pregnancy related disabilityRequires certification of your health care provider, with a start date of disability and probable duration of disability.
Typically starts 2 weeks prior to due date/based on health care provider.

CFRA – California Family Rights Act

CA law for baby bonding, provides job and benefits protection for up to 12 weeks like FMLA.
CFRA begins when PDL ends
Must meet FML eligibility requirements.

Personal time (LWOP):

You may be entitled up to 7 months of leave (4 months PDL + 3 months CFRA). The amount of time is up to you.

Surgical Board Leave Policies:

Each specialty has their own leave policy. There may be additional paperwork that program leadership must submit to the Board to obtain advance approval for you to meet the requirements as outlined in their leave policy. Please review the following document with your Program Director and Program Administrator to ensure you have met the requirements for your clinical duration.

Department of Surgery Family Leave Guidelines for Surgical Trainees

Additional Resources (click hyperlink below to view):

Resident/Fellow Disability Benefits:

General Notices / Your Rights and Responsibilities:

University of California Fact Sheets:

Additional Resources:

Lactation Accommodation Program