8.4 Parental Leave

1. A permanent employee shall be entitled, upon request, to an unpaid leave of absence for purposes of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or care for the newborn child for a period not to exceed one year. The employee shall provide medical substantiation to support the request for pregnancy leave. The request must include the beginning and ending dates of the leave and must be requested no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the birth of the child. Any changes to the leave, once approved, are permissive and subject to the approval of the department head or designee.
2. A spouse, parent or domestic partner (as defined in accordance with Family Code section 297), who is a permanent employee, shall be entitled, upon request, to an unpaid leave of absence for a period not to exceed one year to care for the employee’s newborn child. The employee shall provide medical substantiation to support the employee’s request for parental leave. The request must include the beginning and ending dates of the leave and must be requested no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the birth of the child. Any changes to the leave, once approved, are permissive and subject to the approval of the department head or designee.
3. If the request for parental leave is made more than thirty (30) calendar days after the birth of the child, a permissive unpaid leave of absence may be considered by the department head or designee.
4. During the period of time an employee is on parental leave, the employee shall be allowed to continue the employee’s health, dental, and vision benefits. The cost of these benefits shall be paid by the employee and the rate that the employee will pay will be the group rate.