Family Medical Leave

GAU is committed to pursuing policy change to include Family Medical Leave (FML) in our Contract. GAU does not currently have any rights or guarantees regarding FML in the present contract. Our goal is to secure paid leave for all graduate assistants who want to start a family while they are working at the University of Florida. As the chart below demonstrates, many of UF’s peer institutions already provide their graduate students with family medical leave benefits.

Here are several key FML issues that the GAU is fighting for:

A Childbirth Accommodation Policy: an accommodation for the demands placed on a woman by late-stage pregnancy, childbirth, and the care of a newborn. This policy will make it possible for the mother to maintain a full-time, registered student status, and to facilitate her return to coursework and academic employment.

An Expanded Definition of “Leaves of Absence” to Include Family Leave Policies: an accommodation that will provide graduate assistants a family leave of absence for the birth or adoption of a child, for childcare, or for the care of an immediate family member. This policy should make provisions for both paid family leave and unpaid family leave.

An Expanded Definition of “Family”: a change in language that redefines “immediate family” to include at a minimum a graduate assistant’s spouse, domestic partner, mother, father, brother, sister, child, legal dependent, or a relative living in the graduate assistant’s household.

On-Campus Childcare: an accommodation that will provide graduate assistants affordable and accessible childcare services.

GAU needs your help! If you are interested in FML, there are two ways to become involved: 1) join our committee and work to change our leave policy; 2) let GAU and UF know why FML is an important policy for GAs as both students and employees. Please contact us if you are interested!

Click here for PDF version of the chart below

Family Medical Leave Comparison Chart