Leaves

As you prepare for a new addition to your family, our office is here to assist you with preparing to take time off of work. Federal and State laws protect time off for:

• Employees disabled by pregnancy
• Childbirth or
• A related medical condition

An employee may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a newborn, or child placed with employee for adoption or foster care when eligible under Family Medical Act (FMLA)/California Medical Rights Act (CFRA).

Preparing for Staff Paternal Leave

The recommended steps to request leave can be found below:

1. Employees should inform their supervisor manager and contact Dornsife Human Resources (hrrequests@dornsife.usc.edu) at least thirty (30) days in advance or with as much advance notice as practicable.
a.  Human Resources will reply within 24-48 hours.

2. Record your medical leave in Workday

a. Select

➡ Time Off
➡ Leave of Absence
➡ Leave Type “FMLA (Unpaid – Non-Exempt)”
➡ Leave Reason
➡ Click submit

b. Forward a copy of your completed medical certification requesting leave.

3. For wage replacement benefits:

a. Broadspire Claim Line 📞 (800) 495-2315, dial Option 1, if you pay into the USC Voluntary Disability (VDI) basic plan.
b. Employment Development Department (EDD) 💻 https://edd.ca.gov/, if you pay into the SDI Disability California state plan.

4.

Wage Replacement Benefits
If you pay into:

• State disability, you will receive the maximum of 6 weeks of maternity leave at 60% of your salary.
• USC Disability, offers 10 weeks of maternity leave, typically paid at 70% of your salary. The first week is unpaid. Employees may use sick or vacation time to replace their salary for the first week.
• Supplemental disability, employee will be paid 100% of her normal salary, each week, for every year of service to the university. Thereafter the benefits drop down to 80% for the remainder of the maternity leave period.
• 12 weeks of baby bonding time may be taken in one block of time, or in 2 week increments up until before the baby turns a year old.

Questions regarding staff parental leave:

• For staff or postdoc leave, contact USC Dornsife HR.
• For faculty leave, contact Ida Morodome-Castilla.

Here you will find the necessary information and tools to begin your leave from the university. Whether you are staff or faculty going on a medical leave of absence or need to file a Worker’s compensation claim, many of the answers to your questions can be found by reviewing the brochures to determine the proper course of action you need to take. These brochures also help guide supervisors through their responsibilities in regards to leaves and work place injury reporting.

For policies related to taking time off from the university and their respective eligibility requirements, see USC Policies.

It is important that workplace injuries are documented and reported within 24 hours to USC Dornsife Human Resources to ensure accurate and timely notification to the Disability Office, responsible for meeting mandated reporting procedures governed by state and federal law.

Recommended steps following an injury:

1. Immediately report any workplace injury or illness to your supervisor/HR Partner.
2. Contact USC’s workers’ compensation administrator, Broadspire, by calling (800)495-2315 (answered 24/7).
   ⋅ You will be “triaged” to a specially trained nurse who will immediately assess the injury and determine the best course of action for you. Nurses have access to interpreters to help with over 200 languages when necessary. Depending on the situation, you may be guided in first aid (self-care), allowed back to work, or be referred to a medical facility within the USC Medical Provider Network for further evaluation.
   ⋅ Contacting Broadspire is crucial because this is how you obtain a claim number allowing you to seek medical treatment. If you are unable to call, the HR Partner must call Broadspire.
   ⋅ Note: There is no claim unless the employee or HR Partner notifies Broadspire.
3. Submit completed worker’s compensation claim form DWC-1 to your supervisor or HR Partner.
   ⋅ The employee must complete the top portion of the DWC-1 form and include Social Security number and original signature (see sample DWC-1 form).
   ⋅ Employees who seek medical treatment and/or wish to file a claim must complete this form within 24 hours of sustaining the injury.
   ⋅ State law requires USC to authorize medical treatment within one working day of receiving the completed form.
   ⋅ If you delay reporting your injury or completing the form, it may delay benefits or jeopardize your right to obtain benefits altogether.
4. Manager completes Manager’s Report of Incident.
5. Provide work status updates to your HR Partner and Broadspire after each medical appointment. Documentation is important in determining the ability to return to work or accommodation.