Home & Career

Leaves of absence

The health system offers various leave programs to eligible employees who may need time away from work because of certain life events. Some leaves of absence are paid and some are provided unpaid to provide flexibility and support. Employees are encouraged to consider a leave of absence when time away from work (continuous or intermittent) is needed to deal with serious medical conditions (your own or a family member), pregnancy, personal needs, domestic violence, military leave or educational leave.

Employees who need time away from work for bereavement, to vote in official elections, to complete jury duty or for lactation needs must contact their manager directly to schedule an appropriate leave from work.

Employees may be eligible for additional types of leaves allowed under state or local laws, based on the employee’s primary worksite.

Paid parental and caregiver leave

New for 2027

To support employees in caring for family members, the health system offers paid leave to provide financial stability during important times when your family needs you most.

This paid leave may be used to provide care for a spouse, parent or child, or to bond with a newborn or newly adopted or fostered child. It provides one workweek (up to 40 hours), prorated based on FTE, in a rolling 12-month period. It must be used in conjunction with a leave of absence.

Paid parental and caregiver leave is available to employees who meet all of the criteria below:

Benefits-eligible (0.5 FTE or greater) with at least 12 months of continuous service as of the date the leave is to begin.
If the leave is to provide care for a parent, spouse or child, the leave must be approved by Aflac under FMLA. If the leave is to bond with a newborn or newly adopted or fostered child, the leave must be approved by Aflac under FMLA or for bonding under the Personal Leave Benefit policy.
The leave must be approved by the Leave Team.

Paid organ and tissue donor leave

Paid leave is available for eligible employees who donate an organ or tissue (blood and blood product donations are not included). The health system wants to support those who are called to make this sacrifice and ensure they have sufficient paid time away from work for their needed medical leave.

Available to benefits-eligible employees (those who work 0.5 FTE or more) regardless of years of service
Provides up to 6 workweeks paid leave, prorated for part-time staff, maximum of 240 hours
Leave must be used consecutively
Requires medical oversight and documentation
Administered by the Leave Team, who will code in the payroll system

How to make a request

Note

Until Jan. 1, 2027, all leave requests, whether they begin in 2026 or 2027, will be submitted to The Hartford. You can find these instructions for requesting a leave of absence here.

As of Jan. 1, 2027, the health system partners with Aflac to administer many of our leave programs. Here are three tips to make your leave of absence request easier:

Know when to make your request.

If your absence is scheduled, such as an upcoming hospital stay, please call Aflac 30 days prior to your last day of work.
If your absence is unscheduled, please call Aflac as soon as possible.

Know what information to include in your request.

Name, address and other key identification information.
Name of your department and last full day of active work.
The nature of your claim or leave request.
Your treating physician’s name, address, phone and fax numbers.

Call Aflac.

With your information handy, call Aflac (beginning Jan. 1, 2027).

For general questions, contact the HR Support Center at 913-945-6500 or AskHR@kumc.edu.

Workplace accommodations

Employees who are temporarily or permanently disabled or have restrictions that make it difficult for them to perform the essential functions of their job should contact the health system’s Leave Team (LeaveandDisability@kumc.edu) to talk about their needs.

The Leave Team will work closely with the employee and their manager to determine if a reasonable workplace accommodation can be offered.