The district offers employees a variety of paid and unpaid protective leaves to take care of personal matters.
Summary of Leave Benefits
State Personal Leave - Five days
Local Sick Leave - Five, six, or seven days based on the employee’s service calendar each year
State Sick Leave - Earned before May 30, 1995
Steps to take Leave and Time Off
- An employee must submit a leave request through the Leave Portal within 30 calendar days of starting, unless it is an emergency. The Leave Portal will prompt you through the steps and provide you with required medical documentation after your request is submitted.
- Once you apply for a leave of absence Benefits will provide you important information pertaining to your eligibility.
- Leave of absence requests using local leave and state personal leave must be requested in the appropriate time keeping system for your position (Kronos, ESS, or Absence Management).
Find this information in BOARD POLICIES: DEC Legal, DEC Local, DEC Regulation
Leave of Absence
Family Medical Leave (FMLA)
Job protection is time away from work that an employer must allow an eligible employee for a special reason.
If taking intermittent FMLA leave, employees must report absences in the appropriate timekeeping system and notify the Benefits department at the end of each week with the dates and times taken for the FMLA reason. Additionally, employees must notify their supervisor before taking leave for operational or instructional planning and if applicable, guest educator coverage. FMLA will run concurrently with your paid leave. Medical certification is required.
Eligible spouses who both work for the District are limited to a combined total of 12 work weeks of leave in a 12 month period for the following reasons: birth of a child, or placement of a child with you for adoption or foster care, and to bond with the newborn or newly placed child.
- Employee’s own serious health condition.
- Birth of a child, or placement of a child with you for adoption or foster care, and to bond with the newborn or newly-placed child.
- Care for a family member (spouse, parent, child) due to a serious health condition.
- A qualifying exigency for a family member (spouse, parent, child) on active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to cover active duty status.
- To care for a family member who is a covered U.S. service member with a serious injury or illness that resulted from active military duty (i.e. military caregiver leave). Covers family members who are current service members and veterans.
Extended Leave (EL)
- 1-5 years: 10 days
- 6-10 years: 15 days
- 11-15 years: 20 days
- 16-20 years: 25 days
- 21 years or more: 30 days
Employees will be notified if awarded extended leave days. For additional information on Extended Leave, refer to DEC Local and DEC Regulation Board Policy.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Modifications that an employer may allow an eligible employee.
Employees with disabilities may request accommodations through the leave portal. You can request workplace modifications as an ADA accommodation and medical certification is required.
Military Service Leave (MSL)
Members of state military forces, the United States Armed Forces reserve component, and the state or federal-authorized Urban Search and Rescue team may request leave through the Leave Portal. For additional information on MSL refer to DEC Legal, DEC Local, and DEC Regulation Board Policy.
Temporary Disability Leave (TDL)
Temporary Disability Leave (TDL) provides up to 180 days of unpaid job protection leave for a full-time employee whose position requires a State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). Time away is for an employee’s own serious health condition and runs concurrent with FMLA leave time. For childbirth, time away under TDL would require healthcare certification from a healthcare provider for the employee’s own serious health condition. May not be used for intermittent leave. Leave is unpaid if the employee has exhausted all paid leave. Medical certification is required.
Job protection is time away from work that an employer must allow an eligible employee. For additional information on TDL refer to DEC Local and DEC Regulation Board Policy.
Worker’s Compensation (WC)
Employees or guest educators sustaining an injury while working may qualify for Worker’s Compensation. Report on-the-job injuries to Risk Management as soon as possible. Worker’s Compensation is not job protection. Employees must request FMLA through the Leave Portal for job protection.
Workers’ Compensation may cover medical expenses and/or provide temporary income benefits. Employees may use available paid leave to attend doctor visits and to cover extended absences due to their work-related injury. For questions please contact the Risk Management Department at 512-464-5035 or 512-464-5128.
Round Rock ISD provides Workers’ Compensation benefits through the Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund (TASB).
Maternity Leave
Apply for Family Medical Leave (FMLA) in the Leave Portal within 30 calendar days before the estimated due date unless there is an emergency.
After applying for leave, employees will be contacted by the Benefits department with details of eligibility for a leave of absence under FMLA, TDL, or ADA.
Return to Work Requirements: A Return to Work Release from the healthcare provider must be received in the Benefits department prior to the return to work date. Failure to provide a work release may delay the employee’s return to work.
FMLA for maternity/paternity leave (unpaid job protection)
- An employee may be eligible to take up to12 weeks in a 12 month period. (60 work days).
- The baby’s estimated due date will be used for the start date of leave.
- If your start date needs to change, please contact the Benefits department for further instruction.
- FMLA would start the first missed work day.
- FMLA for baby bonding may be taken within one year of the date of birth.
Temporary Disability Leave (TDL) for childbirth (unpaid job protection)
- Runs concurrent with FMLA
- Time away to heal from childbirth; usually six weeks for a normal delivery, eight weeks for a C-section. Healthcare certification from a qualified physician is required.
- TDL begins on the first missed work day.
ADA Accommodations (ADA) for childbirth (unpaid job protection)
- Time away to heal from childbirth as a reasonable accommodation; usually six weeks for a normal delivery, eight weeks for a C-section. Healthcare certification from a qualified physician is required.
- ADA begins on the first missed work day.
- Leave due to childbirth or adoption and enrolling the child in Round Rock ISD’s health plan must be requested within 30 calendar days of the date of birth.
Documentation needs to be received within 40 calendar days of the date of birth. The newborn’s hospital claims are not paid until enrollment with Round Rock ISD health insurance is complete. - Requests and/or documentation not received timely may be denied.
- A birth certificate, hospital document of birth or adoption placement is required for enrollment in the District’s health insurance plan.
Documentation needed for Leave of Absence
The Leave Portal will prompt an employee applying for a leave of absence to download the appropriate healthcare certification form.
Return to Work Requirement
Benefits must receive a Return to Work Release from a healthcare provider before an employee returns to work following a personal illness, injury, or childbirth. The Return to Work Release is required to avoid delays in returning to work. A work release is not required for intermittent leave or leave to care for a family member.
Pay while on Leave
Disability Insurance
- Disability claim instructions are provided to employees upon requesting a leave of absence in the Leave Portal.
- Claims are processed after meeting the disability plan elimination period.
- Approved claims are paid at 60% of your weekly salary.
- Disability payments are not included in Round Rock ISD paychecks. If the claim is approved, employees will receive payment directly from Sun Life.
- Disability payments are not offset for leave days employees are compensated for. Round Rock ISD does not report sick, personal, or non-duty pay for disability claims.
- View plan details on the Benefits website or contact the Benefits department for further assistance with filing a disability claim.
Benefits while on a Leave of Absence
Employees health benefits must be maintained during any period of FMLA leave under the same conditions as if the employee continued to work. During any paid portion of FMLA leave, the employee’s share of any premiums will be paid by the method normally used during any paid leave. During any unpaid portion of FMLA leave, employees must continue to make any normal contributions to the cost of the health insurance premiums. Employees may be required to reimburse the District for the employer’s share of premiums paid during the FMLA leave if the employee does not return to work following unpaid leave.
Health insurance benefits will end for employees on TDL and ADA leave and are no longer receiving a paycheck. The employee will be provided an option to enroll in COBRA to continue benefits at their own expense. An employee’s coverage will be reactivated after returning to work.
Bereavement Leave
Employees can receive up to three days of bereavement leave with no loss of pay. The benefit is available should an employee experience the death of an immediate family member.
The definition of an immediate family member is a spouse, biological, adopted, foster, or stepchild; son or daughter-in-law; or a legal ward; parent, step-parent, parent-in-law; siblings, step-siblings and siblings-in-law; grandparent, and grandchild, and any person residing in the employees household at the time of death.
Employees must request bereavement leave in the leave portal and provide the required documentation.
Bereavement leave is noncumulative. Find this information in BOARD POLICIES: DEC Legal, DEC Local, DEC Regulation
Catastrophic Sick Leave Bank (CSLB)
Catastrophic Sick Leave Bank is a pool of local sick leave days contributed by employees. CSLB is optional and requires annual enrollment for new members. Employees who donate to the CSLB are lifetime members and are not required to donate every year, unless they choose to do so. Members of the CSLB may become eligible if they have exhausted their accumulated paid leave, including any awarded extended leave days, are under an approved medical leave and meet the definition of a catastrophic illness or injury. Medical documentation to support a catastrophic illness or injury will be required. Employees may use CSLB for their own serious catastrophic illness or injury or their immediate family’s catastrophic illness or injury.
Request CSLB by emailing Benefits. An application and a healthcare certification form will be provided to the employee upon request.
For additional information on CSLB refer to DEC Legal, DECA Legal, DEC Local, DEC Regulation Board Policy.
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