Time Off and Leaves of Absence (Staff)
Berklee offers different types of time off:
- paid time off (illness, vacation, personal day, etc.)
- paid absence (jury duty, bereavement)
- leave of absence (parental leave, FMLA, military leave, personal leave, etc.).
Paid Time Off
Eligible staff members earn paid time off (PTO) for periods of rest and relaxation, for illness, and to take care of personal matters. Staff who are not eligible for benefits earn sick time. For more information on eligibility and accrual, see Berklee's full PTO policy.
Paid Absences
Jury Duty/Court Leave
Both staff and faculty receive paid absence for compulsory jury duty service. Jury Duty Leave will not count as PTO usage.
You are required to notify your supervisors/chairs of the need for this absence, and you must submit a copy of their Juror Service Certificates within 10 days of receipt to the Office of Human Resources.
Bereavement/Funeral Leave
Bereavement/Funeral Leave is an authorized paid absence from work, up to five days, when a death occurs in the staff member’s immediate family. All faculty and staff members are eligible.
Leave of Absences
Delivering Parent (Maternity) and Parental Leave
Qualifying employees may take up to twelve weeks leave (under FMLA) or eight weeks (under MPLA) for incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care, or child birth. You can also use this leave to care for your child after birth, or after they are placed in your care.
FMLA protects your job while you are out. It does not cover getting paid during your leave. You will need to use a combination of PTO, paid parental leave (pay continuation), or short-term disability to account for your salary while you are out.
Contact benefits@berklee.edu to schedule an appointment and start the process.
Time Off for a Serious Health Condition (for you or a family member)
You can request time-off under the FMLA for a "serious health condition," defined as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition. FMLA also covers time off to care for a son, daughter, parent or next of kin who is a military service member.
Read the policy for more information.
Military/Civil Defense Leave
Federal law says that military/civil defense leave is covered by FMLA, which means you will have job protection in the event you are called to service.
Domestic Violence Leave
Massachusetts law says that your job will be protected for up to 15 days (over a 12 month period) to handle matters related to domestic violence.
Personal Leave
Staff are allowed to take unpaid personal leave if PTO or other types of paid leave are not available.
Unpaid Absence
- Small Necessities Leave Act (SNLA) allows you to take PTO or unpaid leave for up to 24 hours (over a 12 month period) for appointments, activities, or other small events.
- Voting: you are allowed to take up to 3.5 hours of PTO or unpaid leave for participating in election voting.