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Expectant Parents

As a SUNY Canton Expectant Parent whether you adopt, foster or have a child, you are entitled to certain benefits. Please follow the steps below to ensure your leave is as smooth as possible.

1. Complete the Leave Request Form and have it signed by your supervisor. Send to the benefits office in HR.
2. Decide on the type of leave you are entitled/interested in taking and complete the medical form for each. Depending on your bargaining unit you may be eligible for 1 or all of the leaves mentioned below.
3. Email the Leave Request Form to hr@canton.edu. All medical forms below should be sent or faxed to HR at 315-386-7064 at least 30 days prior to your expected leave date.

1. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – All bargaining units eligible.
   This leave is a 12 week job protection leave, NOT a paid leave. In order to stay on payroll you must use your accruals or be on another one of the paid leaves mention below. Can be taken all at once or intermittently over the course of the year.
• Family Medical Leave Act Health Care Provider Certificate - For Employee Leave
• Family Medical Leave Act Health Care Provider Certificate - For Family Member Leave
2. Paid Parental Leave – All bargaining units eligible.
   This leave is a 12 week fully paid leave without use of accruals, but must be used all at once in a block of time during the year. Cannot be used intermittently. FMLA leave will be charged simultaneously as PPL so please fill out the FMLA form when requesting this leave.
3. Paid Family Leave – UUP, M/C bargaining units only.
   This leave is a 12 week leave @ ¾ pay paid by a 3^rd party insurance company. May be taken all at once or intermittently over the course of the year.
• SUNY PFL Bonding Packet

Know Your Rights!

1. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) (1978) – Prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions
2. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) – Required employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant, postpartum, or potential pregnancy-related conditions.
3. The PUMP (Providing Urgent Maternal Protections) Act - Employers must provide lactation breaks and a private, shielded space for breastfeeding employees.
4. Labor Law 206-C Policy on the Rights of Employees to Express Breast Milk in the Workplace. NYS employers must provide a private, non-restroom space for breastfeeding employees, equipped with necessary facilities.
5. SUNY Canton's Breastfeeding Support Policy

Impact on Attendance and Leave

Employees must be provided with paid break time for 30 minutes to allow an employee to express breast milk for such employee's nursing child each time such employee has reasonable need to express breast milk for up to three years following childbirth.

If additional time is needed beyond the 30 minutes of paid break time, an employee can utilize the following:

• Leave credits (credits other than sick leave)
• Existing paid break time (15 minute breaks)
• Mealtime
• Work before and after shift
• Unpaid breaks

Employees must be permitted to charge appropriate leave credits (credits other than sick leave) during the unpaid portion of the breaks.

Employees should understand the impact on eligibility to earn leave credits if they elect to utilize unpaid break time and not charge leave credits. Employees need to be in full pay status for seven separate full days out of ten in a biweekly pay period in order to earn biweekly leave credits. A day in which an employee takes an unpaid break for this purpose, and doesn't charge leave credits during that break, does not count as a day in full pay status for purposes of earning leave credits. Paid breaks count toward earning leave credits.

Resources

• SUNY Canton Right to Breastfeeding Website
  Information on how to reserve the lactation room, where questions should be directed, and when and how often you can take a lactation break can be found on this site.
• Lactation Space Request Form - Miller Campus Center - Room 232
• Breast Pumps and supplies can be purchased at any of the websites listed below, 30 days before baby’s due date. Some are 100% covered under insurance and others can be purchased at a discount. All will need a prescription from your provider.
• Breast Pump Through Insurance | Byram Healthcare Breast Pumps
• Aeroflow Breastpumps