Terms to Know
As you learn more about the various leave options available to you at Brandeis, you may come across some unfamiliar terms. Here’s a glossary to help you make sense of these programs:
Absence
Any time away from work, whether planned (vacation/holidays), unscheduled (fewer than 3 days), or extended (3 or more days).
Absence Coordinator
Your contact at The Standard who facilitates all aspects of your leave and short-term disability claim.
Bonding
Family leave can be taken by a parent or legal guardian to bond with a child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement. You and your partner may choose to take family leave to bond with the child at the same time, or separately.
Concurrent Leave
Leaves that run at the same time; for example, a combined claim for both medical leave and short-term disability.
Continuous Leave
Leave taken in a block of time (more than one day).
Intermittent Leave
Hours, minutes, or days of leave that are taken sporadically.
Medical Leave
Job-protected time away from work to address your own serious health condition or those of a qualifying family member.
Own Medical Leave
The leave that you, personally, are taking to care for your own serious illness or injury.
Reduced Leave
Planned leave taken to reduce the number of work hours in a day or week (for example, your medical provider may indicate that you can work 8 hours per day, 3 days per week. This is considered reduced leave).
Salary Continuation
A program that provides income replacement for time away from work due to your own serious health condition.
Serious Health Condition, Illness or Injury
A serious health condition is a physical or mental condition that prevents one from doing their job, either because they are unable to, or because they need time to get treated or recover from treatment. Serious health conditions include:
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Pregnancy, including prenatal care.
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Chronic conditions, like asthma or diabetes, that stop you from working some of the time, go on for some time and require going to the doctor more than twice a year.
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Permanent or long-term conditions, like Alzheimer's, stroke or terminal cancer, that might not be curable and will need ongoing attention but will not necessarily require active treatment. For example, when a person is in hospice.
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Conditions requiring multiple treatments, like chemotherapy, kidney dialysis or physical therapy after an accident.
Sick Family Member
Family members include your spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, grandchild, grandparent or sibling; the parent of your spouse or domestic partner; and guardians who legally acted as a parent when you were a minor.