MSP/MTA Academic Year Faculty Paid Leave Accruals

Benefited UMass Amherst faculty members on academic-year appointments covered by the university's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP/MTA) are eligible for the following types of paid time.

The most common types of paid leave are outlined below. Please reference the CBA for more information and additional detail.

Full-time benefited faculty members on calendar year appointments accrue 3.07 hours of sick time each payroll period (2 week) not to exceed 10 days per year or 960 hours in total. Sick leave accruals are pro-rated based on full-time equivalency and amount of time paid.

Sick leave may be used in the following conditions:

  1. When a member is unable to perform their duties due to illness or injury;
  2. When, through exposure to contagious disease, the presence of the bargaining unit member at their work location would jeopardize the health of others;
  3. When appointments with licensed medical or dental professionals for purposes of medical treatment or diagnosis of an existing medical or dental conditions cannot reasonably be scheduled outside of normal working hours;
  4. When a bargaining unit member is an active participant in an approved alcohol or narcotics counseling service program; and
  5. When a bargaining unit member is on approved parental leave in accordance with MSP collective bargaining agreement Article 27.3.5.
  6. Upon notice to their Department Chair/Head and, if requested, submittal of a physician’s statement , use five days of their sick leave or the MSP sick leave bank for the purpose of caring for the spouse, child, foster child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, brother, sibling, grandparent, grandchild of either the bargaining unit member or their spouse, person for whom the bargaining unit member is legal guardian, or for a person living in the bargaining unit member’s immediate household who is seriously ill. A bargaining unit member may apply to use additional sick leave time from their sick leave or the sick leave bank for these purposes.

Full-time bargaining unit members and part-time bargaining unit members with appointments of 50% time or more shall be granted a leave of absence with pay for a maximum of five days upon evidence satisfactory to the Administration of the death of a family member, or for a person for whom the bargaining unit member is primarily responsible for making funeral arrangements. Family is defined to include the bargaining unit member’s significant other; a relation by blood, marriage, or adoption; and/or a person living in the immediate household of the bargaining unit member. Bereavement leave for other loved ones may be approved at the discretion of the Department Chair/Head and Dean or equivalent administrative officials. This leave may be used, at the option of the bargaining unit member, within 30 calendar days from said death. Alternatively, the leave may be used to attend the funeral or memorial service occurring within one year of said death.