Time off policies for postdocs (including sick leave)

[Dana Bresee Keeth]

Dear MIT Postdocs,

You are probably all aware of the upcoming Institute holidays 
<http://hrweb.mit.edu/holidays.html>and special holidays: December 24, 
25 and 31, 2015, and January 1, 2016.

I want to be sure that you are aware of a document that summarizes the 
various “time off” provisions that pertain to postdocs at MIT, including 
vacation and parental leave:

https://postdocs.mit.edu/postdoc-time-benefits

Many of you received the 12/16/15 email message from MIT Human Resources 
(HR) with the subject heading “Mass. Law: Sick Time Reporting after 
1/1/16,” sent to all campus based, monthly paid, benefits-eligible 
administrative, academic (non-faculty), and research staff, *including 
Postdoctoral Associates*. For these populations, that message explained 
a new Massachusetts law and MIT’s system to track your use of paid sick 
leave. Sick time is used for your illness and medical and dental 
appointment or for the illness and medical/dental appointment of a 
family member. HR’s message included the following: “To comply with this 
law, /MIT did not need to change the amount of sick leave that monthly 
paid, benefits-eligible administrative, academic (non-faculty), and 
research staff can take for themselves/; therefore, the amount of sick 
time remains the same for employee illnesses. MIT did change its 
policies to allow up to 40 hours of paid time per year to care for a 
sick family member or for domestic violence victims.” As of 1/4/16, a 
calendar-based tool will be available for you through Atlas to record 
all sick time you use.

Postdoctoral Fellows without any MIT salary will not use the tracking 
tool to record their sick time, but should follow their department, 
laboratory or center's guidelines and procedures for reporting time.

Postdoctoral Associates who are paid less than 50% time and so are not 
eligible for MIT employee benefits do accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick 
time per year, and must report their use of sick time as well on a 
slightly different tool. Instructions on how to record time will come 
directly from your department, lab or center.

In the various categories of time off, we note that provisions for 
Postdoctoral Associates, who are MIT employees, are different than for 
Postdoctoral Fellows, whose funding agencies govern leave policies. 
*Both Postdoctoral Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows should be in 
close communication with their key administrative contact for postdoc 
<https://postdocs.mit.edu/postdocs-and-office-vpr/key-administrative-contacts-postdocs>s 
with any questions or to discuss their particular circumstances*.

More information can be found on the Vice President for Research 
Information for Postdoctoral Scholars website https://postdocs.mit.edu/ 
- particularly in the Postdoctoral Position and Benefits tabs. The 
Office of the Vice President for Research continues to work 
collaboratively at MIT to make improvements for all postdocs.

With all best wishes for the New Year,

Dana

-- 
Dana Bresee Keeth
Director of Postdoctoral Services
Office of the Vice President for Research
MIT, 10-237
tel. 617-715-4671
https://postdocs.mit.edu/

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