Leaves of Absence

Beginning January 1, 2026 the University of Minnesota transitioned to a new process for managing most workplace leave of absences. This means your Medical School HR teams will no longer process new leave of absence requests, specifically military, personal, disability, parental and medical leaves, including those covered by FMLA.  These will be handled by MetLife, our leave and disability administrator.

Employees requesting these types of leaves can do so by applying for Paid Leave by contacting MetLife by calling 833-622-0135 or at www.metlife.com/mybenefits.

• This new state-mandated program provides partial wage replacement and job protection to care for your own serious health condition, take care of a family member, or address safety concerns.

• You will likely need to share with MetLife:

  • 1. • Information about yourself and your job

       • The reason and the type of leave (Medical or Family)

       • The expected length of leave

       • Certification from a healthcare or service provider, or other supporting documentation about the reason for your leave.

• In case of emergency, your supervisor, family member, or emergency contact can initiate a leave request on your behalf by contacting the Leave Administration team. A team member will respond within one to two business days. This process should only be followed in an emergency.

The University uses a case management approach to support employees, their families, and supervisors during an extended leave.

The Leave Administration team in the Office of Human Resources (OHR) acts as a single point of contact at the University. This team will answer questions, work with MetLife when appropriate, facilitate your return to work, and communicate with you, your supervisor, and your local human resources staff. Questions about the leave of absence should be directed to the assigned Leave Specialist.

Please see the Leave of Absence webpage and the Minnesota Paid Leave webpage for further information. 

If you have questions about any Minnesota Paid Leave or FMLA, please reach out to the Leave Administration Team at leaveadmin@umn.edu.

While the above mentioned leaves will no longer be processed with the Medical School HR teams, we will continue to process academic leaves such as sabbaticals and single semester leaves, and workers compensation.

FMLA Leave

Medical Leave

Parental Leave

Military Leave

Court Appearance or Civic Duty Leaves

Unpaid Personal Leave:

The University offers unpaid personal leave to support eligible employees who need time away from work to attend to matters that affect their lives, that are unrelated to their career at the University, and that significantly interfere with their ability to meet their University work responsibilities.

Refer to your employee group governance document or the Administrative Policy for Unpaid Personal Leaves for Faculty and P&A Employees for details about this type of leave including procedures for requesting a Personal Leave of Absence.

Bereavement Leave

The University offers bereavement leave to support employees experiencing a significant personal loss due to the death of a family member.

Review the appropriate employee group governance document or the Bereavement Leave for Faculty and P&A Staff Administrative Policy for more information about Bereavement Leave and allowed time off.