I. Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the types of leave that Adams School of Dentistry (ASOD), Advanced Dental Education (ADE) residents are eligible to take. Because each ADE resident must meet certain education requirements as defined by the individual ADE program and CODA, defining specific leave and PTO standards allow for ensuring residents may advance/complete the next level of training, while maintaining clinical, didactic, teaching, and research activities as required by program standards.
Scope
ASOD ADE programs that this policy applies to includes the listed programs below. Exceptions to this policy includes the ASOD ADE Dental Hygiene Education, General Practice Residency, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and Active Military Residents. Review the Exceptions section for additional details.
- Advanced Dental Education in Endodontics
- Advanced Dental Education in Operative Dentistry & Biomaterials
- Advanced Dental Education in Orthodontics
- Advanced Dental Education in Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
- Advanced Dental Education in Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
- Advanced Dental Education in Orofacial Pain
- Advanced Dental Education in Pediatric Dentistry
- Advanced Dental Education in Periodontics
- Advanced Dental Education in Prosthodontics
- Advanced Education in General Dentistry
Exceptions
- When any ASOD program or departmental policies related to Residents conflict with the Advanced Dental Education - Comprehensive Leave and PTO Standards, this policy will prevail.
- ASOD ADE Dental Hygiene Education. Follow the Dental Hygiene Education leave policy for PTO.
- ASOD ADE General Practice Residency. Follow the GME leave policy for PTO (link at bottom of this policy).
- ASOD ADE Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Follow the GME leave policy for PTO (link at bottom of this policy).
- Military-Paid Residents. A Resident enrolled in one of the programs covered in the scope of this policy are subject to military policies and must contact their military representative for policies, procedures, and guidance. For reporting purposes, days away from the program must still be reported to the appropriate patient care coordinator and program director.
II. Leave Specification
Paid Time Off (“PTO”) and a Leave of absence (“Leave” or “LOA”) are not interchangeable terms. They are distinct, although sometimes PTO and a Leave may run concurrently.
- PTO may be granted for the following reasons:
- Vacation Time
- Sick Time
- Religious Observance Time
- Professional Conferences / Meetings
- Professional Career Days
- Federal & State Holidays as published by UNC
- A Leave of Absence (paid and/or unpaid) may be granted for the following reasons:
- Paid Parental Leave
- Military Leave
- Unpaid Personal Leave of Absence
- Withdrawal from UNC:
- Related to Medical or Personal Issues
- Financial Implications
- Exceptions for extenuating circumstances such as medical situations or other urgent or usual circumstances
III. Types of Time Away from Training
- PTO
- (Vacation and/or Sick Time) is used in accordance with a standard 5‐day work week.
- PTO may be used in increments of whole or half days. The use of half days must be tracked within the program.
- PTO replenishes once annually on July 1.
- The allotment/replenishment of Paid Time Off (PTO) will be prorated for all Residents who are appointed for only partial terms, or whose appointments are extended for less than a one‐year period of time. Proration will be calculated as one day each of Vacation and Sick Time per each month of the partial term or extension period, rounded to the nearest whole month.
- Residents’ PTO and Leave do not accrue, do not roll over, are non‐transferrable (can be neither donated nor received), and are not eligible to be paid out upon graduation.
- Vacation Time
- Two weeks (defined as 10 scheduled working days’ worth) of paid Vacation Time is provided annually.
- Vacation Time must be scheduled in accordance with program‐specific policies and procedures. Programs may choose to (1) close for a specific week and require all residents except those on call to take vacation time for that week or (2) allow all 10 days to be flexible. Programs must specify the notification time in advance of the leave request and (3) set a priority if multiple residents request overlapping leaves.
- Residents taking Vacation Time are responsible for making arrangements for coverage of their clinical responsibilities and for gaining approval from the program director and from any course directors of courses scheduled during the vacation. Vacation is referred to in this instance as planned or scheduled.
- Federal holidays and UNC closure are not counted against vacation time. These include the following:
- New Year’s Day;
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday;
- Spring holiday (1day);
- Memorial Day;
- Independence Day;
- Labor Day;
- and days UNC is officially closed for faculty and staff for Thanksgiving and Winter Holiday Break.
- Residents will be informed of class cancellations and closures due to adverse weather by the ASOD. Weather cancellations/closures do not count against vacation time.
- Residents who cover emergency calls for graduate clinics during UNC faculty/staff holidays/closures will be compensated with a day-to-day allocation of leave for each day of clinic coverage. Graduate clinics are not closed when DDS clinics are closed unless those days are program specific required vacation days and coverage is required by the program director.
- Sick Time
- Six days (defined as 6 scheduled working days’ worth) of paid Sick Time are provided annually.
- Sick Time is intended to be used to preserve and promote Resident health and well-being, and will be approved at the Program Director’s discretion.
- Appropriate uses of Sick Time include, but are not limited to:
- Attendance at medical or dental appointments, either for oneself or a family member.
- Illness or distress significant enough to interfere with the performance of duty, inclusive of time needed for mental health and wellness-focused appointments.
- When advised by Employee Health/Campus Health or primary medical doctor directives (e.g., related to a communicable disease)
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Residents planning to use Sick Time to cover foreseeable appointments are responsible for making arrangements for coverage of their clinical responsibilities. In instances of unforeseeable Sick Time, it is the responsibility of the Program Director or their designee – not the Resident taking time away – to make arrangements for coverage of the Resident's clinical responsibilities.
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Programs may specify a consecutive number of days after which a doctor’s note or medical note must be submitted before a resident may request a continuation of sick leave beyond 6 scheduled working days
- Bereavement
- For Residents who need to take time away for the death of a loved one, Bereavement Leave is incorporated into PTO. Residents may choose to use either vacation or sick leave.
Paid Leave in Addition to PTO
- Institution Wellness Days
- Graduate clinics will not be closed during ASOD-declared wellness days. Additional days equal to the number of wellness days per fall and spring semester will be provided as official leave days to extend UNC Thanksgiving or Winter break official holiday closures.
- Religious Observance Time
- Residents may request eight hours per academic year for religious observance/practices required by their faith. The request must be made at least two weeks in advance of the date(s) with a notation of Religious Observance Time on the leave request. Religious Observance Time is not incorporated into PTO.
- Professional Career Days
- Residents may be approved for a total of four days during their last year to take leave for career development purposes. These career development days are available to pursue practice opportunities, employment, etc. and are not to be used as personal days. Residents must use the leave form to notify the faculty and program director of their time away and provide a statement as to the purpose of the career development day(s) requested.
- Professional Conferences / Meetings
- The Graduate Program Director or Chair must approve attendance at conferences/meetings. Permission to attend meetings is generally only granted for participation at the meeting (i.e. presentation of a paper, poster or a table clinic). This is an educational opportunity and is not counted against PTO if approved by the program director.
Paid Parental Leave (PPL) of Absence
- Eligibility
- All duly appointed residents are eligible for paid parental leave after the first semester of their program.
- Leave under this policy must be authorized by the Program Director.
- Residents participating in dual program that includes an MS must submit a parental leave request to the graduate school.
- Reasons
- For birth of a child, taken immediately following the event.
- To care for the newborn child (i.e., “bonding”), within one year of birth.
- For placement through adoption or foster care of a child with the Resident, within one year of placement.
- A Resident is still eligible in the event of a stillbirth at 20 weeks or greater into the trainee’s own pregnancy. In this instance, PPL must be used immediately following the event.
- Benefits
- Benefits and insurance will continue as prior to the Leave.
- Monies paid (if any) toward the Resident’s insurance via payroll deductions or other means must be re-paid if the trainee fails to return to work after the Resident’s PPL has expired for a reason other than the onset of a serious medical illness, or other circumstances beyond the trainee's control.
Unpaid Personal Leave of Absence
- Eligibility
- Residents are eligible for a continuous, program‐protected Unpaid Personal Leave of Absence at the Program Director’s discretion, and approval by the ADE Office. The trainee must not have a current Educational Enhancement Plan nor any filed complaint with the Honor Court.
- Residents in an MS program must also apply to the graduate school. To be eligible for a leave from the graduate school, (s)he must be in good standing, must have received an extension of the time limit for the degree, and must have temporary grades of IN or AB on coursework taken. If (s)he takes an unpaid leave and circumstances do not allow them to finish a semester there may be financial consequences regarding repayment of stipend and tuition assistance.
- Reasons
- To care for the Resident’s family member (spouse/partner, child, legal ward, parent, in-law, or sibling) with a serious health condition, as documented by a physician (or other licensed health care provider working within the scope of their license).
- A family crisis, which may include but is not limited to a house fire or flooding; a family member who lives out of the local area and the trainee is needed to help care for them; and/or bereavement due to the death of a family member.
- Significant health condition of the trainee with medical documentation.
- Conditions
- An Unpaid Personal LOA may not exceed two full terms not including summers.
- The decision to grant an Unpaid Personal LOA is an administrative one for which the Program Director must assume full responsibility. Program Directors must consider the needs of the trainee requesting the Leave, the needs of the training program, and the program complement.
- Program Directors shall approve Unpaid Personal LOAs in a manner that is equitable to all residents.
- Residents on leave are not eligible to continue receiving GSHIP or a stipend and GSHIP and stipend will be terminated at the end of the first month of leave. The program director must notify Human Resources and the Associate Dean of Advanced Dental Education Office. The possible exception is if the leave is related to a significant health condition of the trainee. For those on medical leave, the program can request an exception from the graduate school for a continuation of GSHIP.
- Considerations
- Residents are required to communicate regularly with their supervisors regarding the status of their Leave and expected return dates.
- In all instances of Leave, it is the responsibility of the Program Director or their designee – not the Resident on a leave of absence – to make arrangements for coverage of the Resident’s clinical responsibilities.
- Residents on Leave are responsible for being compliant with institutional policies regarding immunization(s) of ASOD personnel (e.g., influenza, COVID, etc.) prior to going on a foreseeable Leave OR within 30 days of returning from any Leave, if relevant (for example, the influenza virus season is determined by ongoing transmission of influenza in the community, which is typically until late April/May).
- Residents who wish to moonlight during a leave of absence must have written approval from the program director. Residents are not covered for malpractice/liability insurance while on unpaid leave.
- Residents on Leave are expected to take all necessary steps to avoid the loss or termination of any active licensure, certification, or provider enrollment status that would prevent the Resident from fully resuming relevant work duties immediately upon their return to work.
- The Resident is expected to return to duty within, or at the end of, any Leave time granted. If the Resident decides not to return to their training program, they must immediately notify their Program Director, who must notify the Associate Dean’s Office and Human Resources.
Administrative Leave (Unpaid)
- Eligibility
- Special situations in the workplace may necessitate unpaid non‐worked hours or periods.
- The use of Administrative Leave requires prior approval and authorization from the Program Director and the Dean.
- Reasons
- A Resident may be placed on unpaid Administrative Leave for a violation of the Professionalism Policy on Student Professionalism, following the issuance of a Letter of Deficiency by the program’s Academic Performance committee, Student Reclassification and Dismissal Policy, and/or by a decision of the Honor Court.
- Administrative leave may occur prior to or concurrent with investigations related to suspension or dismissal and/or subsequent Reportable Actions in circumstances to avoid disruption of the work place and/or to protect the safety of persons or property. Reportable Actions include, but are not limited to, any act or any physical, emotional, or behavioral problems that conflict with safety essential to the practice of dentistry.
Withdrawal
- A Resident must notify the program director and the advanced dental education office in writing of the intent to withdraw on a specific date.
- If the Resident is an MS Resident, the procedures of the graduate school must be followed. For MS Residents, there are potential academic, financial, and campus services access consequences.
- GSHIP and stipend will be terminated at the end of the first month of withdrawal.
IV. Notification of Policies
The Adams School of Dentistry requires programs to provide information on Residents’ PTO (i.e., Vacation and Sick Time) and Leave options (both with and without pay) and that these policies comply with applicable laws. These policies will be distributed annually to trainees during the appointment/reappointment process.
V. Effects on Completion of Training Program
Each program must provide its Residents with the following:
- A written policy in compliance with its Program Requirements concerning the effects of time away from training, for any reason, on satisfying the criteria for completion of the training program.
- Information relating to eligibility for certification by the relevant certifying board.
- Upon initiation of time away from training, it is the responsibility of the Program Director to determine what specific experiences or activities that may be missed will need to be made up, even if the time away from training does not require an extension of time in program. A tentative plan to fulfill expected program requirements should be signed by the Program Director and the Resident as close to initiation of the time away as possible.
VII. Definitions
- Resident: An individual accepted into one of the programs covered by the Scope of this policy.
- Serious Medical Illness: Illness, injury, impairment, physical, or mental condition that involves inpatient care (an overnight stay in a medical care facility) or continuing treatment by a health care provider. Ordinarily, unless complications arise, the common cold, the flu, earaches, upset stomach, minor ulcers, headaches other than migraine, routine dental or orthodontia problems, periodontal disease, etc., are examples of conditions that do not meet the definition of a serious health condition.
VIII. Related Requirements
External Regulations
Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures
IX. Contact Information