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Office of Human Resources Benefits Services

New Baby

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! If you are adopting a child or becoming a foster parent, please see the Adoption/Foster Care page. In addition to this page, you may also view the printable Parental Care Guidebook (PDF) for more helpful parenting information. There are a few things you should consider before your baby arrives:

Benefits
Giving birth is a "qualifying status change" in terms of your benefits. That means you may change your benefit enrollment without having to wait until the annual open enrollment period. Contact the Office of Human Resources Customer Service Center for assistance with any benefit elections.

Medical, Dental, Vision Benefits
Will you be adding a child to your health benefits? If you will be adding a child to your health benefits, you will need to complete and submit a Health Plan Enrollment Form within 31 days of the adoption or foster care placement. You do not need to wait until you receive your child's Social Security number to add your new baby to your insurance.

Life Insurance
You may want to consider purchasing Voluntary Group Term Life Insurance (VGTLI) or Dependent Group Term Life Insurance (DGLI) for your spouse and child or changing the amount of life insurance you currently purchase for yourself. You can download a DGLI Enrollment form or VGTLI Application from this site.

Flexible Spending Account
You may elect to participate in or change the amount you contribute to your Health Care and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) by submitting a FSA Qualifying Event Election Form.

Child Care Program
The Ohio State University Child Care Program is available to dependents (ages 6 weeks through kindergarten) of Ohio State faculty and staff. There is usually a waiting list for placement in the center, so you may want to contact the center as soon as you learn you are expecting.

Short-Term Disability
Child birth is an eligible qualifying event to enroll in Short-Term Disability (STD) to cover future pregnancies, illnesses or injuries. You can download a Short-Term Disability (STD) Enrollment form.

Leave Programs

For employees who hold a 75% or greater FTE and who have been employed by the university for one year:

You are eligible for Family and Medical Leave (FML) for the birth of your child. FML provides eligible faculty and staff with up to 12 work weeks (480 hours) of leave during the 12 month period after your baby is born. Birth mothers may take a paid parental leave of six weeks at full pay, three weeks of full pay for fathers, domestic partners and adoptive parents.

The leave must be used within one year of the birth or adoption of the child and is used in conjunction with FML to the extent possible. Birth mothers may be eligible to use sick leave, vacation, compensatory time, and leave without pay for the remainder of the FML. Birth fathers may be eligible to use vacation, compensatory time or leave without pay for the remainder of the FML. Use of vacation leave or comp time is at the discretion of the employee and subject to departmental approval. See Policy 6.27B-Paid Leave Programs: Parental Leave for more information.

For employees who DO NOT hold a position of 75% or greater FTE and who have been employed by the university for one year:

If you have been employed by the university for one year, and have worked 1,040 hours in the past 12 months, you are eligible for Family and Medical Leave (FML) for the birth of your child. FML provides eligible faculty and staff with up to 12 work weeks (480 hours) of leave during the 12 month period after your baby is born. Expecting mothers may take as many weeks as medically prescribed by a physician of paid sick leave.

FML should be taken as paid sick leave as appropriate. If the sick leave balances are insufficient, FML may also be taken as leave without pay, vacation time, or compensatory time. Use of vacation leave or comp time is at the discretion of the employee and subject to departmental approval. Your health benefits will be maintained during your leave.

To apply for FML, first make sure you understand your benefits and responsibilities. You can review policies 6.05 (Family and Medical Leave), 6.27 (Paid Leave Programs), and 6.45 (Unpaid Leave) for detailed information and contact the Office of Human Resources, Organization and Human Resource Consulting, for consultation. Give your department verbal notice as soon as possible. Then, complete and submit an Application for Leave Form and a Medical Certification Statement for Leave Form to your department at least 30 days prior to when you want to take leave. See the Continuing Benefits While on Leave booklet for more information.

Paternity leave for employees who DO NOT hold a position or 75% or greater FTE and have been employed by the university for one year:

If you have been employed by the university for one year, and have worked 1,040 hours in the past 12 months, you are eligible for Family and Medical Leave (FML) for the adoption of your child. FML provides eligible fathers and declared domestic partners (Affidavit of Domestic Partnership required) with up to 12 work weeks (480 hours) of leave during the 12 month period after the baby's birth.

You may take up to 10 working days of paid sick leave. FML should be taken as paid sick leave as appropriate. If sick leave balances are insufficient, FML may also be taken as leave without pay, vacation time, or compensatory time. Use of vacation leave or comp time is at the discretion of the employee and subject to departmental approval. Your health benefits will be maintained during your leave.

To apply for FML, first make sure you understand your benefits and responsibilities. You can review policies 6.05 (Family and Medical Leave), 6.27 (Paid Leave Programs), and 6.45 (Unpaid Leave) for detailed information and contact the Office of Human Resources, Organization and Human Resource Consulting, for consultation. Give your department verbal notice as soon as possible. Then, complete and submit an Application for Leave Form and a Medical Certification Statement for Leave Form to your department at least 30 days prior to when you want to take leave. See the Continuing Benefits While on Leave booklet for more information.

Leave for employees who have been employed for less than one year:

Refer to Paid Leave Policy 6.27.

Taxes
You may want to review your W-4 tax document so that you are claiming the correct deductions. Contact the Tax Office for more information.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Adding a child to your family can be stressful in many ways. The Ohio State Employee Assistance Program offers free, confidential, professional counseling and referral services to help you and your family with any issues that may arise.

Educational Savings Plans
There are several educational savings plans available to parents. See the Education Savings Programs page on the Payroll web site for more information.

Social Security Number
The easiest way to apply for your baby's Social Security number (SSN) is at the hospital. Remember to have both parents' Social Security numbers handy. When the hospital representative asks you for the information needed to complete your baby's birth certificate, tell them you want to have an SSN assigned to your baby. As part of your state's birth registration process, the vital statistics office will send to the Social Security Administration the information needed to assign your baby a number.

Your baby's card will be sent to you in the mail. If you don't apply for the card at the hospital, and want to apply for your baby's number at a Social Security office, you will need to fill out an application, show at least two documents as evidence of your child's age, identity and citizenship, and show evidence of your identity. All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. For more information, visit the Social Security Administration web site.

Contact Information
For more information on Human Resources-related issues, contact the Office of Human Resources Customer Service Center. Contact Organization and Human Resource Consulting with questions directly relating to Family and Medical Leave or any other policies.

NOTE: This is intended to be a summary of benefits, services and procedures. For full details, contact the Office of Human Resources Customer Service Center, refer to benefit plan booklets, or visit the Human Resources Policy Site.