+ Can PhD students have jobs outside Georgetown or "side hustles"?

Our contract does not prevent PhD students from taking on jobs with other employers. Federal rules impact the work opportunities for international PhD students.

+ Before I would just email my supervisor to request personal time off. Has anything changed?

You do not need to follow any new procedures to request personal days. However, if your PI or supervisor denies your request for a personal day for which you have reasonable justification, you can point them towards your contract. If you believe your request is being unreasonably denied after talking with your supervisor, you can file a grievance. Taking personal days will not reduce your stipend if you are a doctoral student assistant.

+ Can hourly workers request personal time off?

Yes. Hourly graduate workers won’t be compensated for the time they miss due to reasonable justification. However, our contract stipulates that hourly workers who need to take personal days will be given opportunities to perform work on other days, to the extent possible. Grad workers who miss paychecks can also apply to receive emergency compensation from the Emergency Assistance Fund.

+ What is medical leave from work, and how is it different from a voluntary medical leave of absence?

All graduate students are eligible to apply for voluntary medical leaves of absence and personal leaves of absence from their academic duties, as defined in the Graduate Bulletin. Our contract now allows graduate assistants to take medical leave from their teaching and research assistantship work, without requesting a voluntary medical leave of absence from the graduate school. Doctoral graduate assistants are eligible for up to six weeks of paid medical leave from work, during which time they are relieved of assistantship duties. MA graduate assistants are eligible for up to six weeks of unpaid medical leave from work. Medical leaves may be taken for pregnancy, surgery, severe and prolonged illness, or other significant health issues.

+ Who is eligible for medical leaves from work? Why take medical leave from work?

-If you are a PhD student that has finished your course work and you serve as a TA, RA, or teaching associate, you may be unable to fulfill your teaching or research obligations due to illness for 1-6 weeks, but still be able make progress on your dissertation. In such cases, requesting a paid medical leave from assistantship work is a better option than requesting an unpaid voluntary medical leave of absence from the graduate school.

-If you are a PhD student still in coursework, and you serve as a TA or RA, you may be unable to fulfill your assistantship duties for 1-6 weeks due to illness, but still able to fulfill your academic obligations. In such cases, requesting a paid medical leave from assistantship work is a better option than requesting an unpaid voluntary medical leave of absence from the graduate school.

-Alternatively, PhD students who serve as TAs, RAs, or Teaching Associates may take an unpaid medical leave from work, and defer their period of support by one semester.

-If you are a MA graduate assistant, or are compensated on an hourly basis, you may take an unpaid medical leave of absence from work, without requesting a voluntary medical leave of absence from the graduate school. This is a good option for those who are unable to perform their assistantship duties for 1-6 weeks, but are able to fulfill their academic duties by requesting extensions or incompletes.

+ Will I maintain my coverage by the Premier Plan if I take a medical leave from work?

Yes!

+ How do I request a medical leave from work?

You must contact both the graduate school and the student health center, and may be asked to provide medical documentation.

+ Am I responsible for finding a substitute teacher or research assistant if I take medical leave from work?

No. The university will make arrangements to cover your assignments during your medical leave, if necessary.

+ Can a parent take parental leave if they did not give birth to a new child?

Yes. Parents must simply provide documentation to the Graduate School showing that they are the full-time primary care-giver of a newborn child or a child 5 years old or younger who has been newly placed under their care.

+ How do I request parental leave?

Submit a written request to the Graduate School’s Dean for Academic Affairs at least three months before the expected start of your leave. If there are extenuating circumstances, this three month period may not be required.

+ What if I’m expecting to be the primary caregiver of a new child in the summer, when I am not employed by the University? Can I defer my parental leave to the beginning of the fall semester?

Yes. Our contract lets doctoral student assistants take their 6 weeks of paid parental leave within four months following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child.

+ Are graduate workers eligible to apply for DC Paid Family Leave, which guarantees all DC employees eight weeks of paid parental leave to bond with a new child?

Our union has always asserted that graduate student assistants are employees. We encourage our members to apply for additional paid family leave benefits through the DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. However, GAGE does not have the right to file a grievance if additional paid family leave is denied.

+ Can graduate workers take medical leave in conjunction with parental leave, for example if they experience pregnancy complications?

Yes. In addition to 6 weeks of paid parental leave, doctoral student assistants can take up to 6 weeks of paid medical leave from work for pregnancy, surgery, prolonged illness or any significant health issue, so long as this does not interfere with their academic duties. If recovery from medical complications lasts more than six weeks, graduate workers can take unpaid medical leave (of a semester or more) prior to or following the birth or placement of a child under their full-time primary care. This unpaid leave option is also available to masters students. Doctoral assistants who take unpaid medical leave (for example, due to pregnancy complications) can defer up to a full semester of their guaranteed funding from the Graduate School. Graduate workers who are supported by external research grants, fellowships or awards, however, must follow the policies of their funding agency.

+ What are my options if I want to take more than six weeks to bond with my new child?

You can take six weeks of paid parental leave the semester in which the birth or placement of your child occurs, and then take the remainder of the semester as unpaid parental leave, as long as this request is made three months in advance. Alternatively, you can take six weeks of paid parental leave the semester in which the birth or placement of a child occurs, and then take an unpaid parental leave the following semester. The Graduate School will defer and extend your period of funding by up to one full semester for unpaid parental leave. You may additionally request up to two consecutive semesters of unpaid personal leave from the Graduate School, for reasons laid out in the Graduate Bulletin. This time off does not extend your period of guaranteed funding. International students should consult with the Office of Global Services before requesting unpaid leave.

+ Will I maintain my coverage by the Premier Plan if I take paid or unpaid parental leave?

Yes!

+ What constitutes a serious health condition and who counts as an immediate family member?

Spouses, parents, legal guardians, children, grandparents and siblings, or anyone who stands in the same relationship count as immediate family members. A serious health condition is defined in our contract as a physical or mental illness, injury or impairment that requires inpatient care in a hospital, hospice or residential healthcare facility, or continuing treatment at home by a healthcare provider or other competent individual.

+ Are graduate workers eligible to apply for DC Paid Family Leave, which guarantees all DC employees six weeks of paid leave to care for a sick family member?

Our union has always asserted that graduate student assistants are employees. We encourage our members to apply for additional paid family leave benefits through the DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. However, GAGE does not have the right to file a grievance if additional paid family leave is denied.

+ Will I maintain my coverage by the Premier Plan if I take family leave?

Yes!