PSU Human Resources

Pregnancy Disability & Parental Leave

Please Be Advised: Effective May 18, 2026, PSU transitioned

to a new leaves reporting software and Employee Self Service (ESS) interface,

which is different from prior electronic interactions. To learn more, visit the AbsenceTracker Resource Center.

 

Pregnancy Disability / Bonding Leave

Pregnancy Disability Leave Information

Leave should be requested at least 30 days in advance of your due date.

  1. Use this link to request family medical leave.
  2. You will be prompted by AbsenceTracker to submit required medical certifications and documents. You will upload directly to your case. Your attending healthcare provider must complete the forms to establish your pregnancy disability period.
    1. The certification must be received by Human Resources no later than 15 days after the baby's birth.
      1. FMLA provides 12 weeks only of protected leave for any reason and runs concurrently with OFLA.
      2. OFLA provides up to 12 weeks  of leave for pregnancy disability.
      3. PFML (Paid Family Medical Leave) provides up to 14 weeks of partially paid, job and benefit-protected leave. 12 weeks for bonding and up to 2 weeks of pregnancy disability leave. PFML cannot run concurrent with OFLA Pregnancy Disability Leave.
  3. Once your baby has arrived, submit the Pregnancy & Medical Recovery Confirmation form to your case via AbsenceTracker.

You must start a claim with The Standard 30 days before you would like to begin utilizing PFML.

Stacking of Protected Leaves

  • As the pregnant parent, you are generally entitled to up to 18-20 weeks of combined FMLA/OFLA/PFML protected, unpaid leave including 6-8 weeks of recovery disability following the birth and 12 weeks of parental leave.
  • You may be required to exhaust all paid sick, etc. prior to leave without pay while on protected leave.
  • While receiving PFML paid leave benefits, you may choose to “top off” the benefit from The Standard with sick or vacation leave. Parental leave can be used intermittently, in a block of time, or a combination of both up to the baby's first birthday.
  • If you have enrolled in short-term disability (STD): Pregnancy disability qualifies for use of short-term disability. There is a 7-calendar day waiting period to receive benefits after disability is established, which is normally the day the baby is born. You can choose to use paid sick leave for the first week's waiting period and then hold until STD benefits end. This should be noted on your request for leave.
  • Any leave taken before the establishment of disability (usually the baby's birth) must be taken as paid vacation or leave without pay and does not apply to FMLA/OFLA/PFML.

During your period of pregnancy disability, you may not work at all.

Contact leaves@pdx.edu or book an appointment for a 1-on-1 Informational Session on Protected Leaves

Checklist for before baby is born

  1. 30 days before your due date, submit a leave request through the AbsenceTracker Employee Self Service (ESS) portal with the estimated dates of your leave.
  2. 30 days before you would like to start receiving PFML, submit a claim for Paid Family Medical Leave with The Standard.
  3. Recommended: Book a consultation with a member of the Leaves team to discuss your leave arrangements. 

Checklist for when baby is born

For Pregnancy Disability Leave Only

  1. If necessary, follow up on the medical certification from your doctor.
  2. Initiate a Short-Term Disability claim with The Standard
    1. Call The Standard at 1-800-842-1707.
    2. Advise The Standard that you are from Portland State University and a member of PEBB.
    3. Tell The Standard that you are applying for short-term disability and that the group policy number is 442210-C.
    4. Answer the questions that The Standard asks.

Note: There is a 7-calendar day waiting period before benefits begin. The Standard may take up to 2 weeks to provide a decision and they will ask for information from your treating physician.

For All Parents

  1. If you are only taking bonding leave, complete the Verification of Birth or Placement (found in AbsenceTracker packet). Contact The Standard and update them with the baby’s delivery date and last day worked.
    1. If applicable, initiate a Short Term Disability claim with The Standard.
    2. Call The Standard at 1-800-842-1707.
    3. Advise The Standard that you are from Portland State University and a member of PEBB.
    4. Notify The Standard that you are applying for short term disability and that the group policy number is 442210-D.
    5. Answer the questions that The Standard asks.
  2. Enroll your baby in benefits coverage within 30 days of birth. Download and complete the Mid-Year Change form and submit it to HR.
    1. Upload the completed and signed form via the HR secure document system.

Please keep the following reporting requirements in mind: 

  • Scope: AbsenceTracker is used exclusively to track your protected leave entitlement.
  • Timesheets: You must continue to complete your regular monthly timesheets or leave reports in addition to using the portal.
  • Departmental Policy: You must follow your department’s standard call-out procedures in addition to reporting leave in AbsenceTracker.
  • PFML Claims: If you have a Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) claim administered by The Standard, you are required to report your time away to both The Standard and AbsenceTracker.
     

Leave Tracking Requirements 

Employees are required to ensure their leave usage is accurately reflected in the portal based on the type of leave approved: 

  • Continuous Leave
    • Tracking is required for the entire duration of the uninterrupted block of time.
    • Your leave hours are pre-scheduled in AbsenceTracker based on your approved medical certification.
    • You are required to notify HR and update the portal if your actual return-to-work date differs from the originally scheduled date.
  • Reduced Scheduled Leave
    • Tracking is required for the specific hours or days you are absent from your normal work schedule.
    • Your approved reduced schedule is pre-loaded into AbsenceTracker to automatically account for these protected hours.
    • You are required to report any additional time taken off that falls outside of your approved reduced schedule.
  • Intermittent Leave
    • Tracking is mandatory for every instance of time away related to your leave reason.
    • You are required to report each absence in AbsenceTracker to ensure it is deducted from your protected entitlement (e.g., FMLA/OFLA/PFML leave).
    • Reporting in the portal is a legal requirement to secure job protection for each specific absence.
       

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

If you still have questions please contact leaves@pdx.edu