Policy

Consult the Faculty Handbook. Before the individual goes on leave, the leave must be approved by the Provost (except medical emergencies) AND a PAF must be submitted for the leave.

Process

Print an Active PAF for the employee from the People @ Columbia system. Print/type information directly on the form, completing the required fields. Verify that the form is complete, sign it, and route it to the appropriate office for approval. Once it is approved, forward the form to the HRPC.

If a person has more than one position, make sure to submit PAFs for each position on which the leave has an impact, even if the position is zero salary.

Leaves should be processed on multiple PAFs to ensure the integrity of the employee’s record. Timeliness is also important to ensure that employees entitled to NY State Disability (for Staff Associates only) get paid on time and, where appropriate, that department accounts get reimbursed on time.

On-time Leaves Use Multiple PAFs: In the case where the DA is informed prior to or near the date of leave and the leave return date is not absolute, we encourage the use of multiple PAFs and request that you not be especially predictive. Use one when you are notified of the leave and then submit another one when you are sure of the return date or the begin date of the next leave). For an FMLA Leave, be sure to use separate PAFs to indicate which portion of the leave falls under FMLA and which portion does not.

Note: In the case where the DA is informed after the employee has taken and returned from leave, use one PAF for both leaves by entering the Action/Reason codes and dates at the top of the PAF.

Active PAF: The form is available through the People @ Columbia system:

Log into the MyColumbia portal (www.my.columbia.edu/) and go to the “Administration” page. Under the “Tools” menu, click on the People @ Columbia — Self Service, then click on Manager Self Service. This takes you to “People @ Columbia.”
On the left navigation bar in “People @ Columbia,” click on the following folder path: Manager Self Service > Job and Personal Information > Employee Personal Information.
Click on the employee name.
On the “Employee Information” page, click on Generate PAF for Employee. This will generate a PAF with the fields populated for the employee’s information.

Documentation: Different kinds of leaves require different kinds of documents. DA’s should check with the Provost’s Office or the Office of Faculty Affairs.

Workflow

Required Steps & Field Descriptions

Step 1 – Top

Effective Date: Enter the effective date of the leave action.

Leave Action: Enter the appropriate leave action code.

Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.

Step 2 – Leaves of Absence

Place on Unpaid Leave

Leave Action: LOA
Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.
Leave Begin Date: Enter the date that the leave begins.
Leave End Date: Enter the date that the leave will end.
Expect Ret: Enter the date that you expect the employee to return.
Actual Ret.: Actual return date to be used when academic personnel who are not on academic leaves (e.g., medical, national service, or personal leaves) return. Enter the date that the employee returned to work.
Partial Pay: Check the No box.
Comment (box): Enter, "The leave period salary is zero."

Return from Unpaid Leave

Leave Action: LOA
Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.
Actual Ret.: Enter the date that the employee actually returned to work.

Place on Paid Leave – Partial Salary

Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.
Leave Begin Date: Enter the date that the leave begins.
Leave End Date: Enter the date that the leave will end (if known).
Expect Ret: Enter the date that you expect the employee to return (the day after the leave ends).
Actual Ret.: Actual return date to be used when academic personnel who are not on academic leaves (e.g., medical, national service, or personal leaves) return. Enter the date that the employee returned to work.
Partial Pay: Check the Yes box.
Comp Rate $: Enter the partial-pay leave salary that the employee is expected to receive from the leave begin date to the leave end date.
Annual Rate: Enter the new annualized salary.
Comment (box): Write "Leave Salary =" and then enter the Comp Rate $ (see above).

Return from Paid Leave – Partial Salary

Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.
Comp Rate $: Enter the new period salary.
Actual Ret.: Enter the date that the employee actually returned to work.

Place on Paid Leave – Full Salary

Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.
Leave Begin Date: Enter the date that the leave begins.
Leave End Date: Enter the date that the leave will end.
Expect Ret: Enter the date that you expect the employee to return.
Actual Ret.: Actual return date to be used when academic personnel who are not on academic leaves (e.g., medical, national service, or personal leaves) return. Enter the date that the employee returned to work.
Partial Pay: Check the No box.

Return from Paid Leave – Full Salary

Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: Enter the appropriate leave reason code.
Actual Ret.: Actual return date to be used when academic personnel who are not on academic leaves (e.g., medical, national service, or personal leaves) return. Enter the date that the employee returned to work.

Step 3 – Authorization/Approvals

Name, Title, Date: The names, titles, and dates of approval of you, any other approver in your department, and the Final Approver for your campus.

HRPC, Title, Date: FOR HRPC USE ONLY.

Exercises

Exercise 1 – Paid Leave, Full Salary
Sample Completed PAF (PDF)

Scenario

Name: John Smith
Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: EXM
Leave Begins: 7/1/04
Leave Ends: 12/31/04
Expected Return Date: 1/1/05
Partial Pay: No
Comment: Enter, "Leave Salary = $40,000" (full salary for half a year)

Exercise 2 – Paid Leave, Partial Salary

Scenario A – Put on Partial Paid Leave
Sample Completed PAF (PDF)

Effective Date: January 1, 2006
Name: John Smith
Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: EXM
Comp. Rate $: 10,000
Appt./Comp. Rate Effective Date: January 1, 2006
Annual Rate $: 20,000
Leave Begins: January 1, 2006
Leave Ends: June 30, 2006
Expected Return Date: July 1, 2006
Partial Pay: Yes
Comments: "Leave salary = $10,000"

Scenario B – Return from Partial Paid Leave
Sample Completed PAF (Coming Soon)

Leave Action: PLA
Leave Reason: SAB
Comp Rate$: $80,000
Actual Ret.: 7/1/05
Appt./Comp. Rate Effective Date: 7/1/05
Appt./Comp. Rate End Date: 6/30/06