Under the laws of the State of Tennessee, an employee who has been employed full-time for at least twelve (12) consecutive months is entitled to up to four (4) months of parental leave. Family and Medical Leave taken as parental leave will be counted as part of these four months of parental leave. If all applicable paid leave has been exhausted, the remainder of the four (4) month parental leave may be taken in an unpaid leave status. During the additional fourth month of unpaid parental leave (after exhaustion of Family and Medical Leave), the employee must pay any health care contributions to retain coverage.

An employee needing parental leave must report such need to his/her supervisor as soon as he/she has knowledge of the leave by submitting an FMLA application along with the appropriate medical certification. Under the provisions of the FMLA, an employee may take his/her parental leave at any time during the first 12 months of the birth, adoption, or placement of the child. However, the leave must be taken in a continuous period. Intermittent parental leave is at the discretion of the employer and should be discussed with the supervisor to determine whether or not intermittent parental leave is a reasonable option based upon departmental needs and staffing.

For more information about parental leave, please contact Employee Benefits at 865-215-2111.