Below is a list of relevant terms found in the Index application as defined by the National Partnership.

Terms

Definitions

• Abortion travel support: Financial support or coverage for employees who leave their state of residence for abortion care. Abortion access is often more limited for people who live in states with few abortion facilities and restrictive abortion legislation. Pregnant people seeking an abortion thus often travel to access care.
• Advanced notice: A requirement that an employee must provide notice within a certain period before taking leave.
• Bereavement leave: Leave taken following the death of a family member or loved one.
• Birthing parent: Refer to the definition for “primary parental leave” below.
• Family/caregiving leave: Leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, taken either for acute conditions where leave is needed for one continuous block of time, or for chronic conditions where leave is needed on an intermittent basis.
• Fertility treatment leave: Leave to receive intrauterine insemination or an assisted reproductive technology procedure, which includes all treatments or procedures which include the handling of human oocytes or embryos, including in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, and zygote intrafallopian transfer (42 U.S.C. 263a–7).
• Intermittent leave: Leave taken in separate blocks of time, rather than all at once, for a single qualifying reason, i.e., chemotherapy treatments or dialysis.
• Medical certification: Certification issued by a health care provider that the employee needs time off due to their or another person’s medical condition. An employer is not entitled to specific information about the medical condition or to medical records per HIPPA, but the employer may be entitled to information establishing that a health condition exists, the duration or expected duration of the condition, and the type of leave required.
• Medical leave: Leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition, including recovery from childbirth. Like family/caregiving leave, medical leave can be taken either for acute conditions where leave is needed for one continuous block of time, or for chronic conditions where leave is needed on an intermittent basis.
• Military deployment leave: Leave available to employees whose family member is on active duty or has been called to active duty in the armed forces. These qualifying exigencies include but are not limited to attending military meetings, arranging for alternative child care, making financial or legal preparations prior to deployment, addressing matters arising from the death of the servicemember, spending time with the servicemember while he or she is on rest and recuperation leave and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.
• Minimum increment for leave: The shortest duration of leave that can be taken at one time leave (for example, one hour).
• Negative consequences: Retaliation or harassment against an employee, denial of a promotion, providing negative performance evaluations, penalizing an employee with attendance points, or any other reaction that would disadvantage the employee in the workplace.
• Non-binary: Someone who does not identify as female or male.
• Non-birthing parent: Refer to the definition for “secondary parental leave” below.
• Parental leave: Leave to bond with a newly birthed or placed (via adoption or foster care) child, typically available within the first year of the child’s birth or placement.
• Pregnancy loss leave: Leave to address needs related to a pregnancy loss, an unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or of an assisted reproductive technology procedure, a failed adoption arrangement, a failed surrogacy arrangement, or a diagnosis or event that impacts pregnancy or fertility.
• Primary parental leave: A distinction that some employers give to new parents who are primarily responsible for things like feedings, diaper changes, etc. This typically corresponds to a larger amount of parental leave provided.
• Replacement coverage: Requiring the employee requesting leave to find another employee to work during their original assigned shift.
• Safe leave: Leave to address needs related to the employee’s or their family member’s experience of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking (e.g., to attend court hearings, relocate, or seek services from a victim services organization).
• Secondary parental leave: A distinction that some employers give to new parents who are not primarily responsible for things like feedings, diaper changes, etc. This typically corresponds to a smaller amount of parental leave provided.
• Sick leave (acute or short-term): Employer-provided full wage replacement to a worker who takes sick time for their own illness or medical appointment or a family member’s illness or medical appointment.
• Unlimited paid time off: Rather than accruing a set amount of annual leave, employees are allowed to take as many paid days off as they would like as long as they fulfill the requirements of their job. Paid time off may be subject to a supervisor’s approval. Unlimited paid time off policies do not have a no-fault attendance policy or attendance points system. Other terms used for this type of leave include “flexible leave” or “responsible leave.”
• Vacation leave: Paid time off for a purpose of the employee’s choosing; unless an employer chooses to provide unlimited PTO, vacation leave is typically accrued at the beginning of employment, and leave is subject to a supervisor’s approval.