All programs are required to use New Innovations to track annual, sick and educational leave time
taken by residents. Residents are required to submit a GME time sheet to their program each month
listing any annual, sick, educational, or Family Medical leave taken. Based upon specialty board
requirements, individual program leave policies may be more restrictive than the following GME
policies.
Annual Leave
other leave benefits below. Annual leave does not carry over from year to year and residents are not
paid for unused leave. Residents terminating before the end of their training year will be paid only
through their final active working day and will not be paid for unused annual leave.
Sick Leave
Residents are allotted three (3) weeks of paid sick leave per twelve month period for absences due to
personal or family (spouse, child, or parent) illness or injury. Annual paid sick leave consists of
twenty-one (21) days with a maximum of fifteen (15) “working days” (Monday-Friday) plus six (6)
“weekend days” (Saturday-Sunday). A physician's statement of illness or injury may be required
for absences of more than 3 consecutive days or an excessive number of days throughout the
year. Sick leave is non-cumulative from year to year. Residents are not paid for unused sick leave.
Under certain circumstances, additional sick leave without pay may be approved. The resident may
be required to make up any time missed in accordance with the Residency Program and board
eligibility requirements.
Family and Medical Leave (FML)
Residents who have been employed for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours
during the previous 12 month period are eligible for qualified family and medical leave under
provisions of the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA provides eligible employees up
to 12 weeks of protected unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child or a serious health condition
affecting the employee or his or her spouse, child or parent. Residents are required to use all
available sick and annual leave days to be paid during FML leave.
The UTHSC College of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Office recognizes the importance of
the early development of a relationship between parent and child and supports the use of time off for
resident leave related to the recent birth or adoption of a child.$Under Tennessee law, a regular full-
time employee who has been employed by the university for at least 12 consecutive months is
eligible for up to a maximum of four months leave (paid or unpaid) for pregnancy and adoption.
After all available paid sick and annual leave has been taken, unpaid leave may be approved under
FML and Tennessee law provisions. The state benefit and FML benefit run concurrently with paid
leave or any leave without pay.
Maternity, parental, or adoptive leave will be granted in conjunction with Family Medical Leave and
Tennessee law.$Except in case of emergency, all maternity, parental, or adoptive leave should be