Time Off
Wake Forest recognizes that the ongoing demands on the pandemic response have made it difficult for some colleagues to step away from responsibilities and use accrued PTO. To accommodate these challenges, the university has developed a plan for PTO carryforward from 2021 into 2022, outlined below:
- PTO Recording, Accrual, and Use: The PTO Policy has been revised to reflect the requirement that staff must record time off in the university’s time-keeping system, Workday, to be eligible for PTO carryforward and/or payouts. The revision also reflects the continuation of non-exempt staff to borrow up to their full annual accrual prior to accruing it.
Wake Forest University offers:
- Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holidays
- Parental Leave (Staff)
- Additional leaves, as outlined in the Leave Policies
- Personal Observance Day
Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holidays
PTO Amount
Exempt: Five weeks (25 days) if employed by the University less than five years; six weeks (30 days) if employed by the University five years or more, but less than 10 years; seven weeks (35 days) if employed by the University 10 or more years.
Non-exempt: Accrual based on the schedule in the Guidebook.
PTO Uses
Vacations, non-work related short-term injuries/illnesses of five days or less, personal business, family care, other needs.
Reynolda Campus Holidays
The Reynolda Campus observes 18 paid staff holidays as well as one Personal Observance Day per year to be used at their discretion for any day of personal significant.
Graylyn and Reynolda House observe separate holiday schedules.
Requesting PTO
Staff should submit PTO requests via Workday.
Parental Leave (Staff)
6 or 8 Weeks
Wake Forest University offers six weeks of base salary continuation for the non-birthing/adoptive parent and up to eight weeks for the birthing parent. The parental leave allows for bonding with the child, a period of family adjustment and healthy recovery of the birthing parent,
Timing
The leave may occur during the 12 months following the birth or adoption of a child.
Faculty Leave
Log into Workday to submit your Faculty Parental/Adoption Leave request and contact us with questions.
Requesting Parental Leave
- Provide written notice to your Department Head and Supervisor.
- Log into Workday to submit your Staff Parental/Adoption Leave and Family and Medical Leave requests.
Family and Medical Leave (FML)
12 Weeks
As an eligible faculty or staff member, you may take up to 12 weeks of FML for a variety of reasons related to serious health conditions and qualifying exigencies (for involvement in the Armed Forces or National Guard).
26 Weeks
You may take up to 26 weeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member, including a veteran, when you are the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of the covered service member.
Paid vs. Unpaid
Your individual situation will determine whether the leave is paid or unpaid, as well as the duration.
Requesting Family & Medical Leave
- Provide written notice to your Department Head and Supervisor (at least 30 days notice if the leave is foreseeable by 30 days).
- Log into Workday to submit your Family and Medical Leave request.
- Complete and send the following to Human Resources:
– Certification of Health Care Provider (if caring for yourself) OR
– Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Members (if caring for a family member)
(Complete Section II and provide the form to a medical provider to complete Section III.)
Resources
2025 Benefits Guidebook
The 2025 Benefits Guidebook for Faculty and Staff outlines benefits specific to the Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025 plan year. The information included in the guidebook is intended as a benefit summary only.
Wake Forest University Human Resources
P.O. Box 7424, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
askHR@wfu.edu | P 336.758.4700 | F 336.758.6127