Starting on July 1, 2025, full-time, non-union administrative staff at Barnard College will gain access to a new benefit: paid parental leave.
This is a first in the institution’s history.
Eligible employees who are growing their families through birth, adoption, foster care, or custodial care will receive six weeks of paid leave to help them acclimate to their new roles as parents or caregivers. This new benefit underscores Barnard’s long-standing commitment to supporting work-life balance and fostering an inclusive workplace.
“Paid parental leave is an exciting — and frankly, long overdue — step forward for the College,” said President Laura A. Rosenbury. “Ensuring Barnard employees have the support they need to care for their growing families and adjust to their new or expanded roles as parents and caregivers will strengthen our community and foster a happier, more inclusive environment.”
By offering paid parental leave, the College seeks to support gender equality in the office, allowing all parents and caregivers — regardless of gender — to take time off to adapt to their new family roles, bond with their new children, and make arrangements for long-term care. Also, research has shown that more time spent focused exclusively on family and self-care during this critical period can lead to stronger parent-child bonding, improved caregiver well-being, and healthier cognitive and social development for the child.
The Barnard-specific paid parental leave complements and extends time off from work guaranteed under existing leave programs that were developed by the government, such as New York Disability Benefit Law (NY DBL), New York State Paid Family Leave (NY PFL), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), ensuring that employees have comprehensive support. Additionally, employees can use accrued sick or vacation time.
Another key perk this benefit provides is greater flexibility when returning to one’s job. Eligible employees will be able to determine with their supervisors how they would like to transition back to their jobs. Some new parents and caregivers, for example, will want to use the totality of their leave all at once, while others may wish to return to work sooner and go to the office two or three days per week during the transition period.
For those giving birth, the benefit also includes up to 20 hours of prenatal leave for healthcare appointments.
“The College is excited to provide this important benefit to our employees,” said Kelli A. Murray, EVP for Strategy and Chief Administrative Officer. “We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact this new benefit will have on our staff and their families. The feedback and consultation we received about this benefit from the Barnard Staff Advisory Council and Joint Faculty and Administrator Benefits Committee was immensely helpful and truly integral to the process of developing a benefit that will support our employees when they need it most.”
For more details, employees can read the full benefit on the Parental Leave Benefits section of the portal or contact benefits@barnard.edu.