Human Resources

Postdocs are not eligible for adoption benefits. If adopting a child, postdocs are eligible for parental leave via the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Note that FMLA leave is unpaid leave. Postdoc associates may use accrued postdoc leave (i.e. paid time off) while on FMLA leave. 

Postdocs are not eligible for the sick leave pool as they do not accrue sick leave hours. Postdoc Associates accrue Postdoc Leave. 

Postdocs may participate in the FICA Alternative Plan and are also eligible to participate in the 403b and 457 voluntary savings plans.

Note: Fellows are not employees and do not participate in either the FICA Alt or the voluntary savings plans.

Post Doc Associates and Post Doc Fellows are welcome to attend the Financial Literacy and Retirement Education (FLARE) courses offered by Human Resources Services.

Review the leave entitlement chart provided by human resources services. Postdoc Associates are eligible for Post Doc Leave, which is accrued at 5 hours per pay period up to 352 hours per year to use for vacation, sickness or injury.  Please use leave code "NRA 18 PL*" for reporting paid time off.

Postdoc Associates are also eligible for the four December Leave Personal Days as well as all holidays with pay.  It is important to know that Postdoc Leave cannot be cashed out at the end of employment and cannot be rolled over to other appointments at UF. Postdoctoral Associates can check their leave accrual in their biweekly paycheck under the Leave Balances section.  The leave benefits do not apply to Post Doc Fellows, since they are technically not employees.

If you have questions about how to record paid time off (leave) in your timesheet, contact a member of our Central Leave Administration team at 352-392-2477 or central-leave@ufl.edu.

Yes, with certain eligibility factors fulfilled. 

Postdoctoral Associates are eligible for up to 12 work weeks of Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, once they have worked at least 12 months (need not be consecutive), and also have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of the FMLA leave. Breaks in employment do not affect this total. It is a cumulative total of the number of months the employee has been employed by the University. Note that FMLA may be used for parental leave. 

Learn more about FMLA, find out if you are eligible, and start the process of requesting FMLA leave.

Post-Doctoral Associates, are eligible for up to 12 work weeks of parental leave, once they have worked at least 12 months (need not be consecutive), and also have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of the FMLA leave. This is unpaid parental leave that falls under Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). While on parental/FMLA leave, a postdoc associate may use their accurred postdoc leave to continue being paid. 

Postdocs can accrue up to 352 hours of postdoc leave.  Once that limit is reached, postdocs will stop accumulating leave.

Upon termination of employment with the university, postdocs will not receive payout for postdoc leave.

Follow the directions on Entering & Adjusting Time and Leave: Salaried TEAMS & Faculty (Exempt). In most cases the code for postdoc leave is "PDL" and the code for time worked is "PDA". If you are unsure which codes to use, call University Payroll and Tax Services at 352.392.1231.

Eligibility for unemployment benefits is determined by the state in which you are applying for the unemployment assistance. If you are no longer employed due to no fault of your own (i.e. you contract has terminated), you should apply for unemployment to determine if you are eligible.

Employed visa holders who pay taxes are permitted to apply for and accept unemployment benefits. This is based on a State-by-State basis. The applicant should contact the local unemployment office and inquire if they would be eligible. Receiving unemployment benefits is not considered public assistance/public ward, thus would not hinder any permanent resident applications. 

Contact LilyRLewis@ufl.edu who can help connect you with the appropriate Human Resources specialist. 

Yes.  New postdoctoral appointments beginning on or after July 1, 2016 must have an associated salary of $47,476 or more.  Human Resource Services will not approve or process requests for new appointments with salaries below that level.

Postdoc Associates are exempt from minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As such, they are exempt employees and may not be paid less than $35,568 regardless of FTE. Salary may be prorated from the minimum 1.0 FTE salary of $47,476 until it reaches the minimum of $35,568. Further FTE reductions may be made, however the salary may not reduce beyond $35,568.

The UF Ombuds is here to members of the university community, including postdocs, in resolving problems and conflicts that arise in the course of interacting with the University of Florida. By considering problems in an unbiased way, the Ombuds works to help find solutions to university related problems and concerns. Contact the Ombudsman. 

Postdocs may contact the Human Resouces Office of Employee Relations to file a formal compaint. 

If you are unsure where to turn for help, please contact LilyRLewis@ufl.edu to for assitance navigating your options. 

Download the Guide to Postdoctoral Fellow Benefits

You are also encouraged to contact LilyRLewis@ufl.edu for assistance.

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Yes. Template Offer Letters for Postdoc Associates and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Postdoc Fellows can be found on the Human Resources Services website, in their Appointment Letter Library.

Post Docs are eligible for COBRA after termination of employment.  An informational packet will be mailed after the termination date of your postdoc appointment, so please be sure to update your “Local Home Mailing Address” in the University of Florida directory. If you would like assistance determining your health insurance costs under COBRA, please contact benefits specialist Alisha Hargon (ahargon@ufl.edu) or Lily Lewis (LilyRLewis@ufl.edu).