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LEGAL UPDATE
June 2, 2025
Indiana Passes Employee Leave to Attend School Conferences
Effective July 1, 2025, Indiana employers must allow their employees to take unpaid time off to attend certain school conferences concerning their children. The measure expires July 1, 2029.
Important Dates
April 24, 2025
Indiana enacted a law requiring protected, unpaid employee leave for school conferences.
July 1, 2025
The law takes effect.
July 1, 2029
The law expires.
Senate Bill (SB) 409
Under the new law, SB 409, all employers, including the state and its political subdivisions, will be prohibited from taking adverse employment action against employees because they were absent from work to attend:
- An attendance conference concerning their child, pursuant to state law addressing truancy prevention; or
- A case conference committee meeting concerning their child.
The law covers conferences and meetings for employees’ biological, adopted, foster or stepchildren.
Employees must give employers at least five days’ advance notice of the conference or meeting.
Exceptions
The prohibition against adverse employment action does not apply if:
- The employee has attended more than one of the conferences or meetings for the calendar year;
- The absence was longer than reasonably necessary to attend the conference or meeting, including travel time; or
- The employee fails to give the required five days’ notice.
Documentation and Scheduling of Leave
Employees must provide their employers with documentation of their attendance at the conference or meeting, and employers may request documentation of the meeting from the school. Additionally, the law requires employees to make a reasonable effort to schedule an electronic conference or meeting.