Time Away From Work

At Northrop Grumman, we not only offer but encourage time away from work. To help you balance your personal and professional life, the company offers paid time off (PTO), flexible work schedules, numerous paid holidays and various types of leave, including paid parental leave.

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PTO

Paid time off (PTO) is an accrued, vested benefit based on your years of service that offers compensation for time taken off from work. PTO can be taken for vacation, sick days or for other personal reasons such as waiting for a repair technician at home, attending a child’s school activities or participating in community events.

PTO eligibility is subject to applicable collective bargaining agreement(s), if any to all union employees.

Other forms of time off include:

  • Spending time with your family and friends during holidays.

  • Fulfilling your civic duty through voting, jury duty or military leave.

  • Spending time with loved ones after a death in the family using bereavement. 

  • Adjusting to life at home with a newborn utilizing paid parental leave.

  • Gaining additional time off with alternate work arrangements through flexible work schedules (i.e. 9/80 work schedules). Visit the workplace accommodations website for additional resources.

  • Giving back through volunteerism is a great way to meet and network with other employees, practice team building, develop leadership skills and learn about commitments the company has made to strengthen our communities.

Paid Parental Leave

Our paid parental leave policy offers employees four weeks* (up to 160 hours) of paid time off within the first 12 months following the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption.

For births and adoptions on or after Oct. 26, 2024 full time and part time employees will be eligible for six weeks* (up to 240 hours).

For more information, view this overview article.

*Pro-rated for part-time employees. If you're covered by a Collective Bargaining agreement, review your CBA for information about eligibility.

We’re here to support you through all life stages and experiences, including welcoming a new child to your family. To help guide you along this journey, we’ve created a childbirth leave toolkit and childbirth and parental leave checklist (log in to view).

Adding a Dependent

If you have a newly eligible dependent, you can make certain changes to your benefits, including adding your new child and other eligible dependents to your coverage. You have 31 days from the birth, adoption or placement for adoption of your child to make certain benefit changes. These changes are effective from:

  • The date the child is born.
  • When legal adoption is final or the date the child is placed for legal adoption.

Please note: If you don’t add your new dependent within 31 days, you won’t be able to make changes until the next annual enrollment, unless you experience another life event which would permit you to make a change midyear. Review the benefits listed below to learn the changes you can make. Once your dependent is added, you’ll receive information from Northrop Grumman asking you to verify your newly added dependent. Please ensure you respond timely so there’s no lapse in coverage.

Visit NetBenefits when you’re ready to enroll your dependent.

Learn more about family support.

Medical and Dental

Benefit

Changes Allowed

Medical and

Dental Plans
  • Add  your new

    dependent child to your coverage.

  • Add your spouse and dependents, including your new child, to your medical coverage.

  • Start coverage for yourself.

  • Drop coverage for yourself or any eligible children if you or they become covered under your spouse's plan. Note: this may result in loss of coverage for birth. Check with your carriers before making a change.

 Flexible Spending Accounts

Benefit

Changes Allowed

Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • Start or increase contributions.

Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • Start or increase contributions.

  • Stop or decrease contributions if there's a decrease in the cost of day care (e.g., one parent is now staying at home).

Note: Certain restrictions apply to availability of funds.

Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment and Disability Insurance

Benefit

Changes Allowed
Employee Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Spouse Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Child(ren) Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Optional AD&D
Optional Long-Term Disability

(after-tax benefit)
  • You can change your optional life insurance and disability at any time
  • Any new coverage may require evidence of health.  

Note: It's recommended to review your beneficiaries anytime your personal situation may change..

 

Northrop Grumman complies with company policy, specific plan and contract provisions and directives, as well as federal and state laws regarding military leaves. For more information on your benefits and how they’re affected if you go on a military leave, contact the Northrop Grumman Benefits Center.

If you’re on an approved, continuous Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA), your benefits are affected. In most cases, your benefits coverage continues until the end of the month plus four months, provided you continue to make any required contributions.

Review the benefits listed below to find out what happens to your benefits if you’re on an approved FMLA.

Health Care

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision Plans
  • Continue existing coverage to the end of the month plus four additional months from the day the leave begins, provided you continue to make the required contributions.


Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • If you're receiving a paycheck from the company during your leave, your contributions continue on a before-tax basis.

  • If you're on an unpaid leave, your contributions stop. If you wish to continue your FSA, you can continue with after-tax contributions through COBRA for the remainder of the benefit plan year. You can be reimbursed for expenses incurred only during the time you made contributions.

Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • If you're receiving a paycheck from the company during your leave, your before-tax contributions continue to the end of the month plus four additional months from the day your leave begins.

  • If you're on an unpaid leave, your before-tax contributions stop. You may submit claims for expenses incurred during the balance of the benefit plan year.

 

Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment and Disability Insurance

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Basic Life
Basic AD&D
Basic Long-Term Disability
  • Coverage continues to the end of the month plus four additional months from the day the leave begins.

Employee Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Spouse Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Child(ren) Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Optional AD&D
Optional Long-Term Disability

(after-tax benefit)
  • Coverage continues to the end of the month plus four additional months from the day the leave begins, provided you continue to make the required contributions.

If you’re on an approved personal leave of absence, your benefits are affected. In most cases, your benefits coverage continues until the end of the month plus one month, provided you continue to make any required contributions.

Review the benefits listed below to find out what happens to your benefits if you’re on an approved personal leave of absence.

Health Care

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision Plans
  • Continue existing coverage to the end of the month plus one additional month from the day the leave begins, provided you continue to make the required contributions.

 

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • If you're receiving a paycheck from the company during your leave, your contributions continue on a before-tax basis to the end of the month plus one month from the day your leave begins.

  • If you're on an unpaid leave, your contributions stop. If you wish to continue your FSA, you can choose to continue with after-tax contributions through COBRA for the remainder of the benefit plan year.

  • You can be reimbursed for expenses incurred for only that period during which you made contributions.

Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • If you're receiving a paycheck from the company during your leave, your contributions continue on a before-tax basis to the end of the month plus one month from the day your leave begins.

  • If you're on an unpaid leave, your contributions stop.

  • You can be reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred during the benefit plan year.

 

Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Disability Insurance

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Basic Life
Basic AD&D
Basic Long-Term Disability
  • Coverage continues to the end of the month plus one month from the day the leave begins.

Employee Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Spouse Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Child(ren) Optional Life

(after-tax benefit)

Optional AD&D
  • Coverage continues to the end of the month plus one month from the day the leave begins, provided you continue to make the required contributions.

If you take a medical leave of absence for your own illness, including a work-related injury under Workers' Compensation, your benefits may continue for a maximum of 12 months from your last day of work. If you’re receiving a paycheck from Northrop Grumman, your regular contributions continue. When you go on unpaid leave, you’ll be required to make monthly contributions.

Review the benefits listed below to find out what happens to your benefits if you take a medical leave of absence.

Health Care

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision Plans

  • Coverage continues for the duration of your approved leave, up for a maximum period of 12 months while you're on leave provided you continue to make the required contributions.

  • If your leave continues beyond 12 months, you may continue coverage through COBRA.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • If you're receiving a paycheck from the company during your leave, your before-tax contributions continue.

  • If you're on an unpaid leave, your contributions stop. If you want to continue your FSA once you no longer receive a paycheck, you can choose to continue with after-tax contributions through COBRA for the balance of the benefit plan year or longer if legally required.

  • You can be reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred only during the time you made contributions.

Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

  • If you're receiving a paycheck from the company during your leave, your before-tax contributions continue.

  • If you're on an unpaid leave, your contributions stop.

  • You may submit claims for eligible expenses incurred during the benefit plan year.

 Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Disability Insurance

Benefit

What Happens to Your Benefits

Basic Life
Basic AD&D
Basic Long-Term Disability

  • Coverage continues for a maximum of 12 months while you're on leave.

  • If you haven't returned to work at the end of 12 months, you may convert coverage to an individual policy.

Employee Optional Life
Spouse Optional Life
Child(ren) Optional Life
Optional AD&D

  • Coverage continues for a maximum of 12 months while you’re on leave provided you continue to make the required contributions.

  • If you haven't returned to work at the end of 12 months, you may convert or port coverage to an individual policy.

Optional Long-Term Disability (LTD)
  • Coverage continues up to 12 months. You must continue to make your contributions until you're approved for LTD benefits.

Business Travel Accident Insurance
  • Coverage stops on the date your leave begins.

Prior to your return to work, you must enter your return to work date in the Aflac portal to restore badge and timekeeping access.  For more information, view the return to work guide or call Aflac at 800-244-8017.

After returning from an approved leave of absence, you have the opportunity to resume participation in benefits that paused while you were on leave. You don't need to make any changes if your benefits were unaffected during your leave of absence.