BA436_Family Medical Leave (FMLA) Policy

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POLICY NAME POLICY NO. APPROVING BODY RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT
Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) Policy BA436 President/Cabinet Business Affairs – Human Resources
EFFECTIVE DATE VERSION NO. REVISION/REVIEW DATE DOWNLOAD PDF
15-DEC-2014; 15-NOV-2021 REV.01 01 12-SEP-2024 BA436_Family Medical Leave (FMLA) Policy

PURPOSE:

To provide uniform management of Family Medical Leave as a covered employee under the Family Medical Leave Act.

POLICY:

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) became effective on August 5, 1993. FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage.

Eligibility:

WNMU follows the eligibility designated under FMLA per the U.S Department of Labor and is governed by federal law. Information about FMLA eligibility can be found under the Department of Labor website under the Wage and Hour Division.

  • Employees at WNMU are eligible if they work for at least twelve (12) months and have at least one thousand two-hundred fifty (1,250) hours of service during the twelve (12) months before their FMLA starts.

FMLA Protects Leave for:

  • The birth of a child or placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care;
  • The care for a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition;
  • A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to work, and;
  • Reasons related to a family member’s service in the military, including:
  • Qualifying exigency leave – Leave for certain reasons related to a family member’s foreign deployment, and;
  • Military caregiver leave – leave when a family member is a current servicemember or recent veteran with a serious injury or illness.

Procedures for Obtaining FMLA Leave:

An employee may request FMLA leave using the Leave Request Form obtained from the Human Resources Department. The Director of Human Resources and Benefits Manager are responsible for the administration of this policy and will notify the employee whether the request is approved or denied per the FMLA guidelines.

Basic Regulations and Conditions of FMLA Leave:

FMLA leave runs concurrently with sick and annual leave (if applicable). Once the employee has exhausted their sick and annual leave balances, the remainder of the FMLA leave will be leave without pay. Any employee who is granted FMLA leave without pay will not accrue sick or annual leave for the periods of the absence under the leave without pay.

Status of Employee Benefits During Leave of Absence:

Any employee who is granted an approved leave of absence without pay under this policy is advised to provide for the continuation of their group health insurance coverage by arranging with the Human Resources Department to pay the employee’s premium contribution during the period of unpaid absence. The University will continue to contribute to the employer’s portion of group medical insurance premiums during the family leave.

Appeals:

An employee may appeal a decision related to FMLA leave by requesting additional review from the Vice President of Business Affairs.