The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to provide unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible team members for various medical situations. 

ELIGIBILITY

Team members must have been employed for at least twelve months and worked at least 1,250 hours during the twelve months prior to the start of the FMLA leave.   

CONSIDERATION OF LEAVE

Situations qualifying for FMLA include the following: 

• Incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or childbirth
• To care for your child after birth or placement for adoption or foster care
• To care for your spouse, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition
• A serious health condition that makes you unable to perform your job
• To address a “qualifying exigency” related to your spouse’s, son’s, daughter’s, or parent’s active duty or call to active duty or an absence to care for a covered family member who has suffered a serious injury or illness while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (See Military Exigency Leaved for more information)

DURATION OF LEAVE

Leave under the FMLA is limited to 12 weeks within a rolling twelve month period.  Total cumulative leave under any FMLA category will not exceed more than twelve weeks per rolling twelve month period. 

BENEFIT STATUS DURING LEAVE

Team members will retain benefits throughout the approved FMLA leave.  If the leave is unpaid, the team member is responsible for providing the applicable payment for voluntary benefits.    

COMPENSATION DURING LEAVE

A combination of vacation time, sick time and disability benefits can be used depending on the type of leave; refer to the applicable benefit policy for more information. 

REQUEST AND APPROVAL FOR LEAVE

Carle Health has partnered with The Hartford to provide leave management for our team members.  To request a leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, call The Hartford at (888) 277-4767 or submit online through The Hartford’s leave portal.

RETURN TO WORK

FMLA leave of absence is job protected, meaning you are entitled to return to your job, in the same position as when you left for your leave. However, if your position no longer exists, you should be offered one that is comparable in terms of skills, duties, pay, benefits, etc.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

When it is Medically Necessary, team members may take FMLA leave intermittently – taking leave in separate blocks of time for a single qualifying reason – or on a reduced leave schedule – reducing the usual weekly or daily work schedule. When leave is needed for planned medical treatment, the team member must make a reasonable effort to schedule treatment so as not to unduly disrupt business operations.

Leave to care for or bond with a newborn child or for a newly placed adopted or foster child may only be taken intermittently with the employer’s approval and must conclude within 12 months after the birth or placement.

A married couple employed by Carle Health may be limited to a combined total of twelve weeks during a rolling twelve month period for all FMLA qualifying reasons.

How to Apply

For information on how to apply for FMLA please review the Applying for leave - FMLA article.