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Updating the Family Medical Leave Process
and what that means for you as an employee...
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a Federal Act that provides employees with job protection when you have to be away from work due to the following conditions/circumstances:
- A Serious Health Condition- to care for your spouse, child or parent due to an approved medical condition, and when you are unable to work because of your own approved medical condition/circumstances (including worker’s comp. leave).
- Expanding Your Family- leave for the birth of a child and to bond with the newborn child, or for the placement of a child for adoption or foster care and to bond with that child.
- Military Family Leave- for specified reasons related to certain military deployments and for care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness.
If determined eligible, an employee can be granted up to 13 weeks of FML, in a 12-month period, for qualifying conditions. To be eligible to use FML, you must have been employed by the County for a total of one year, and have worked at least 1250 hours in the 12 months before you take leave.
Beginning September 29, 2017, the County is updating the FML process. Employees still have to complete the Eligibility form, so you can receive notice of your rights and responsibilities under FMLA, and learn whether or not you’re eligible to designate your leave as FML. Once Human Resources receives the Eligibility form, information and certification materials will be provided promptly. After that, it will be up to the employee to choose if you want to utilize FML or not. FML provides job protection and other benefits, however, in some cases, you may decide completing a Certification form, and using FML, is not necessary or something you want to do.
It is important for employees and supervisors to remember the Eligibility form must be completed within five days of knowing an absence could qualify. If an employee is unable to complete the Eligibility form, the supervisor must do this for them. Also, employees are reminded to complete the Eligibility form, and Certification forms (if eligible) at least 30 days prior to a planned event or absence from work.
The Eligibility form will be automated through the employee portal starting on September 29, 2017, and will be completely electronic in its submission.
For more information on FMLA, visit the employee portal or contact Rhonda Majzer in Employee Relations at 501-5231 or email her at [email protected]. We are making updates to our process based on questions and feedback we receive, and welcome questions and input from employees and supervisors.