Family and Medical Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act providing job protected leave for eligible employees experiencing qualifying events was passed in 1993. The College grants up to 12 weeks (or up to 26 weeks of military caregiver leave to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness) during a 12-month period to eligible employees experiencing qualifying events.

Eligibility. To be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have worked for the College for 12 months or 52 weeks, and the employee must have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately before the date when the leave is requested to commence.

Type of Leave Covered. To qualify as FMLA leave under this policy, the employee must be taking leave for one of the reasons listed below:

• 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 with a serious health condition (Under the FMLA, a “spouse” means a husband or wife as defined under the law in the state where the employee resides, including same-sex marriages in states that legally recognize such civil unions).
• A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to work.
•  Reasons related to a family member’s service in the military, including
  – Qualifying exigency – Leave for certain reasons related to a family member’s foreign deployment.
  – Military caregiver leave – Leave when a family member is a current service member or recent veteran with a serious injury or illness.

Procedure for Requesting FMLA Leave. All employees requesting FMLA leave must provide Human Resources with verbal or written notice of the need for the leave. When the need for the leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide the employer with at least 30 days’ notice. When an employee becomes aware of a need for FMLA leave less than 30 days in advance, the employee must provide notice of the need for the leave either the same day or the next business day. Within five business days after the employee has provided this notice, Human Resources will provide the employee with the DOL Notice of Eligibility and Rights form.

Amount of Leave. An eligible employee may take up to 12 weeks of leave for qualifying FMLA circumstances during a 12-month period. The College will measure the 12-month period as a rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date an employee uses any leave under this policy.

Any absences related to your FMLA leave should be coded as FMLA on your time card.

Intermittent Leave or a Reduced Work Schedule. The employee may take FMLA leave in 12 consecutive weeks or, when medically necessary, may use the leave intermittently (take a day periodically when needed over the year). In all cases, the leave may not exceed a total of 12 workweeks over the 12-month period.

Use of Paid and Unpaid Leave. FMLA leave may be paid, unpaid or a combination of paid and unpaid leave. All paid vacation, personal and sick leave run concurrently with FMLA leave.

Employee Status and Benefits During Leave. While an employee is on leave, the College will continue the employee’s health benefits during the leave period at the same level and under the same conditions as if the employee had continued to work. The employee must make arrangements with HR to pay the employee portion of benefit premiums while on leave if the leave or any portion of the leave is unpaid. Holiday pay, and pay for additional authorized days off “College Free Days” are dependent on the employees pay status while on FMLA. Employees who have exhausted all paid time off and are in a no pay status, will not receive that pay.

Intent to Return to Work from FMLA Leave. The College requires an employee on FMLA leave to report periodically on the employee’s status and intent to return to work.

NOTE: If an employee exhausts all allowable FMLA entitlement and any remaining paid vacation, personal and sick leave, additional leave cannot be extended. Additional absences would be allowed when additional paid vacation, personal or sick leave accrued or the new FMLA rolling year started.

LINE OF AUTHORITY
Responsible Office: Human Resources
Contact person in that office: Vice President of Operations
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 20, 2025
Approved by President: June 20, 2025