Unpaid Leave

Family Medical Leave (FMLA or FML) allows you to take time away from work for personal and family medical reasons.

Eligibility

You must have:

• Worked 1,250 hours during the 12-month period prior to the start of the leave (does not include leave or PTO time)
• Worked for Novant Health for a total of 12 months within the last 7 years
• Have a qualifying event

Qualifying event defined

Under the FMLA, the following are qualifying events:

• Birth of and bonding with your newborn child
• Placement of and bonding with your adopted or foster child
• Serious health condition that causes you to be out of work
• Care of an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent) with a serious health condition
• Urgent needs surrounding your spouse, child, or parent while they are on active duty or call as a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or Regular Armed Forces

Serious health condition defined

The FMLA defines the following as serious health conditions:

• Conditions requiring an overnight stay in a hospital or medical facility
• Pregnancy
• Conditions that incapacitate you or a qualified family member for more than three consecutive days and entail ongoing medical treatment needs
• Chronic conditions that cause occasional periods of incapacitation and require treatment by a healthcare provider

Maximum time granted

For a 12-month period, you could receive approval for up to:

• 12 workweeks
• 26 workweeks (care of a military service member)

FMLA options

Depending on the documentation provided when you apply for leave, you may qualify for one or a combination of:

• Intermittent (not continuous) leave
• Reduced schedule (decreased number of work hours based on your schedule)
• Continuous leave

Benefits coverage while on FMLA

You will continue to accrue/receive your Novant Health benefits while on FMLA until you use up the maximum granted hours.

Your contribution toward benefit coverage will either:

• Continue to be deducted from your PTO when used
• Put into arrears and deducted from your pay when you return from leave

Pay while on FMLA

FMLA is unpaid. While on leave, you may choose to either:

• Take the leave unpaid
• Use available PTO
• If you are on a continuous leave, apply for short-term disability or long-term disability through The Hartford as a source of pay (subject to any applicable waiting periods)

If you need to extend your leave once you’ve used all your FMLA leave, you will stop receiving/accruing benefits.

When to notify

• 30 days in advance, if you know ahead of time that you'll need to take leave
• As soon as practical (same or next business day), if the leave is sudden/unexpected

Maternity leave allows you to take up to 8 weeks away from work to recover after giving birth to your child.

Eligibility

You must be:

• Delivering birth parent
• In a benefits-eligible position
• Ineligible for FMLA leave, used all your eligible FMLA leave, or have less than eight weeks of FMLA available

If eligible for FMLA, you’d use maternity leave at the same time as FMLA.

Maximum time granted

Up to eight consecutive weeks within a 12-month period.

Your total combined time away on maternity and FMLA leave cannot be more than 12 weeks.

Benefits coverage while on maternity leave

You will continue to accrue/receive your Novant Health benefits throughout the time you're approved to be on maternity leave. However, if you need to extend your leave once you’ve used all your maternity and FMLA leave, you will stop receiving/accruing benefits.

Pay while on maternity leave

Maternity leave is unpaid. While on leave, you may choose to either:

• See if you also qualify for paid parental leave
• Use available PTO
• Take the leave unpaid
• Apply for short-term disability or long-term disability through The Hartford as a source of pay (subject to any applicable waiting periods)

When to notify

Contact The Hartford once you have your baby's due date.

If you need time away from work due to a personal medical condition, you may be eligible for leave provided as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Eligibility

You must have:

• Used all your FMLA leave or be ineligible for FMLA
• A disability or a qualifying condition under the Pregnancy Workers’ Fairness Act (PWFA)

Disability defined

You must be a person with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is someone who either:

• Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
• Has a history or record of such an impairment
• Is perceived by others as having such an impairment

Amount of time granted

Leave as an accommodation is considered on a case-by-case basis. The amount of time away from work you may be approved for for leave as an accommodation depends on:

• Review of the information submitted by your treating healthcare provider
• The reasonableness of the request based on discussion with you and your manager

Every effort will be made to identify an accommodation that will allow you to continue working and complete the essential functions of your job prior to exploring leave as an accommodation.

Leave as an accommodation options

Depending on the documentation provided and discussion when you apply, you may be approved for one or a combination of:

• Intermittent (not continuous) leave
• Reduced schedule (decreased number of work hours based on your schedule)
• Continuous leave

Benefits coverage while on leave

You will not continue to accrue/receive your Novant Health benefits while on leave as an accommodation.

Pay while on FMLA

Leave as an accommodation is unpaid. While on leave, you may choose to:

• Use available PTO (if not already receiving short-term-disability benefits)
• If you are on a continuous leave, apply for short-term disability or long-term disability through The Hartford as a source of pay (subject to any applicable waiting periods)

When to notify

Immediately, once you determine that you need time away from work related to a personal medical condition.