Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA Leave)

Updated November 2018

General Provisions 

Cambridge College (“CC”) will grant 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.  The leave may be paid, unpaid or a combination of paid and unpaid leave, depending on the circumstances of the leave and as specified in this policy. 

Eligibility 

In order to qualify for leave under this policy, an employee must meet the following requirements: 

1. An employee must have worked for CC for 12 months or 52 weeks. The 12 months or 52 weeks need not have been consecutive.  Separate periods of employment will be counted, provided that the break in service does not exceed seven years.  Separate periods of employment will be counted if the break in service exceeds seven years due to National Guard or Reserve military service obligations or when there is a written agreement, including a collective bargaining agreement, stating the employer’s intention to rehire the employee after the service break.  For eligibility purposes, an employee will be considered to have been employed for an entire week even if the employee was on the payroll for only part of a week or if the employee is on leave during the week. 
2. An employee must have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding the anticipated commencement date of the leave.  Time spent on a previous leave does not count toward the 1,250 hours worked requirement. 

An employee may seek leave under this policy for any of the following reasons: 

1. The birth of a child and in order to care for that child.
2. The placement of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child.
3. To care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition (described below).
4. The serious health condition (described below) of the employee.

A serious health condition is defined as a condition that requires inpatient care at a hospital, hospice or residential medical care facility, including any period of incapacity or any subsequent treatment in connection with such inpatient care or a condition that requires continuing care by a licensed health care provider.

This policy covers illnesses of a serious and long-term nature, resulting in recurring or lengthy absences.  Generally, a chronic or long-term health condition that would result in a period of three consecutive days of incapacity with the first visit to the health care provider within seven days of the onset of the incapacity and a second visit within 30 days of the incapacity would be considered a serious health condition.  For chronic conditions requiring periodic health care visits for treatment, such visits must take place at least twice a year. 

If an employee takes paid sick leave for a condition that progresses into a serious health condition and the employee requests unpaid leave as provided under this policy, CC may designate all or some portion of related leave taken as leave under this policy, to the extent that the earlier leave meets the necessary qualifications. 

Employees with questions about what illnesses are covered under this FMLA policy or under the CC's sick leave policy are encouraged to consult with the Office of Human Resources.

5. Qualifying exigency leave for families of members of the National Guard or Reserves or of a regular component of the Armed Forces when the covered military member is on covered active duty or called to covered active duty. 

An employee whose spouse, son, daughter or parent either has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active military duty or who is already on covered active duty may take up to 12 weeks of leave for reasons related to or affected by the family member’s call-up or service.  The qualifying exigency must be one of the following: 1) short-notice deployment, 2) military events and activities, 3) child care and school activities, 4) financial and legal arrangements, 5) counseling, 6) rest and recuperation, 7) post-deployment activities and 8) additional activities that arise out of active duty, provided that CC and the employee agree, including agreement on timing and duration of the leave.

“Covered active duty” means:

(a) in the case of a member of a regular component of the Armed Forces, duty during the deployment of the member with the Armed Forces to a foreign country; and

(b) in the case of a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, duty during the deployment of the member with the Armed Forces to a foreign country under a call or order to active duty under a provision of law referred to in section 101(a)(13)(B) of title 10, United States Code.

The leave may commence as soon as the individual receives the call-up notice.  (Son or daughter for this type of FMLA leave is defined the same as for child for other types of FMLA leave except that the person does not have to be a minor.)  This type of leave would be counted toward the employee’s 12-week maximum of FMLA leave in a 12-month period.

6. Military caregiver leave (also known as covered service member leave) to care for an injured or ill service member or veteran.

An employee whose son, daughter, parent or next of kin is a covered service member may take up to 26 weeks in a single 12-month period to take care of leave to care for that service member.  Next of kin is defined as the closest blood relative of the injured or recovering service member. 

The term “covered service member” means:

(a) a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves) who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness; or

(b) a veteran who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, for a serious injury or illness and who was a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves) at any time during the period of 5 years preceding the date on which the veteran undergoes that medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy.

The term “serious injury or illness”:

(a) in the case of a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves), means an injury or illness that was incurred by the member in line of duty on active duty in the Armed Forces (or existed before the beginning of the member’s active duty and was aggravated by service in line of duty on active duty in the Armed Forces) and that may render the member medically unfit to perform the duties of the member’s office, grade, rank, or rating; and

(b) in the case of a veteran who was a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves) at any time during a period when the person was a covered service member, means a qualifying (as defined by the Secretary of Labor) injury or illness that was incurred by the member in line of duty on an active duty in the Armed Forces (or existed before the beginning of the member’s active duty and was aggravated by service in line of duty on active duty in the Armed Forces) and that manifested itself before or after the member became a veteran.

Amount of Leave

An eligible employee can take up to 12 weeks of leave during any 12-month period.  CC 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.  Each time an employee takes leave, CC will compute the amount of leave the employee has taken under this policy in the last 12 months and subtract it from the 12 weeks of available leave, and the balance remaining is the amount the employee is entitled to take at that time.

An eligible employee can take up to 26 weeks for the FMLA circumstance (6) above (military caregiver leave) during a single 12-month period. For this military caregiver leave, CC will measure the 12-month period as a rolling 12-month period measured forward. FMLA leave already taken for other FMLA circumstances will be deducted from the total of 26 weeks available. 

If a husband and wife both work for CC and each wish to take leave for the birth of a child, adoption or placement of a child in foster care, or to care for a parent (but not a parent "in-law") with a serious health condition, the husband and wife may only take a combined total of 12 weeks of leave.  If a husband and wife both work for CC and each wish to take leave to care for a covered injured or ill service member, the husband and wife may only take a combined total of 26 weeks of leave.

Employee Status and Benefits During Leave 

While an employee is on leave, CC 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. 

Under current CC policy, the employee pays a portion of the health care premium.  While on paid leave, the employer will continue to make payroll deductions to collect the employee's share of the premium.  While on unpaid leave, the employee must continue to make this payment, either in person or by mail.  The payment must be received in the Office of Human Resources by the first day of each month.  If the payment is more than 30 days late, the employee's health care coverage may be dropped for the duration of the leave.  CC will provide 15 days' notification prior to the employee's loss of coverage. 

If the employee chooses not to return to work for reasons other than a continued serious health condition of the employee or the employee's family member or a circumstance beyond the employee's control, CC will require the employee to reimburse CC the amount it paid for the employee's health insurance premium during the leave period. 

If the employee contributes to a life insurance or disability plan, CC will continue making payroll deductions while the employee is on paid leave.  While the employee is on unpaid leave, the employee may request continuation of such benefits and pay his or her portion of the premiums, or CC may elect to maintain such benefits during the leave and pay the employee's share of the premium payments.  If the employee does not continue these payments, CC may discontinue coverage during the leave.  If CC maintains coverage, then it may recover the costs incurred for paying the employee's share of any premiums, whether or not the employee returns to work. 

Employee Status After Leave 

An employee who takes leave under this policy will be asked to provide a fitness for duty (FFD) notification from a health care provider.  Generally, an employee who takes FMLA leave will be able to return to the same position or a position with equivalent status, pay, benefits and other employment terms. 

Use of Paid and Unpaid Leave 

An employee who is taking FMLA leave because of the employee's own serious health condition or the serious health condition of a family member must use all paid vacation, personal or sick leave prior to being eligible for unpaid leave.  Sick leave may run concurrently with FMLA leave if the reason for the FMLA leave is covered by the sick leave policy. 

Disability leave for the birth of the child and/or for an employee's serious health condition, including workers' compensation leave (to the extent that it qualifies), will be designated as FMLA leave and will run concurrently with FMLA. For example, if an employer provides six weeks of pregnancy disability leave, the six weeks will be designated as FMLA leave and counted toward the employee's 12-week entitlement.  The employee may then be required to substitute accrued (or earned) paid leave as appropriate before being eligible for unpaid leave for what remains of the 12-week entitlement.  An employee who is taking leave for the adoption or foster care of a child must use all paid vacation, personal or family leave prior to being eligible for unpaid leave. 

An employee who is using military FMLA leave for a qualifying exigency must use all eligible paid vacation, personal leave or sick leave prior to being eligible for unpaid leave.  An employee using FMLA military caregiver leave must also use all eligible paid vacation, personal leave or sick leave prior to being eligible for unpaid leave. 

Intermittent Leave or a Reduced Work Schedule 

The employee may take FMLA leave in 12 consecutive weeks, may use the leave intermittently (take a day periodically when needed over the year) or, under certain circumstances, may use the leave to reduce the workweek or workday, resulting in a reduced hour schedule.  In all cases, the leave may not exceed a total of 12 workweeks or 26 workweeks to care for an injured or ill service member over a 12 month period. 

CC may temporarily transfer an employee to an available alternative position with equivalent pay and benefits if the alternative position would better accommodate the intermittent or reduced schedule, in instances of when leave for the employee or employee's family member is foreseeable and for planned medical treatment, including recovery from a serious health condition or to care for a child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care. 

For the birth, adoption or foster care of a child, CC and the employee must mutually agree to the schedule before the employee may take the leave intermittently or work a reduced hour schedule.  Leave for birth, adoption or foster care of a child must be taken within one year of the birth or placement of the child. 

If the employee is taking leave for a serious health condition or because of the serious health condition of a family member, the employee should try to reach agreement with CC before taking intermittent leave or working a reduced hour schedule.  If this is not possible, then the employee must prove that the use of the leave is medically necessary. 

Medical Certifications 

CC will require a medical certification related to an employee’s request for leave under this policy.  The employee must respond to such a request within 15 days of the request or provide a reasonable explanation for the delay.  Failure to provide certification may result in a denial of continuation of leave.

CC may directly contact the employee’s health care provider for verification or clarification purposes using a health care professional, an HR professional, or leave administrator.  CC will not use the employee’s direct supervisor for this contact.  Before CC makes this direct contact with the health care provider, the employee will be a given an opportunity to resolve any deficiencies in the medical certification.  In compliance with HIPAA Medical Privacy Rules, CC will obtain the employee’s permission for clarification of individually identifiable health information. 

CC has the right to ask for a second opinion if it has reason to doubt the certification.  CC will pay for the employee to get a certification from a second doctor, which the company will select. CC may deny FMLA leave to an employee who refuses to release relevant medical records to the health care provider designated to provide a second or third opinion.  If necessary to resolve a conflict between the original certification and the second opinion, CC will require the opinion of a third doctor.  CC and the employee will mutually select the third doctor, and CC will pay for the opinion.  This third opinion will be considered final.  The employee will be provisionally entitled to leave and benefits under the FMLA pending the second and/or third opinion. 

Recertification

CC will request recertification for the serious health condition of the employee or the employee’s family member no more frequently than every 30 days and only when circumstances have changed significantly, or if the employer receives information casting doubt on the reason given for the absence, or if the employee seeks an extension of his or her leave. Otherwise, CC may request recertification for the serious health condition of the employee or the employee’s family member every six months in connection with an FMLA absence.  CC may provide the employee’s health care provider with the employee’s attendance records and ask whether need for leave is consistent with the employee’s serious health condition. 

Procedure for Requesting FMLA Leave 

All employees requesting FMLA leave must provide written notice of the need for the leave to the Office of Human Resources.  When the need for the leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide CC with at least 30 days' written 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.  When the need for FMLA leave is not foreseeable, the employee must comply with CC usual and customary notice and procedural requirements for requesting leave, absent unusual circumstances.

Within five business days after the employee has provided this notice, the Office of Human Resources will complete and provide the employee with the DOL Notice of Eligibility and Rights.