FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
After completion of at least 12 months of employment and a minimum of 1,250 hours of work
during the preceding 12 months, employees may receive up to 12 weeks’ unpaid leave, except for
service member family leave, within a rolling twelve-month period, measured backward from the
date an employee uses any Federal leave for any of the following reasons:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
the birth of employee’s child and to care for the newborn child;
placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
care for employee’s parent (in-laws not included), spouse, domestic partner or child
(under age 18, or age 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of a disability) with a
serious health condition; or
serious health condition that renders employee unable to perform the job.
Military Family Leave Entitlements-- Eligible employees with a spouse, son, daughter or parent on
active duty or call to active duty status in the National Guard or Reserves in support of a
contingency operation may use their 12- week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying
exigencies. Qualify exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative
childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions
and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.
Where leave is taken to care for a covered service member, a spouse, son, daughter, parent or next
of kin may take up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave during a single 12-month period. A covered service
member is a current member of the Armed forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, who
has a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active duty that may render the service
member medically unfit to perform his or her duties and for which the service member is
undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy; or is in outpatient status or is on the
temporary disability retired list. Spouses employed by the YWCA are jointly entitled to a combined
total of 26 weeks of FMLA to care for a covered service member.
All qualifying leave will be administered in accordance with the FMLA.
During Family and Medical Leave, medical insurance continues uninterrupted. You must, however,
arrange to continue your contributions to medical insurance. Upon return from leave, you are
entitled to be reinstated in your prior job or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay,
employment benefits and other terms and conditions of employment.
Family and Medical Leave related to care for newborns, adoption, or foster care placements is
available to both mothers and fathers. If both parents are employed here, the benefit (up to a
maximum of 12 weeks per 12-month period) applies collectively to both parents. FMLA must be
completed within 12 month of the birth or placement.
If you take sick leave or vacation in order to deal with the circumstances which make you eligible for
Family and Medical Leave, it will be counted towards the 12 weeks of your Family and Medical
Leave.
When practicable, you are required to give thirty days notice of the need for Family and Medical
Leave. If you are not able to give thirty days notice, you (or if you are unable, your spouse, domestic
partner or a relative) must notify your supervisor as soon as possible of the need for Family and
Medical Leave. We will request medical certification of the need for Family and Medical Leave and
will provide you with the form that must be filled out by the appropriate physician. You must
inform us of the expected duration of the leave, and will be expected to report periodically on your
status and continued intent to return to work. In the case of leave approved for your own serious
health condition, you may also be required to submit a medical certification that you are able to
return to work.
For the Active Duty Qualifying Exigency, in addition to the FMLA application for leave, you will be
required to complete a Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family leave form and to
furnish to the YWCA in a timely manner any certification that your family member is issued
regarding their active duty or call to active duty in the Armed Forces.
Continuation of medical benefits and job reinstatement assurance ends after 12 weeks. If you
cannot return to active work at that time, you may request additional unpaid leave under the terms
of our personal leaves of absence policy (as described on page 50 of this manual).
Reinstatement to your job after the leave will depend upon several factors, including length of leave,
reason for leave, nature of your job, business conditions and availability of openings appropriate to
your skills and background. If your former position cannot be held open, efforts will be made to
provide an appropriate alternative position at comparable salary. If no appropriate alternative
position is available your employment will terminate. If you are considering applying for a leave of
absence, consult your supervisor or executive director for an explanation of YWCA policy as it
relates to your specific needs.
A domestic partner is defined as a person with whom the employee cohabits and the relationship is
a serious, committed and exclusive relationship regardless of marital status.