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Military Leave

Military Leave

There are two parts of the military family leave provision:

Qualifying Exigency Leave

You may be eligible for up to 12 workweeks of leave, for qualifying needs that arise when your spouse, son, daughter, or parent who is a member of the Armed Forces (including National Guard and Reserves) is on covered active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty.

Qualifying needs include the following:

  • Issues arising from the military member's short-notice deployment. For up to seven days from the day the military member receives notice of deployment, an employee may take qualifying exigency leave to address any issue that arises from the short-notice deployment.
  • Attending military events and related activities, such as official ceremonies, programs, events and informational briefing, or family support or assistance programs sponsored by the military, military service organizations, or the American Red Cross that are related to the member's deployment.
  • Certain childcare and related activities arising from the military member's covered active duty, including arranging for alternative childcare, providing childcare on a non-routine, urgent, immediate-need basis, enrolling in or transferring a child to a new school or day care facility.

Military Caregiver

You may take up to a total of 26 workweeks to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness. The employee must be the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of the covered servicemember.

Leave may be taken to care for a current member of the Armed Forces (including National Guard or Reserves), who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, therapy, in outpatient status, or on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness incurred while in the line of duty on active duty, that may render the servicemember medically unfit to perform the duties of his or her office, grade, rank, or rating.

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Online Leave of Absence Application icon

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    Note: You may be asked to provide supporting exigency documentation.

     

    • Once you submit your application and the supporting medical certification, the DMO will send you:
      • a letter detailing your current FMLA entitlements
      • a letter approving or denying your leave  
        Note: Allow 5-7 business days from receipt of documentation for processing
    • You may be asked to provide the DMO with supporting exigency documentation
    • Until your leave is approved or denied, remember to follow your agency's call-in procedure

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    • FMLA allows eligible employees up to 12 workweeks in any 12 months for;
      • the birth and care of a newborn,
      • for the placement of a child, or the adoption or foster of a child,
      • to care for a family member (child, spouse, parent) with a serious health condition,
      • or for an employee's own serious health condition.
    • You must apply for FMLA if you will be off work for 5 or more consecutive calendar days due to a serious health condition.
    • FMLA is unpaid, however, during an FMLA-approved leave:
      • you may use leave credits to receive pay during your time off
        • Sick leave credits must be exhausted prior to use of other leave credits
      • If you have no leave credits, you may take the time unpaid
      • If you're enrolled in LTD, you may apply for disability benefits by contacting Sedgwick at 800-324-9901.
    • While you are on payroll, you will continue to pay your portion of insurance premiums. Once you are off payroll (no longer using leave credits), FMLA will continue your healthcare, you will be responsible to pay back the employee portion of premiums once you return to work.
    • If you do not qualify for FMLA, you may be entitled to a non-FMLA leave under your collective bargaining agreement or Civil Service Rules.
    • Not sure if you qualify for FMLA? 
      • Contact the DMO at 877-443-6362, option 2.
      • Visit the Department of Labor website at www.dol.gov/whd/fmla.

     

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    • Until your leave is approved or denied, you are responsible to:
      • follow your agency's call-in procedure
      • enter your time into SIGMA with the comment "Pending FMLA Approval" 
      • If you are not yet approved for a leave and have no available leave to cover your time, select the event type "LOST" in SIGMA
    • Once your leave is approved, your supervisor is responsible for entering your time as you have indicated on your leave application:
      • FMSL - sick leave credits while on leave
      • FMAL - annual leave credits while on leave
      • FMLA - no leave credits are being used - time is being covered only under the FMLA
      • FMBL - BLT (Banked Leave Time) credits while on leave
      • FMHL - holiday credits used while on leave
      • FMCM - comp time credits used while on leave
      • FMD1 - deferred (1981) hours used while on leave
      • FMD2 - deferred (1982) hours used while on leave
    • Questions on entering your time?

     

  • Continuing insurance benefits is dependent upon multiple factors:

    • Your sick leave balance and other leave usage
    • Your FMLA entitlement

    For details on how these factors affect insurance benefits, see the FAQs or contact the DMO at 877-443-6362, option 2.

    Some things to consider:

    • Your health, dental, vision, and life insurances continue while using leave credits to cover your time off. Insurance premiums will continue to be deducted.
    • Once you are no longer using leave credits, the Employee Benefits Division (EBD) will mail you an Application to Continue Insurances. You must select the insurance plans you wish to continue while on leave and return the application to EBD.

    • When you return to work from a Military Family Care Leave, you are not required to submit any return to work documentation. 
    • Contact the DMO on the day you return to work so they can close your leave and place you back in active pay status.

  • You can visit our FAQs to find out information on timekeeping, continuing insurances, returning to work, and more...

 

Phone: 877-443-6362, Option 2 Fax: 517-241-9926

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