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Leave of Absence Policy

Policy Status: "Draft"

This policy is currently "draft".

Policy ID: HR-006 Version: 1.0 Status: Draft Effective Date: January 15, 2025 Last Reviewed: January 9, 2025

Purpose

This policy establishes guidelines for various types of leave available to Acme Corp employees beyond standard PTO.

Scope

This policy applies to all eligible employees. Eligibility requirements vary by leave type.

Family & Medical Leave (FMLA)

Eligibility

Employees are eligible if they have: - Worked for company for [12] months - Worked at least [1,250] hours in past 12 months - Work at location with 50+ employees within 75 miles

Covered Reasons

FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for: - Birth and care of newborn - Adoption or foster care placement - Caring for spouse, child, or parent with serious health condition - Employee's own serious health condition - Military family leave (qualifying exigency)

Military Caregiver Leave: Up to 26 weeks for caring for covered servicemember

Process

  1. Notify HR as soon as need is known
  2. Complete FMLA application
  3. Provide medical certification (if applicable)
  4. Leave tracked and job protected
  5. Health benefits continue during leave

Employee Responsibilities

  • Provide [30] days notice when foreseeable
  • Submit required certifications
  • Keep HR informed of status
  • Coordinate with manager on return

State Family Leave: Some states have additional requirements (CA, NY, WA, etc.) - see state addendum

Parental Leave

Eligibility

  • [Full-time employees after X months of employment]

Leave Entitlement

Maternity/Paternity Leave: - [X weeks] paid leave for birth or adoption - Available to: [All parents / Primary caregiver] - Must be taken within [X months] of birth/adoption - May run concurrent with FMLA - May be supplemented with PTO for extended leave

Process

  1. Notify manager and HR at least [60] days before expected leave
  2. Complete parental leave request form
  3. Coordinate coverage plan with manager
  4. Submit birth certificate or adoption papers after event

Medical Leave

Short-Term Medical Leave

  • For serious health conditions not covered by FMLA
  • Up to 40 weeks
  • May be paid or unpaid depending on circumstances
  • Medical certification required

Long-Term Medical Leave

  • For extended serious health conditions
  • Beyond FMLA or short-term leave
  • Unpaid leave
  • Job reinstatement not guaranteed
  • Benefits may continue at employee expense

Bereavement Leave

Policy

  • [3-5] days paid leave for death of immediate family member
  • [1] day paid leave for extended family member
  • Additional unpaid time may be approved

Immediate Family Defined

  • Spouse/domestic partner
  • Children (including step-children)
  • Parents (including step-parents)
  • Siblings
  • Grandparents
  • Grandchildren

Jury Duty & Witness Leave

Jury Duty: - Unpaid leave granted for required jury service - [Company may pay difference between jury pay and regular salary] - Provide jury summons to supervisor ASAP

Witness/Court Appearances: - Unpaid leave granted for subpoenaed court appearances - Personal legal matters: Use PTO

Military Leave

Policy

Employees are entitled to unpaid military leave under USERRA.

Requirements: - Provide advance notice when possible - Provide military orders to HR - Reemployment rights upon return (if eligible) - Health benefits continue for up to [24] months - Seniority and benefits continue to accrue

Personal Leave of Absence

Policy

Unpaid leave may be granted for personal reasons not covered by other leave policies.

Process: 1. Submit written request to HR with reason and duration 2. Manager and HR review and approve/deny 3. Approval at company discretion

During Leave: - Benefits may be continued at employee expense - Job reinstatement not guaranteed - Maximum duration: [X weeks]

Sabbatical Leave

Eligibility: - Employees with [X+] years of service - Approval required

Policy: - Up to 40 weeks unpaid leave - For rest, travel, education, or personal projects - Application process: Contact HR for eligibility requirements and application process - Benefits during sabbatical: Contact HR for eligibility requirements and application process

Leave Administration

During Leave

Benefits: - Health insurance: Continues (employee pays premiums if unpaid leave) - Life/Disability: May terminate (check specific policy) - PTO accrual: Suspended during unpaid leave - 401(k): No contributions during unpaid leave

Communication: - Employees should check in with HR [frequency] - Update on return-to-work date if changed - Provide updates on status as appropriate

Return from Leave

Process: 1. Notify HR of return date 40 days in advance 2. Provide fitness-for-duty certification (if required) 3. Attend return-to-work meeting 4. Restore to same or equivalent position (if eligible)

Responsibilities

Employees

  • Provide timely notice
  • Submit required documentation
  • Keep HR informed
  • Coordinate with manager

Managers

  • Support employee through leave process
  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Plan for coverage
  • Welcome employee back

HR

  • Administer leave programs
  • Track leave usage
  • Ensure compliance
  • Answer questions

Compliance

This policy complies with: - Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - State family leave laws - State paid sick leave laws

State-Specific Provisions

Tennessee employees: See state addendum for additional leave entitlements including: - Paid family leave - Paid sick leave - Pregnancy disability leave - Other state-mandated leave

Revision History

Version Date Author Description
1.0 2025-01-09 HR Team Initial draft policy

Policy Owner: HR Team Contact: hr@acmecorp.com