Family and Medical Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides time off to University faculty, exempt, and non-exempt staff for such reasons as childbirth, adoption, foster care placement, serious illness of a spouse or child or parent, or serious illness of the employee.

Why would employees benefit by applying for Family Medical Leave if they have sufficient leave to cover an illness? The Family and Medical leave Act requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of paid/unpaid leave for certain medical reasons during a 12 month period. State law provides up to 4 months for childbirth and up to 30 days of sick leave for male employees for paternity puroposes. The benefits are:

1. For the duration of FML, the employer must maintain the employee's health coverage under any group health plan.

2. Upon return from FML, most employees must be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms, and

3. The use of FML cannot result in loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of an employee's leave.

Library employees who are interested in applying for Family Medical Leave should contact Library Personnel and Procurement.