QUESTIONS & ANSWERS FOR MANAGERS/SUPERVISORS

Following are frequently asked questions for managers/supervisors about UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial’s absence management program.

GENERAL INFORMATION

What is a leave of absence?

A leave of absence is an unscheduled or scheduled absence from work taken on a continuous or intermittent basis. Leave type examples include Family Medical Leave (FML), Military Leave and other leaves provided by federal, state and local or company policy.

What are disability benefits?

STD is salary continuation during a continuous absence for one’s own condition.

Who is eligible for disability benefits?

STD benefits are available to all employees on the first day of the month after 30 days of employment who are scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week. Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement should refer to their respective union contract or representative for details.

REQUESTING/REPORTING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE

When should an employee request or report an absence under an approved leave?

Employees should notify their manager/supervisor as soon as they expect to be absent by following their department call-off procedures. Employees are expected to provide 30 days’ advance notice to request a leave. If the need for a leave is unforeseeable, employees must provide as much notice as practicable.

How does an employee report a leave of absence?

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial wants to ensure it fully complies with employee rights under federal and state laws. Therefore, when an employee expects to miss more than three calendar days of work due to sickness, pregnancy, injury or an absence that may be covered under a leave plan, the employee should call Sedgwick at 1-855-311-9661 as soon as possible to request a continuous leave. Employees may also request intermittent leave with Sedgwick under other qualifying leave plans. (See below for more details regarding requesting and reporting a leave.)

What information will I need if I have to request a leave of absence for an employee?

You’ll need to provide the following information:

• Employee name, address, phone number, Social Security number and job title.
• Employee work address, hire date, and supervisor’s name and phone number.
• The last day the employee worked, nature of the absence, date the disability began and anticipated return-to-work date.
• If applicable, the name, address, phone and fax numbers of treating health care provider(s) and an authorization to release the requesting employee’s medical information to Sedgwick.

Where do employees get the forms they need to request a leave of absence?

An information packet will be sent to the employee from Sedgwick based on the type of leave he/she requests. After the employee returns the completed forms, Sedgwick will send approval (or denial) to the employee and their manager/supervisor (viewable at mysedgwick.com/ucmc).

If a leave of absence is approved, what will the employee receive?

The employee will receive an approval letter and a form called the Medical Return to Work Release. For any leave due to the employee’s own serious health condition that results in the employee being off work for more than three consecutive workdays, the employee will need to have a physician or other health care provider complete the Medical Return to Work Release.

How can I track my direct reports’ leave eligibility, approvals and denials?

Managers/supervisors will receive updates and notifications through Sedgwick’s secure web portal at ucmleave.uchospitals.edu, as well as email notifications through their UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial email account.

Once a leave of absence is approved, do employees still have to follow departmental call-off procedures for unscheduled absences?

It depends on the type of leave:

• Continuous LeaveLeave taken for consecutive days through the entire period between the leave begin and leave end dates: Employees don’t have to continue to follow departmental call-off procedures once their continuous leave has been approved.
• Intermittent LeaveLeave taken in intervals between the leave begin and leave end dates, where the employee is expected to work except when unable to work due to the leave: If an employee’s leave is approved for intermittent absences, the employee must report the absence to their supervisor by following departmental call-off procedures AND to Sedgwick at 1‑855‑311‑9661 or mysedgwick.com/ucmc. Remember: Employees on intermittent leave should contact Sedgwick within two calendar days of their absence.

What should employees do before they return to work from a leave of absence?

Employees should contact their department two weeks prior to their expected return-to-work date to be placed on the schedule. If the employee’s return-to-work date is sooner or later than expected, the employee must contact his/her department and Sedgwick as soon as the employee knows his/her return-to-work date.

If an employee’s leave lasts five or more consecutive scheduled workdays, the employee should provide a release from their physician to HR Shared Services prior to returning to work. If an employee is returning with restrictions, the employee must be cleared by Occupational Health Services before he/she can return to work. Managers/supervisors are NOT to allow employees who missed five or more scheduled workdays to return to work without first being notified by HR Shared Services that they have been cleared.

Why is it important for employees to report their actual return-to-work date to the Sedgwick Reporting Center?

If an employee’s actual return-to-work date is different from what the employee originally reported to Sedgwick, the employee’s accruals (paid time off and Extended Illness Bank (EIB)), as well as use of FML days (depending on the type of leave), could be affected. As a result, the employee’s use of accrued time and FML may not be accurate.

Note: Exempt (salaried) employees who fail to report their actual return-to-work date will not be paid until that date is confirmed with Sedgwick.

Whom do employees contact if they cannot return to work as planned?

Employees should contact their supervisor AND Sedgwick at 1‑855-311-9661

What is the process for reporting a work-related injury?

If an employee is injured at work, the employee should report the injury immediately to his/her supervisor, and then contact Occupational Health Services at 708-915-5301.

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (FML) REQUESTS

What is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

FMLA is a federal law passed in 1993 to help balance workplace requirements with family needs. The law is designed to ensure reasonable leaves for family and medical reasons. Absence from work of more than three calendar days due to sickness, injury, pregnancy, hospitalization, or an employee’s own serious health condition or that of a family member may qualify for leave under FMLA, as well as other similar state laws. Employees should be advised to contact Sedgwick to see if their leave qualifies as soon as the need for leave is realized. For more information, review Your Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Does FMLA cover all types of absences?

No, FMLA is not a leave of absence policy for all types of employee absences. It does not cover routine doctor appointments or minor illnesses not requiring physician treatment (unless part of an approved intermittent leaveLeave taken in intervals between the leave begin and leave end dates, where the employee is expected to work except when unable to work due to the leave).

What is a “serious health condition”?

A serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves:

• Any period of incapacity or treatment connected with inpatient care (i.e., an overnight stay) in a hospital, hospice or residential medical care facility; or
• A period of incapacity requiring absence of more than three calendar days from work, school or other regular daily activities that also involves continuing treatment by (or under the supervision of) a health care provider; or
• Any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, or for prenatal care; or
• Any period of incapacity (or treatment therefore) due to a serious chronic health condition (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.); or
• A period of incapacity that is permanent or long-term due to a condition for which treatment may not be effective (e.g., Alzheimer’s, stroke, terminal diseases, etc.); or
• Any absences to receive multiple treatments (including any period of recovery) by, or on referral by, a health care provider for a condition that likely would result in incapacity of more than three consecutive days if left untreated (e.g., chemotherapy, physical therapy, dialysis, etc.).

How do I know how much FML time my direct reports have available?

Call Sedgwick at 1-855-311-9661 or visit mysedgwick.com/ucmc.

How are employee pay and benefits affected while on FML?

If an employee’s leave under FML only is approved and the absence is not for the employee’s own medical condition, the employee may exhaust all accrued paid time off and EIB.

If the leave is for the employee’s own serious health condition, the employee will be required to exhaust accrued sick time, then personal holiday, and then vacation time before going on unpaid leave.

Note: For positions that fall under a collective bargaining agreement, employees should refer to their union contract for details on how pay and benefits are affected while on STD leave.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY (STD) BENEFIT REQUESTS

What is the difference between STD and FML?

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial offers STD to provide salary continuation (to replace income lost during a leave). Employees will receive a percentage of their pay as determined by the policy or contract. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons.

Sedgwick will automatically place employees on both FML and STD once their STD leave is approved. Employees may also be asked to submit an FML certification to cover their time off.

How are employee pay and benefits affected while on STD?

As long as the employee is receiving accrued hours or STD payments, payroll checks will continue to be processed according to the employee’s payroll schedule. Scheduled deductions (taxes, benefit plan deductions, etc.) will continue to be withheld.

Once STD benefits are approved, how will employees receive their pay while on leave?

If an employee is paid on an hourly basis, his/her manager or designated timekeeper must continue to enter the employee’s accrued hours into the Kronos system until the employee’s leave is approved.

If the employee is exempt (salaried), the employee or department manager must enter accrued hours into Kronos. Accrued hours must be used in the following order: paid time off (24 hours, EIB and remining paid time off). If the employee is unable to access Kronos from home, the employee should contact his/her department manager for assistance. It is highly recommended that any time off prior to the start of medical leave be entered into Kronos.

Note: For positions that fall under a collective bargaining agreement, employees should refer to their union contract for details on how pay and benefits are affected while on STD leave.

My employee’s leave application was delayed; how does he/she get paid for missed STD payments?

If the employee’s claim for STD was delayed, STD payments will be paid on the next payroll period retroactively.