Employee Responsibilities for a Leave of Absence

The information below will guide you through the leave of absence process, ensuring that no steps are missed and that you have a clear understanding of your responsibilities before, during, and after your leave.

Your Responsibilities

• Contact AbsencePlus: Initiate your leave of absence case with AbsencePlus to begin the process at least 30 days in advance if the leave is planned. If your leave is unplanned, initiate your leave as soon as practical of the event occurring.
• Report your leave to your manager: You are encouraged to communicate your need for a leave of absence with your manager when you feel comfortable doing so. However, whenever possible, best practice is to provide at least 30 days’ notice before the start of your leave. This advance notice helps ensure adequate planning and support for you and your team.
• Healthcare Provider Certification: Ensure your healthcare provider completes the Certification of Healthcare Provider Form. AbsencePlus will provide this to you once you have initiated your leave request.
• Return completed Certification: Return the supporting documentation to AbsencePlus within within 15 calendar days from the receipt of the FMLA Notice of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilities.
• Return to Work Date Change: If your return-to-work date changes you must report this to AbsencePlus within 5 business days of the original return-to-work date.
• Return to Work Requirements: Prior to the end of your leave, you may be required to provide a Return to Work or Fitness for Duty certification from your healthcare provider. Please be sure that you provide this to AbsencePlus timely in order to not delay your return date.
• Extending leave: If you need to extend or renew your job-protected leave, you must submit a new medical certification to AbsencePlus.
• Reporting Missed Days: For intermittent leaves, you will be required to report the missed shifts to AbsencePlus within 3 days. As soon as you become aware of your need for time off related to your leave reason, you must inform your manager. Visit the Reporting Intermittent Occurrence page for more details.
• Timesheet/Leave Reporting: All employees on a leave of absence must ensure that their timesheet and leave report accurately reflect the time off reported to AbsencePlus. For employees on continuous leave, HR can assist with completing this process in accordance with payroll deadlines. For those on intermittent leave, it is the employee’s responsibility to update their timesheet or leave report; however, HR is available to provide support if needed. Please reach out to HR if you foresee needing any support.
• Questions and Assistance: If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact AbsencePlus at 877-797-8417