Family Care Leave

Family care leave is an absence to care for a serious health condition affecting a spouse, domestic partner, parent, or child who is under 18 years of age. The leave is available for the care of those over the age of 18 if they are incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability at the time the leave begins.

Eligibility

Under federal law, staff and faculty employees at Macalester College may be eligible for job-protected, unpaid Family Care Leave if they have been employed by the College for at least 12 months and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the 12 months prior to the requested leave start date. This leave is provided in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Leave Details

Pay

• Staff employees are able to use available vacation time, sick time, and floating holiday while on their approved Family Care Leave. When a Macalester designated holiday falls during an employee’s FMLA leave of absence, the employee will receive the holiday pay but that day(s) will count towards the employee’s FMLA hours. If an employee is on a intermittent leave of absence, the employee must work the day prior and after the holiday to not have the holiday’s counts towards FMLA.
• Faculty employees with an FTE of 0.50 – 0.74 receive a 1-course release and 12-weeks of fully paid family care leave.
• Faculty employees with an FTE of 0.75 – 1.00 receive a 2-course release and 12-weeks of fully paid family care leave. 

Duration

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks leave, equivalent to their regular working schedule, within a 12-month period. This leave can be taken in one continuous block or, if needed, in smaller segments (intermittently), depending on the reason for leave and approval.

Benefits

If an employee is approved for Family Care Leave they will continue to have benefit coverage in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act. Insurance premiums, which are collected through payroll deductions will continue when the employee is receiving pay. If the employee is on an approved Family Care Leave and is not receiving pay, they will owe Macalester for benefits employee contributions which will be coordinated at the time the approved leave of absence has ended.

Job Protection

Employees job are held for up to 12 weeks in any 12-month period. In the case of intermittent leave or leave taken through a reduced work schedule, the job may be held for the time equivalent to 12 weeks of their regular work schedule