Skip to Main Content

FMLA Employee Rights & Responsibilities

Purpose

This policy statement is meant to introduce a set of guidelines that HR managers and staff members can use to gauge whether granting a personal leave of absence is appropriate and supportable. Please note that nominally meeting the criteria outlined within this document is not a guarantee that a request for a leave of absence will meet with approval. 

Definition

In accordance with the Family/Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), the firm offers employees the opportunity to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons.

Eligibility

  • Employees are eligible if they have worked at Cambridge Associates for at least one year and for at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months.

Policy

  • Reasons for Taking Leave: Unpaid leave will be granted for any of the following reasons:
    • to care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
    • to care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition;
    • for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform his/her job;
    • to care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who is a covered military servicemember with a serious illness or injury incurred in the line of active duty or a veteran who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy for serious injury or illness that occurred any time during the five years preceding the date of treatment (additionally applies to employees who are the next of kin for a military servicemember), and this leave can last up to 26 weeks; or
    • for any “qualifying exigency” due to the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent being a covered servicemember on active duty or being called to active duty in support of contingency operations. The active duty or call to active duty must be in support of a Federal contingency operation for the employee to be eligible for FMLA.
  • An employee may elect to use accrued earned time off (ETO) or may apply for disability payments, if applicable, to cover some or all of the leave.
  • Advance Notice and Medical Certification:An employee must provide 30 days advance notice when the leave is foreseeable. When the leave is unforeseeable, an employee must provide notice within five days or as soon as practicable under the circumstances.The firm requires medical certification to support a request for leave because of a serious health condition and may require second or third opinions (at the firm’s expense) and medical certification to return to work.The firm may request an employee to provide additional documentation regarding requests for leave to verify the employee’s stated reason for taking leave.

Job Benefits and Protection:

  • Medical and Dental Insurance – the firm will continue to pay its share of the premiums for health insurance coverage. The employee must continue to pay his/her portion of the premiums. If the employee elects to discontinue the health insurance, the employee may re-enroll in the health plans upon returning to work.
  • Life Insurance – life insurance coverage will remain in force and the firm will pay the premiums for this benefit during the unpaid leave. The employee must continue to pay his/her portion of the premiums.
  • Short and Long Term Disability Income Insurance – the firm will continue to pay its share of the premiums for disability coverage. The employee must continue to pay his/her portion of the premiums.
  • Earned Time Off – no ETO accrues during unpaid leave.
  • Holidays — If the employee is on FMLA leave for seven or more consecutive days during which a recognized holiday occurs, the holiday counts as FMLA leave and is unpaid.
  • Upon return from FMLA leave, most employees will be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms.

Process

Liberty Mutual: All claims begin by contacting Liberty Mutual via phone (888-408-7300) or their claim portal online (www.mylibertyconnection.com Company code: CAMBRIDGE)