QUESTIONS & ANSWERS FOR EMPLOYEES
What is a leave of absence?
A leave of absence is any unscheduled or scheduled absence from work that is longer than three calendar days. Leave types include short-term disability (STD), Family Medical Leave (FML) and any other leaves not covered by STD or FML.
What are disability benefits?
STD is salary continuation during a continuous absence for one’s own condition. It is provided to UChicago Medicine employees at no cost to them.
Who is eligible for disability benefits?
STD benefits are available to all benefit-eligible employees who have completed their probationary period and are scheduled to work 20 or more hours a week. If you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, please refer to your agreement for additional details.
REQUESTING/REPORTING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE
When do I request or report an absence under an approved leave?
Please notify your supervisor as soon as you expect to be absent by following your department call-off procedures. You are expected to provide 30-days advance notice to request a leave. If the need for a leave is unforeseeable, you must provide as much notice as practicable.
If you expect to be absent from work for more than three calendar days due to sickness, pregnancy, injury or an absence that may be covered by FML (see Your Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act), call Sedgwick at 1-855-311-9661.
What information will I need when I call to request a leave of absence?
You’ll need to provide the following information:
- Your name, address, phone number, Social Security number and job title.
- Your work address, hire date, and supervisor’s name and phone number.
- Your last day worked, nature of your absence, date the disability began and anticipated return-to-work date.
- If applicable, the name, address, phone and fax numbers of your treating health care provider(s) and an authorization to release your medical information to Sedgwick.
Where do I get the forms I need to request a leave of absence?
Sedgwick will send you an information packet based on the type of leave you request. After you return your completed forms, Sedgwick will send your approval (or denial) with more information.
If my leave of absence is approved, what will I receive?
You will receive an approval letter and a Medical Return to Work Release form, which must be completed to return from a continuous leave for one’s own condition and submitted to Sedgwick (for all leaves) and to HR Shared Services (for leaves longer than five days).
Once my leave of absence is approved, do I still have to follow my department’s call-off procedure for unscheduled absences?
It depends on the type of leave you are requesting:
- Continuous LeaveLeave taken for consecutive days through the entire period between the leave begin and leave end dates: You do not have to continue to follow your
department call-off procedure once your 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 your leave is approved for intermittent absences, including tardies, you must continue to follow your department’s call-off procedure for any unscheduled absence AND call Sedgwick at
1-855-311-9661. Remember to call Sedgwick within two business days of your absence or your request may be denied.
RETURN TO WORK
What should I do before I return to work from my leave of absence?
Contact your department at least two weeks prior to your expected return-to-work date so your department can make arrangements to place you on the schedule. If your return-to-work date is sooner or later than expected, you must contact your department and Sedgwick as soon as you know your return-to-work date.
If your leave lasts five or more consecutive scheduled workdays, please provide a release from your physician to HR Shared Services prior to returning to work. You must bring the form called Medical Return to Work Release, signed by your physician or health care provider, to HR Shared Services in order to return to work. If you are returning to work with restrictions, you must be cleared by Occupational Medicine before you can return to work.
Why is it important to report my actual return-to-work date to Sedgwick?
If your actual return-to-work date is different than what you originally reported to Sedgwick, your accruals (sick and vacation), as well as your use of FML days (depending on the type of leave) could be affected. As a result, you may not be accruing vacation and sick days when you should, and/or you might use more of your FML than you need to.
Note: If you are an exempt (salaried) employee and fail to report your actual return-to-work date to Sedgwick, you will not be paid until you do so.
Whom do I contact if I cannot return to work as planned?
Contact your manager/supervisor AND call Sedgwick at 1-855-311-9661.
What is the process for reporting a work-related injury?
If you are injured at work, report your injury immediately to your supervisor, and then call the University of Chicago Medical Center Injury Reporting Line (S1Medical) at 1-877-441-3845.
SHORT-TERM DISABILITY (STD) BENEFIT REQUESTS
What is the difference between STD and FML?
UChicago Medicine offers STD benefits at no cost to you. You will receive a percentage of your pay as determined by the policy or union 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 you on both FML and STD once your STD leave is approved. You may also be required to submit an FML certification to cover your time off.
Note: For positions that fall under a collective bargaining agreement, you should refer to your union contract for details on how pay and benefit are affected while on STD leave.
How are my pay and benefits affected while I’m on STD?
As long as you are receiving your accrued hours or STD payments, your payroll checks will continue to be processed according to your payroll schedule. Scheduled deductions (taxes, benefit plan deductions, etc.) will also continue to be withheld from these checks.
If I’m approved for STD benefits, how will I receive my pay while I am on leave?
If you are paid on a salaried basis (exempt), you or your department manager must enter your accrued hours into Kronos. Accrued hours must be used in the following order: sick, personal holiday and then vacation. If you are not able to access Kronos from home, contact your department manager for assistance. It is highly recommended that any time off prior to the start of your medical leave be entered into Kronos.
Whether you are paid on an hourly basis or salaried basis, once on an approved leave, the Leave Administration, Absence Management and Accommodations Department will enter the time into Kronos. Once you have used all your accrued hours, your STD payments will automatically be entered into Kronos for payment throughout your approved STD benefit period.
Note: For positions that fall under a collective bargaining agreement, refer to your union contract for details on how pay and benefits are affected while on STD leave.
My leave application was delayed. How do I get paid for missed STD payments?
If your claim for STD was delayed, STD payments will be paid on the next payroll period retroactively.
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (FML) REQUESTS
How do I know how much FML time I have available?
Call Sedgwick at 1-855-311-9661.
How are my pay and benefits affected while I’m on FML?
If your leave is approved under FML only, and the absence is not for your own medical condition, you may be paid through personal holiday, vacation or family sick during your leave before going unpaid.
If the leave is for your own serious health condition, you 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, refer to your union contract for details on how pay and benefits are affected while on STD leave.