Leave of Absence Procedures

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 work weeks of leave in a rolling 12-month period due to: 

• Employee’s Own Serious Health Condition
• Need to Care for an Immediate Family Member (spouse, child, parent) with a Serious Health Condition 
• Parental leave for purposes of birth or adoption of a child 

FMLA also provides certain military family leave entitlements. Eligible employees may take FMLA leave for specified reasons related to certain military deployments of their family members. Additionally, FMLA requires group health benefits to be maintained during the leave. 

In order to be eligible for time under the FMLA, an employee must:

1. Have worked for the District for at least 12 months (not necessarily consecutive); AND 
2. Have worked 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of leave. 

An employee is eligible for 12 weeks of leave in a rolling 12-month period, which is measured backward from the date an employee uses any FMLA leave. Using this method, the district will look back over the last 12 months from the date of the request, add all FMLA time the employee has used during the previous 12 months and will subtract that total from the employee's 12-week leave allotment.

Maximum days to be used including any time used under FMLA:

Individual Contracts: Check 

Teacher: 15 days 

Nurse/Nurse aide: 15 days 

Non-Union: 15 days

Clerical Union: 15 sick days

Paraprofessional: 15 sick days

Maintenance: 15 sick days

Food Service/security: no limit on available time

CAA: up to 7 consecutive days and no more than 14 days in a given year. 

Teacher: up to 15 days, at the discretion of the Superintendent

Clerical: More than 2 days requires Certification of Health Care Form - Maximum use of 15 sick days

Paraprofessional - More than 2 days requires certification of Health Care form - Maximum use of 15 sick days.

Maintenance - -- more than 2 days requires medical documentation, 5 days or more requires certification of health care form - maximum us of 15 sick days. 

After 6 consecutive days of absence, the Principal Clerk must contact the Human Resource Office so the necessary paperwork for a leave of absence will be sent out promptly. 

If you need time off due to your own serious health condition or the serious health condition of a family member, you must notify the Human Resources Office, preferably in writing. Once notified of our need for time off, the Human Resources office will send you a certification of Health Care Provider form for you and your health care provider or your family member's health care provider to complete. This form is due back to the Human Resources office within 15 calendar days. 

Once the Human Resource Office receives the completed certification form back from you and your health care provider, Human Resources will determine if your request qualifies for FMLA leave. You will be notified by letter if your leave will be approved as paid or unpaid leave of absence. 

Once the 12 weeks of FMLA have been exhausted, and you need to continue to be out on leave due to your medical conditions or a family member's medical conditions, you must submit additional medical documentation regarding your ongoing inability to work and the amount of additional time off you need. You will typically be notified within 7 to 10 days. The district may request additional information as necessary to determine if you are eligible for more time off beyond the FMLA entitlement. 

Usually no. If the completed medical certification form completed by your healthcare provider indicates a period of incapacity for a specific period of time, you will not need to submit additional medical documentation. You will only need to submit additional medical documentation if your condition changes or you need more time off beyond the amount described in the original certification or the exhaustion of your FMLA entitlement.  

When it is medically necessary and supported by a health care provider’s certification, employees may take FMLA leave intermittently – taking leave in separate blocks of time for a single qualifying reason – or on a reduced leave schedule – reducing the employee’s usual weekly or daily work schedule.  Intermittent FMLA leave is not available for parental leave.

Chelsea Public School employees are often able to use sick, vacation, and personal leave benefits if available in your accrued leave benefits.  You should check your accrual balance on Munis ESS or your paystub. In the event you are unable to locate this information, please contact the Payroll Department.  Use of such accrued paid time off is determined by the applicable collective bargaining agreement.  If your use of your accrued paid time off is not available, the FMLA leave will be unpaid.

If you are paid while on leave, your medical benefits will continue to be deducted from your paycheck.   If you are not being paid for any or all part of your approved medical leave,  in order to maintain coverage, you must pay your portion of the premium to the City of Chelsea.

Eligible employees may use up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave to bond with a new baby or newly adopted child within 12 months of the birth or adoption.  Refer to your union contract for more information about use of accrued paid time off to run concurrently with FMLA leave.  If any period of the leave is unpaid, you will be responsible for paying your regular share of monthly health, dental, vision or life insurance premiums to the City of Chelsea.

Employees who are not eligible for FMLA leave but who have completed 3 months of employment may be eligible to take up to 8 weeks of leave under state law immediately following the birth or adoption of a child.  For employees who are eligible for parental leave under both the FMLA and state law, such parental leave will typically run concurrently.

You will need to notify HR as soon as possible, but not later than 4 weeks before your due date. 

See links below: 

Parental Leave Request Form - Educators, Paraprofessionals and Clerks
Parental Leave form for CAA:
Parental Leave form for Building & Grounds, 
Parental Leave form for Security Monitors & Food Services:
Parental Leave form for Non-Union Exempt Employees:
Parental Leave form for Nurse & Nurse Health Aides

Once the Human Resources receives the completed Parental Leave form, you will receive a letter with your approximate dates of the approved leave. 

Note: Custodial, Security & Food Service may also apply for Parental Leave to care for well child, leave is unpaid.

Note:  Parental leave starts the date the child has arrived. If you need time off from work prior to the birth due to a serious health condition related to the pregnancy, such time off will be counted against the 12-week entitlement, which may result in an earlier date on which your FMLA entitlement will be exhausted.  

Employees must notify their Principal and School Principal Clerk about the arrival of their child and the notification needs to be passed along to the Human Resources Office. Once the Human Resource Office is notified, the employee will be notified of the exact dates of leave and return.

Times during which school is closed and an employee is not expected to be at work are not counted against the FMLA entitlement or the 8-week state parental leave entitlement.

Notify your immediate Supervisor/Building Principal, the Superintendent, and the HR Director in writing your request for Personal Leave / Medical Leave.  You may be required to submit supporting documentation about the need for time off, such as a statement from your health care provider about your needs.  You will be provided a response in writing whether the leave is approved or denied. 

If you are a Union Employee, refer to your contract for specific policies.

• Teachers  - Have Professional Teacher Status and 5 years of employment
• Paraprofessional - 5 years of employment
• Clerical - At discretion of the Superintendent
• Non-Union Exempt Employees - 5 years of employment

In order to request military leave, complete the FMLA document. For a family member, you still have to complete an FMLA form as well. 

Refer to your respective contract for additional guidance.