Under a Special Sick, eligible employees are medically unable to work full time due to his/her own personal illness, but are capable of working a reduced load, may be permitted to work at such reduced load, and receive full pay. Any earned sick leave used in this manner, shall be deemed Special Sick Leave.
The President or his/her designee may require appropriate medical documentation that the employee can work part time but not full time. Additionally, the President or his/her designee may consider operational needs in deciding whether the employee may work on a part-time basis. An employee’s request to use Special Sick Leave shall not be unreasonably denied.
Eligibility
For eligibility requirements, please refer to the AFT collective negotiations agreement.
Notification
- Give at least 30 days’ notice, if you know in advance of your need for a leave of absence.
- If you learn of your need for time off or a leave of absence less than 30 days ahead of time, request it as soon as you are able.
You do not need to share any specifics about your health circumstances or those of your family member. However, you do need to provide enough information so that your supervisor can understand that your absence may be covered by the FMLA.
Submitting Your FMLA Request
Employees may request a leave of absence within Workday to initiate the process and prompt the necessary paperwork. View our guide on how to Request Leave of Absence for instructions..
Required Documentation
Leave of absence due to illness and family leave will require a health-care provider certification form to support the need for time off.
- The form must be returned to HR within 15 days of receipt. Because the information is so time sensitive, it must be completed 30 days from the leave start date. Any submission before 30 days will expire and will need to be completed by the physician again.
Medical conditions can change and sometimes you don’t know how much FMLA leave you will need to take. You and the health care provider may provide the best estimate of the length of time or frequency of absences you will need based on what is known at the time. If you require more or less leave than you originally thought, you can always provide an updated certification.
Confidentiality
The Office of Employee Benefits will keep confidential all medical information relating to requests for a medical leave. This information will be used only to make decisions in regards to the provisions of the policy.
- You should not disclose your own or your family member’s medical diagnosis to your supervisor or department.
- Any required certification should be submitted directly to the benefits department, where it will be kept confidential and separate from your personnel file. Do not submit any medical documentation to supervisor.
Employees that are approved for a leave of absence are permitted to use pro-rated earned sick leave to make up the difference between the reduced workload and the regular full-time workload in order to receive full pay from the University.
If you will no longer be paid by Montclair State University, you have the following wage replacement options through State of New Jersey disability programs:
- Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI)- medical (self): You can find information about the eligibility and application process on the State of New Jersey’s Temporary Disability Insurance website page. Please note: This process is not managed by Montclair State University, you must follow the procedures specified on their website or contact a Customer Service Representative at 609-292-7060.
- Family Leave Insurance (FLI)- medical (family member) : You can find information about the eligibility and application process on the State of New Jersey’s Family Leave Insurance website page. Please note: This process is not managed by Montclair State University, you must follow the procedures specified on their website or contact a Customer Service Representative at 609-292-7060.
Note:
Faculty members who will be without pay from Montclair State University will also need to complete and submit a request for a Faculty Leave of Absence without pay for the Board of Trustees (BOT) approval. You will need to supply the necessary administrative forms.
Faculty/ staff who will not have sufficient accrued paid time off, may qualify for the Donated Leave Program. The criteria for shared leave eligibility are different from those for FMLA. Contact your leave coordinator if you wish to participate in the programs.
All benefits and health coverage under any “group health plan” will be maintained on the same terms as if the employee had continued to work consecutively.
If your leave is for your medical condition, you will be required to provide a Fitness for Duty Certification. This release is to include any restrictions or limitations you have in performing your job. A release to return to work is not required if the Leave of Absence is for a family member’s health condition.