FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA)
Wesleyan is covered by the Federal and Connecticut FMLAs and, accordingly, provides to eligible employees up to twelve weeks in a twelve month period or sixteen weeks in a twenty-four month period of unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. The twelve and twenty-four month periods are determined by using a rolling period measured backward from an employee’s first day of leave. Employees are eligible if they have worked for at least twelve months and for 1,250 hours over the previous twelve months for the federal leave and twelve months and 1,000 hours over the previous twelve months for the Connecticut leave.
Unpaid leave will be granted for any of the following reasons:
- The birth or adoption of a child or the foster care placement of a child;
- To care for the employee’s spouse, child, parents, parent-in-laws, or domestic partner who has serious health condition;
- For a serious health condition that that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of their job;
- For any qualifying exigency (e.g., short notice deployment, attending military events and related activities, counseling, arranging for childcare or schooling, making financial and legal arrangements, and rest and recuperation) arising out of the fact that the spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces, in support of a contingency operation, an employee may take up to 12 weeks of leave during any twelve month period.
- A spouse, son, daughter, parent, or the nearest blood relative of a covered service member may take up to 26 weeks of leave during a twelve month period to care for a service member who is recovering from a serious illness or injury sustained in the line of duty while on active duty.
NOTE: At the employee’s or employer’s option, certain kinds of paid leave may be substituted for unpaid leave.
More detailed information regarding the provision of FMLA may be obtained by contacting Human Resources.