GSEM Employee Handbook 2022-2023

30 days of the first day of incapacity, (2) one in-person treatment visit with a health care provider resulting in a regimen of continuing treatment, (3) incapacity due to pregnancy, or (4) incapacity due to a chronic condition. Other conditions may meet the definition of continuing treatment. Amount of Leave The Council calculates its employees’ entitlement to FMLA leave with a “rolling” twelve-month method, wherein each time an employee takes FMLA leave, the remaining leave entitlement equals the balance, if any, of the twelve weeks which has not been used during the immediately preceding twelve-months. Employees may request one or more family care or medical leaves; however, the total amount of leave taken generally cannot exceed twelve workweeks in any twelve-month period except where an eligible employee needs additional leave to care for a covered service member (under the circumstances described below), in which case the employee may take an additional fourteen weeks of job-protected leave. Thus, under some circumstances, an employee may be entitled to a total of twenty-six weeks of job-protected leave in a single twelve-month period. However, where spouses both work for the Council, the amount of FMLA leave to which they are entitled may be limited under some circumstances. Employees should direct questions to Human Resources regarding leave entitlements under the FMLA. As stated above, FMLA includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to twenty-six weeks of leave to care for a covered servicemember during a single twelve-month period. A covered servicemember is a current member of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserves, who has a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active duty that may render the servicemember medically unfit to perform their duties and for which the servicemember is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy; or is in outpatient status; or is on the temporary disability retired list. The single twelve-month period for this type of leave begins on the first day the eligible employee takes FMLA leave to care for a covered servicemember and ends twelve-months after that date, regardless of the method used by the employer to determine the employee’s leave entitlement for other FMLA qualifying reasons. Intermittent and Reduced Schedule Leave FMLA permits eligible employees to take leave on an intermittent basis or to work a reduced schedule when it is medically necessary for a serious health condition. Leave due to qualifying exigencies may also be taken on an intermittent basis. Employees must make reasonable efforts to schedule leave for planned medical treatment so as not to unduly disrupt the employer’s operations. Paid Time Off During FMLA leave, employees are required to use any available paid leave concurrently with the leave period. Once accrued paid leave is exhausted, any remaining FMLA leave taken by the employee will be unpaid. Employees will be required to substitute and exhaust unused PTO for leave relating to the birth/placement of a child. Employees will be required to substitute and exhaust PTO for leave relating to the employee’s or the employee’s immediate family member’s serious health condition, or to care for a covered servicemember, or to handle a qualifying exigency. Additionally, an employee will be required to exhaust any PTO for leave relating to the employee’s own serious health condition. Any substituted paid leave will run concurrently with the FMLA leave to which an employee is entitled. FMLA leave, whether paid or unpaid, cannot exceed twelve weeks (or twenty-six weeks to care for a covered servicemember) in a single twelve-month period. Advanced Notice to Take Leave Employees seeking to use FMLA leave are required to provide at least thirty days advanced notice of any foreseeable need to take FMLA leave. When the need for leave is unforeseen, an employee must give the Council notice of their need for leave as soon as possible. Employees requesting FMLA leave must submit a completed written request for leave to Human Resources. Notice of Eligibility After an employee provides the Council with sufficient and complete notice of a need for leave, the Council will notify the employee of their FMLA eligibility, pending medical certification. The Notice of Eligibility will inform the employee of the number of hours or days of FMLA leave available and the employee’s rights and responsibilities under the FMLA. If

25