FLMA Advise

cheatinlil
cheatinlil Member Posts: 197
in Kidney Cancer #1

Anyone take FLMA?

It is my understanding FLMA (Family Medical Leave Act) is offered by employers to allow people to take off up to 12 weeks annually with no pay and be guaranteed their job when they return.  It is also my understanding that it doesn’t need to be taken consecutively.  Today my thoughts are that me and my Husband should both take off 1 day a week for 60 weeks.  We could work 32 hours a week.  I know this is not an option for some people and I don’t want to sound insensitive.  I was a single Mom of 3 for 11 years so I know what it is to struggle.  However, me and my husband are very simple and frugal people.  We don’t need a lot.  I just need to work up a new budget and stick to it.  Of course maybe when I see the mounting medical bills I will feel differently. 

My husband typically works 6 days a week; 45 – 51 hours a week.  Not because we have to but because we like having the extra money for fun and family.  He works nights so we really only see each other the 1 full day he has off.  By cutting out his overtime and both of us reducing his regular work load, this would give us 3 days a week to enjoy our time together.   

Has anyone else done this?  Does this sound like a good idea in my situation?

 

Comments

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #2
    Yes, you can mix FMLA time

    Yes, you can mix FMLA time with normal work.. but.. it starts over every Jan 1st.  So you may want to space it out through December, then start over in January.

    Ron

  • DSFrey
    DSFrey Member Posts: 69
    #3
    GSRon said:

    Yes, you can mix FMLA time

    Yes, you can mix FMLA time with normal work.. but.. it starts over every Jan 1st.  So you may want to space it out through December, then start over in January.

    Ron

    oops

    double post

  • DSFrey
    DSFrey Member Posts: 69
    #4
    GSRon said:

    Yes, you can mix FMLA time

    Yes, you can mix FMLA time with normal work.. but.. it starts over every Jan 1st.  So you may want to space it out through December, then start over in January.

    Ron

    FMLA allows for 4 different definitions of a year

    A business can choose to use either the calendar year, which few do. They may choose any consective 12 month period, e.g. a fiscal year. They may choose to define a year as beginning on the date of your first day of approved leave, more businesses use this than the calendar year and this is sometimes known as the rolling forward method. Another method used is known as the rolling back method and determines the amount of leave available by looking at how much leave was used in the 12 months preceeding the request of leave. This last method prevents leave stacking. You'll need to ask your personnel department which method they use to define a FMLA year.

  • NewDay
    NewDay Member Posts: 272
    #5
    DSFrey said:

    oops

    double post

    Planning

    I know that my employer uses a rolling 12 months.  My employee handbook also says that, at the end of the FMLA, they are not required to return you to your original position, only to one with equivalent or better salary and benefits.  I do not know if the law requires that the employer allow FMLA to be taken in blocks.  I think it is important for you to find out what your company's policy is.

    By the time of my writing this, you will have probably had your MDA visit.  I think it is important not to make any firm plans until you know exactly what you are dealing with and what the treatment plan is.  If he starts treatment, he may or may not experience side effects that make it difficult to work a full day.  You might just want to gather information on yours and your husband's employer's policies and wait before you actually start officially starting the paperwork.

    I think your plan sounds great, but I would think about a plan B just in case things don't go as planned.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Kathy

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #6
    NewDay said:

    Planning

    I know that my employer uses a rolling 12 months.  My employee handbook also says that, at the end of the FMLA, they are not required to return you to your original position, only to one with equivalent or better salary and benefits.  I do not know if the law requires that the employer allow FMLA to be taken in blocks.  I think it is important for you to find out what your company's policy is.

    By the time of my writing this, you will have probably had your MDA visit.  I think it is important not to make any firm plans until you know exactly what you are dealing with and what the treatment plan is.  If he starts treatment, he may or may not experience side effects that make it difficult to work a full day.  You might just want to gather information on yours and your husband's employer's policies and wait before you actually start officially starting the paperwork.

    I think your plan sounds great, but I would think about a plan B just in case things don't go as planned.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Kathy

    I learned something...  yes

    I learned something...  yes the law saw 12 months but no specifict start date.  My company does use Jan 1st.. did not matter to me, anyway.  Here is a link to the Government info..

    http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/

    Ron

  • sblairc
    sblairc Member Posts: 585 Member
    #7
    You just never know how it will play out!

    I took FMLA to take care of my husband and I went back to work when he went back to work. We were driving ourselves a little crazy being home so much together, both of us teachers and very invested in our jobs and missing them quite terribly.  I initially applied for a longer leave but went back when I was psychologically ready. I recommend playing it all by ear, but that is what worked for me. Wishing you both the best at MDA. 

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #8
    FMLA

    Our company has a private disability insurance that handles this. As I remember there were both federal and state programs. I had to get the doctor to fill out some forms that guess the frequency and amounts of time I would miss from work. My job only gave me 5 days of sick leave a year, so when I was getting blood work and ct scans every 6 weeks, I filed for this to make sure I couldn't get fired for missing too much work. This spread out FMLA was called an intermittent leave, I think. I had to call in every time I was going to take a day off and give the reason (I think). I took sick leave until I ran out, then I'd take vacation, or often my boss would let me make up the day (or sometimes he'd even just say not to worry about it). I have a great boss.

    The insurance company that handled our disability would send me statements and show how much time was approved, and how much I used, etc. Our company is privately insured for disability, even though there's a state program most companies use in California. Our was through Hartford Insurance.

    So I think it might vary depending on where you are what forms you have to do and how you have to request it and how you document it. I do think there has to be some justification for it. I needed a doctor to put down reasons for me missing and guess at the intervals and amounts of work I'd miss. He did take a lot of input from me, but I doubt he'd have just put whatever I want that wasn't reasonable.

    Todd

  • Phoenix Rising
    Phoenix Rising Member Posts: 170
    #9
    Intermittent FMLA

    Based on my Sutent/Gemzar schedule, I take two and a half days off each week for the 2 weeks I am in treatment, and I am at work every day the week I am off treatment.  So basically, on a Wednesday I take a half-day the day of infusion, leaving work that day to go to clinic, and then I take Thursday and Friday off after that because I feel lousy after the infusion.   This is considered intermittent FMLA, as opposed to long-term FMLA.  Your doctor's office checks off on the form, saying which one you need.

  • a_oaklee
    a_oaklee Member Posts: 566 Member
    #10
    Phoenix Rising said:

    Intermittent FMLA

    Based on my Sutent/Gemzar schedule, I take two and a half days off each week for the 2 weeks I am in treatment, and I am at work every day the week I am off treatment.  So basically, on a Wednesday I take a half-day the day of infusion, leaving work that day to go to clinic, and then I take Thursday and Friday off after that because I feel lousy after the infusion.   This is considered intermittent FMLA, as opposed to long-term FMLA.  Your doctor's office checks off on the form, saying which one you need.

    Do all employers, despite the

    Do all employers, despite the size of the company, have to abide by the rules of the FLMA?

  • DSFrey
    DSFrey Member Posts: 69
    #11
    a_oaklee said:

    Do all employers, despite the

    Do all employers, despite the size of the company, have to abide by the rules of the FLMA?

    It is dependent on the size of the company

    Technically the rule is if the company employs more than 50 employees in a 75 mile radius, then it must provide protected leave under the FMLA. Though again, that's just the federal rules. Some states also have thier own rules to complicate matters more.

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