New regulations for the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) have been published and were effective January 16, 2009. Some of the most significant changes to FMLA include the addition of two new leave entitlements:
Covered Servicemember Leave, in which eligible employees who are family members of covered servicemembers may be eligible to take up to 26 workweeks of unpaid leave in a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious illness or injury incurred in the line of duty on active duty.
Qualifying Exigency Leave, which is intended to help families of members of the National Guard and Reserves manage their affairs while the service member is on active duty in support of a contingency operation.
Additionally, the following forms have been updated and/or developed to support the new FMLA regulations and should be used immediately for any future FMLA requests. You will notice that the Medical Certification has been separated into two forms, one for the employee, and one for a family member, and an additional Medical Certification has been added for the injury or illness of a covered servicemember.
Employee Rights and Responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA Application)
Certification of Health Care Provider for Employees Serious Health Condition
Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Members Serious Health Condition
Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Servicemember for Military Family Leave
Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave
All of these forms, as well as additional information on the FMLA provisions, can be found on the UHR website at https://hr.uillinois.edu/PolicyCompliance/Leave/FMLALeave.cfm. You will also find Frequently Asked Questions addressing the new FMLA provisions at this site. In response to these modifications, changes to the associated University policies are being made and will be communicated once finalized.
Please contact your campus Human Resources department regarding further questions about the new FMLA provisions or forms.
