Family and Medical Leave of Absence

Western Michigan University complies with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) in granting family and medical leaves of absence to eligible employees.

To request a family and medical leave of absence, please contact your HR Representative via phone or email to schedule an appointment. During this appointment, the HR Representative will discuss family and medical leave and other leave options.

Purpose

The FMLA provides leave for the situations listed below:

  • For an employee's own serious health condition.
  • To care for a spouse, child or parent who has a serious health condition.
  • For the birth of a child and the care of this newborn.
  • For placement of a child with the employee in adoption or foster care.
  • For an exigency concerning a spouse, child or parent on active duty or called to duty in the National Guard or military reserves.
  • For the care of an employee's spouse, child, parent or next of kin who is a covered service member with a serious illness or injury.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a family and medical leave of absence, an employee must meet the following general conditions:

  • Employed for at least one year.
  • Worked 1,250 or more hours within the last 12 months.

Pay and benefits during a family and medical leave of absence

  • Generally, family and medical leaves of absence are unpaid. However, paid leave (using sick leave or annual leave) may be an option.
  • If enrolled in the University's health insurance benefits, these benefits will continue during the leave period.
    • If the leave is paid, health insurance premiums will be deducted from paychecks.
    • If the leave is unpaid, the University will bill employees for the health insurance premiums.
  • If an enrolled in the University's life insurance plan (Additional 1 and Additional 2), employees may opt to discontinue life insurance during unpaid family and medical leaves. Please note: re-enrollment into discontinued life insurance will require evidence of insurability.
  • For additional information about pay and benefits during a family and medical leave, see "pay during leave" and "benefits and seniority" at Leaves and Absences from Work: Family and Medical Leave of Absence, Policies and Procedures Manual Section 13.

Requesting a family and medical leave

For details about the requesting a family and medical leave and the leave approval process, see "requesting a family and medical leave" at Leaves and Absences from Work: Family and Medical Leave of Absence, Policies and Procedures Manual Section 13.  

Additional details

For additional details about family and medical leaves, please see the following resources: