Leaves of Absence
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 requires employers to grant eligible employees up to twelve (12) weeks of job-protected unpaid leave during a 12-month period for any of the following reasons:
- incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal care or childbirth;
- to care for the employee's child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
- to care for the employee's spouse, son, daughter or parent who has a serious health condition; or
- for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform their job.
In addition, Military Family Leave entitlements are available to eligible employees.
Eligible employees are those who have been employed by the district for a cumulative total of twelve (12) months and who have completed at least 1,250 hours of service in the 12-month period immediately prior to the time the leave is to commence.
Whenever an employee uses leave that is potentially FMLA-qualifying, the district will inquire further of the employee or the employee's spokesperson to ascertain whether the leave qualifies as FMLA leave. Whenever the district has acquired knowledge that a leave is being taken for an FMLA-required reason, Human Resources will provide the employee the FMLA rights notice indicating that the time off work counts against their family and medical leave entitlement.
An employee should request FMLA leave when the need for such leave is foreseeable. In such instances, the request should be made at least 30 days prior to the time that leave is to commence by completing the Leave Request Form below. Otherwise, the employee must make the request as soon as practical after the need for leave is known.
Parental Leave
Parental leave falls under FMLA for eligible employees. Please refer to the current contracts for detailed information.
Employees who may not be eligible for FMLA/parental leave as defined by the collective bargaining agreement may be eligible for MPLA (MA Parental Leave Act). Full time employees are eligible for MPLA after 3 months of employment, which provides 8 weeks of job protected leave that is eligible to be covered by accrued sick time.
All parents who will take time off related to the birth or placement of a child are required to complete the Parental Leave Form below. After completing the form, Human Resources/Payroll will reach out to you with the next steps.
Extended Parental Leave
If you choose or need to extend your parental leave beyond 12 weeks, the additional time off will not be protected under federal FMLA guidelines. As a result, job protection and benefits continuation during the extended portion of your leave may differ and will be subject to district policies and applicable state laws.
This form is required for parental leaves in excess of 12 weeks and needs to be completed in addition to the Parental Leave Form linked below.
Other Leaves of Absence
All employees requiring a non-parental leave of absence (regardless of FMLA qualifying status) must complete the Other Leaves Request Form below. After completing the form, Human Resources/Payroll will reach out to you with next steps.