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Leave of Absence

  

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Family Medical Leave

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides the following job protected leave benefits to eligible employees:

  • Up to 12 work weeks (60 work days) of unpaid leave 
  • Ability to maintain existing medical benefits

Leave of absence under FMLA can be taken for:

  • Birth & child care of an employee’s biological child and post-partum care of the employee.
  • Serious illness or health related, disabling condition of spouse, civil union partner, domestic partner, children or parents.
  • Serious illness or health-related, work disabling condition of the employee.

Employees must have 12 months of service with NJIT and must have worked at least 1,250 hours in the twelve months immediately preceding the leave (if leave is for their own health condition) or 1,000 (if leave is for a family member) hours in the previous 12 month period in order to be eligible for FMLA. 

Required documentation: Employee must notify the Benefits team of their need for a Medical leave. Employee will be required to complete a Provider Certification form with their doctor, and submit to benefits@njit.edu.

*Actual leave period will be determined by the information supplied on the completed Health Provider Certification Form.

Sick leave is used concurrently with FMLA for employees on leave. At the employee’s written request, vacation and/or personal time may be used to cover FMLA as well, once sick leave is exhausted.

If an employee does not have sufficient sick time available to cover their leave period, they may apply for NJ Short Term Disability (Temporary Disability Insurance) at the following link https://www.myleavebenefits.nj.gov/labor/myleavebenefits/worker/tdi/index.shtml.

After the 12 work weeks of FMLA have expired, the employee will need to provide additional medical documentation and a written request for an Extraordinary Leave in order to continue on Medical Leave. The Extraordinary Leave must be approved by the employee’s department and the HR department.

At that time the employee’s active benefits will terminate and the employee will be offered benefit continuation through COBRA.

Employee’s health condition: FMLA - Employee Form

Family Member’s Health condition: FMLA - Family Member's Care Form

Leave of Absence policy

 

Military FMLA Leave

An eligible employee who is the spouse, child, parent or next of kin of a member of the armed forces, inclusive of national guard or reserves is eligible for up to 26 work weeks of family leave in a 12 month period to care for such person while she/he undergoes medical treatment or therapy on an in or outpatient basis or is on temporary disability for a service illness or injury.

Employees who meet one of the following criteria would be eligible to take twelve (12) weeks unpaid to bond with a newborn or newly adopted child.

  • Employee gave birth to a baby within the last 12 months;
  • Employee’s spouse gave birth to a baby within the last 12 months;
  • Employee adopted a baby within the last 12 months.

Employees may use Vacation time to cover this Bonding Leave, or under the NJ Family Leave Insurance provision of the New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits Law, cash benefits may be payable for up to twelve (12) weeks to bond with a newborn or newly adopted child.

For more information on the available State Leave, please visit the following link. https://www.myleavebenefits.nj.gov/worker/fli/

Long Term Disability

ABP

Long Term Disability is available to employees who are enrolled in the Alternate Benefit Program (ABP). The ABP Plans include: TIAA-CREF, VOYA (ING Financial), MetLife, Equitable, Mass Mutual aka Hartford, VALIC and Prudential.

If you are expected to be disabled for six months or longer, you may be eligible for Long Term Disability.

  • The benefit is 60% of pre-disability salary
  • Medical insurance continues by paying required employee premiums
  • Employee (5%) and employer (8%) contributions are made into the pension plan on behalf of employee
  • Life insurance continues at the full amount of 3.5 times base salary the disability
  • This benefit ends at age 70

Effective date of coverage:  Automatic after one year of participation in the ABP program; if the required service is transferred from another NJ State pension fund, coverage becomes effective on the date of hire.

Insurance Carrier – Prudential Insurance Company
Cost – Non-contributory benefit
LTD Disability Application

Appeals Process: If your claim for benefits is denied you or your representative may appeal your denied claim in writing to Prudential within 180 days.

 

Disability Retirement – PERS/PFRS

Disability Retirement is available for PERS members with 10 or more years of pension service or PFRS members with 4 or more years of pension service who become totally and permanently disabled.

Consult HR regarding paid leave for duty in the National Guard or any organized US reserve unit. (Refer to particular union contract.)

As the name indicates, this leave is not a scheduled or programmed benefit but a leave provided at the discretion of NJIT under truly extraordinary circumstances. Employees who do not meet the qualification of any other leave will need to apply for an Extraordinary/Unpaid Leave. Terms of such leave are individualized.  Please consult your collective bargaining unit agreement or contact the Department of Human Resources at 973-596-3144 with any questions or concerns for eligibility.