Family Medical Leave Act As a full-time employee you are eligible to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave within any rolling 12 month period and be restored to the same or an equivalent position upon your return from FMLA leave. Please be aware you are required to use any accrued paid time off for the applicable FMLA leave. Accrual of your benefits such as Pay Time Off will be suspended during the duration of the leave. You must provide appropriate medical certification from your Attending Physician (see attached Medical Certification form.)
While you are on leave you must contact me on the first and third Monday of each month to provide me with an update to the status of your condition and your intention to return to work to see how you are progressing and so that we are up-to-date on any new developments.
In addition, you must provide me notice as soon as practicable (within 2 business days, if feasible) if the dates of your FMLA leave change, or are extended. During your approved FMLA leave, AMD will maintain your health, dental, vision and other benefits, as if you continued to be actively employed. However, you must continue to pay your contribution, if any, of the group health plan premiums or your benefits may be canceled.
Maria, you may have questions regarding the above, so please do not hesitate to call me so that I can clarify any aspect of it personally. We continue to wish you only the best for a speedy recovery.
In a nutshell, I am SCREWED!
They did away with a plan that would have now provided me with 80% of my salary while incapacitated. Thus, be able to cover my bills. A plan to which I contributed 60 of my hard earned dollars each month for almost two years literally pulled away from right under me, without provision of a note or any advance notice and/or option of continuing the coverage privately.
The plan currently in place, long-term, is totally useless unless I manage to get through the initial 60 days of absence without any money whatsoever to cover my bills! Rent, car payment, food!
The insurance benefits under the current group plan must be paid out of pocket or they will be discontinued. This very certain to happen for I am not getting any type of income during this short term leave, all but a guarantee same or equal job position will be in place upon my return.
Does it pay that I have now been a loyal employee for almost four years? You be the judge.
