Benefits > Family Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires MTSU to provide up to twelve weeks of job-protected leave to "eligible" employees for certain family and medical reasons.

In order to be eligible for FMLA, an employee must work for at least 12 months and work at least 1,250 hours during the year preceding the start of the leave. The determination of whether the employee meets the eligibility criteria for FMLA is based on the amount of service possessed by the employee as of the date the leave actually begins.

The FMLA policy includes both regular and temporary employees.

The HRS office is responsible for declaring FMLA. It is the supervisors responsibility to notify HRS of any employee who is off from work three consecutive days because of personal or family illness. This guideline applies whether or not the employee actually has sick leave or annual leave. The HRS office will provide the employee with the necessary paperwork and all forms must be completed and returned to the HRS office within 15 calendar days. TBR policy stipulates that any employee who has an accumulated sick and annual leave balance must use this leave during a period of FMLA leave before going on leave without pay and that the FMLA leave shall run concurrently and not consecutively. See TBR policy 5:01:01:14.

FMLA Qualifying Events include: Birth of a child, adoption, to care for the employee's spouse, son, daughter, or parent with a serious health condition, or the employee's own serious health condition.

A serious health condition is defined as: Any hospitalization, pregnancy, anytime a physicians certification has been completed certifying a serious health condition, or any definition stated in TBR policy 5:01:01:14.

For additional information, please contact the HRS office at extension 2929.