FILE: GBRIBA
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
The Cameron Parish School Board shall permit qualified employees to take up to twelve (12) workweeks of unpaid leave in a twelve (12) month period for family and medical reasons. Employees qualifying for family and temporary medical leave shall have been employed by the Board for the previous twelve (12) months prior to the date of the leave to be taken. For the purposes of this policy, the 12 month period shall be the same as the fiscal year, July 1 to June 30. Such unpaid leave may only be taken for the following reasons:
For the birth of the employee's child and subsequent care;
For the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care;
In order to care for the spouse, child or parent of the employee who has a serious health condition; or
When the serious health condition of the employee renders the employee unable to work.
Leave may be taken for birth or placement of a child only within twelve (12) months of the birth or placement.
Generally, the time taken for family and medical leave shall be on a continuous basis. However, the employee shall be permitted to take leave on an intermittent or reduced basis to care for a seriously ill family member or the employee's own illness when medically necessary. An employee may take intermittent leave for the birth or adoption of a child only with the Board's approval.
If a teacher's period of absence on intermittent leave amounts to more than 20% of classroom time, the teacher may be required to take continuous leave throughout the treatment period or be placed in an equivalent position that would not be so disruptive to the classroom.
A teacher may be required to extend leave through the end of the semester if the intended date of return is within the last 2 or 3 weeks of the semester, depending on the date on which leave began and the length of the leave.
An employee shall be required to request leave by providing the Board at least thirty (30) days notice prior to any leave being taken for the birth or adoption of a child, or for any planned or foreseeable medical treatment. For emergency treatment, or circumstances where thirty (30) days notice cannot be provided, the employee shall notify the Board of the leave to be taken as soon as possible. Medical certification may be required by the Board at the time leave is requested.
The employee shall be permitted to substitute any accumulated sick leave and/or annual leave for any family and medical leave time requested. The Board may require an employee to first use any accumulated sick, personal and/or annual leave time for any part of the twelve (12) week period. If paid leave is used by an employee, the Board shall provide only enough unpaid family and medical leave time to total the allowed 12-week period.
Any employee taking family and medical leave shall have the right to return to their previous position or an equivalent position with no loss in benefits at the end of the leave period. An employee returning to service at the end of their leave period for personal medical reasons shall be required to present to the Board a letter from their doctor certifying that the employee is able to return to work.
Ref: 29 USC 2601 et seq. (The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993)
Cameron Parish School Board