Page 66 - NEW Employee Handbook June 15, 2025
P. 66

When employees end their employment with the Company, any payments in escrow
                (as described above) will be returned to them. If employees end their employment
                during  or  within  30  days  after  taking  bone  marrow  and  organ  donation  leave,  the
                Company reserves the right to deduct from the amount returned to the employee any
                premium or similar expense paid for the employee's group health insurance coverage
                while the employee was on leave under this policy.


                ILLINOIS: FAMILY MILITARY LEAVE ACT

                Big River will grant eligible employees up to 30 days of unpaid family military leave if
                their spouse or child is called to military service with the State or the United States for
                more than 30 days. Family military leave must be taken during the time federal or state
                deployment orders are in effect.

                To be eligible, the employee must have been employed for at least 12 months and
                have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding
                the request for family military leave. Employees may take family military leave only if
                they have exhausted all accrued vacation, personal, compensatory and other leave,
                except sick and disability leave.


                The request for leave must be made at least 14 days in advance if the leave will consist
                of five (5) or more consecutive work days. If the leave will consist of less than five (5)
                days, the request must be made with as much advance notice as is practicable.

                Employees that take family military leave may elect to continue benefits at their own
                expense during the leave.


                Employees that take family military leave will be reinstated to the position they held
                before commencing leave, or to a position with equivalent seniority, status, employee
                benefits, pay and other terms and conditions of employment.


                Employees must provide certification from the proper military authority to verify their
                eligibility for the family military leave requested.

                LEAVE WITHOUT PAY

                A  leave  of absence without  pay  is  time allowed  away from work  to  cover unusual
                circumstances occurring in the employee’s life. Leave without pay will not exceed six
                months.  The  decision to  grant  leave without  pay  and  the amount  of  time  granted,
                except for leave required by the FMLA Policy, is an administrative one for which the
                Employer must assume full responsibility.

                The employee shall:

               · apply in writing to the supervisor for leave without pay,
               · give written notice of intention to return to work and provide updates,


               Page | 66                                                                Revision June 15, 2025
   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71