Page 67 - Employee Handbook February 15, 2024

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,
 return to duty as soon as possible,
 notify the Employer immediately when there is a decision not to return

Failure to report to work at the expiration of a leave, unless an extension has been
requested and approved, may be considered a resignation.

Page 67 CLICK HERE FOR TABLE OF CONTENTS Revision February 15, 2024