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Under the WFMLA, leave also may be taken to care for the employee’s domestic partner, parent of a
domestic partner, or parent-in-law who has a serious health condition. Unlike FMLA, WFMLA does not
cover leave for certain qualifying exigencies or care for the employee’s child after foster care placement.
The WFMLA has special rules that impact the amount of leave an eligible employee may take for a
reason in the applicable 12-month period. Eligible employees under the WFMLA may take (1) six
workweeks of leave for birth or adoption of a child; (2) two workweeks of leave for an employee’s own
serious health condition; and (3) two workweeks of leave to care for a covered family member with a
serious health condition.
RESTORATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND BENEFITS
As with FMLA leave, at the end of WFMLA leave, subject to some exceptions, employees generally have
the right to return to the same or equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms.
SUBSTITUTE PAID LEAVE FOR UNPAID FMLA AND WFMLA LEAVE
Employees will be required to use accrued paid time off while taking unpaid FMLA leave, except those
living in Wisconsin. Employees may elect to use any accrued paid time off while taking unpaid WFMLA
leave. The substitution of paid time for unpaid FMLA and/or WFMLA leave time does not extend the
length of FMLA and/or WFMLA leaves, and the paid time will run concurrently with an employee’s FMLA
and/or WFMLA entitlement.
MINNESOTA PARENTAL LEAVE ACT (MPLA) – MINNESOTA EMPLOYEES ONLY
Employees who have worked for Goodwill-Easter Seals for 12 months and at least 20 hours a week in
the 12-month period preceding their leave are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave
under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act (MPLA). Eligible employees may take leave under the MPLA to
care for a child following the birth or adoption of a child or prenatal care, or incapacity due to
pregnancy, childbirth, or related health conditions.
Employees must provide at least 30 days advance written notice requesting the leave if the need for the
leave is foreseeable.
For the duration of the leave (up to 12 weeks), GESMN will apply the same rules for maintaining benefits
as they would for FMLA and all other leave types.
The use of parental leave will not result in the loss of employment benefits that accrued prior to the
start of the employee’s leave. GESMN is not required to allow more than a total of 12 weeks of leave
related to pregnancy and childbirth, including both paid and unpaid leave.
Employees must use accrued, unused PTO during any parental leave or, if eligible, may elect to use
short-term disability (STD). If collecting STD, employees will be required to supplement the remainder
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