Family Illness Leave (FIL)

Family Illness Leave (FIL) is provided for an employee to care for the employee’s child, parent, or spouse where that child, spouse, or parent has a serious health condition. It is not provided for the employee’s illness.

The FIL Policy provides a limited extension of the benefits provided beyond the 12 weeks provided under the Family and Medical Leave Policy (FMLA). FIL does not run concurrently with FMLA and eligibility for FIL begins after FMLA leave has been exhausted.

An eligible employee is entitled to up to 52 weeks of leave without pay during a 5-year period to care for the employee’s seriously ill child, spouse, or parent. Although this leave is without pay, an employee may elect to cover some or all of the period of leave taken under this policy by using vacation, bonus, sick, or voluntary shared leave. Leave earned under the Compensatory Time Policy may also be used.

How to Apply for Family Illness Leave

Eligibility

An employee’s eligibility for FIL is based on months of service and hours of work as of the date leave is to commence.

An employee is eligible if:

  • Full-time or part-time (half-time or more) permanent, probationary, or time-limited appointment
  • 12 months of total service with the State, and
  • has been in pay status at least 1040 hours during the previous 12 months.

Temporary employees and part-time employees that are less than half-time are not eligible for FIL.

 

Intermittent Leave/Reduced Work Schedule

FIL may be taken continuously or intermittently.  If taken intermittently, it must be in units of one hour or more. If taken intermittently or on a reduced work schedule, any portion of a week will count toward one full week of the FIL entitlement.

 

Health Insurance Coverage

An employee on unpaid FIL may continue coverage under the State Health Plan by paying the full premium cost (no employer contribution).  In order to receive the employer contribution of coverage, an employee must be in pay status at least half of the working days/holidays in a month.

 

Requesting Leave Under the FIL Policy

To request this leave type, an employee must submit a Family Illness Leave Request Form to the HR Benefits Office. If the need for leave is known, an employee should submit their request form at least 30 days in advance of the beginning date of leave.  If the need for leave is less than 30 days in advance, the employee should submit their request form as soon as able (generally either the day the need for leave is determined or the following workday).

 

Administration of Leave

FIL is administered through the HR Benefits Office.  For questions about this leave type, an employee should contact their HR Benefits Consultant.

 

Helpful Resources