Family Leave

602 Family Leave

Effective Date:

Revision Date:

Ideal provides unpaid family leaves of absence to eligible employees who need to take time off from work duties to meet family obligations that are directly related to childbirth, adoption, or placement of a foster child. Family leave may also be requested to care for a child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition. A serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility. A serious health condition can also include continuing treatment by a health care provider.

Employees in the following employment classifications are eligible to request family leave:

* Regular full-time employees

Eligible employees may request family leave only after they have completed 90 calendar days of service. If you think you will need a family leave, give your request to your supervisor at least 30 days in advance of the date the leave would start. This will help us plan for your possible absence. If it is an unexpected situation, make your request as soon as possible.

If you request family leave due to the serious health condition of a child, spouse, or parent, you may be required to submit a health care provider's statement verifying the need for a family leave, the start and expected end dates, and the estimated time required.

An eligible employee may request up to a maximum of 12 weeks of family leave within any 24 month period. The 12 week maximum applies to any combination of both family leave and medical leave during any 24 month period.

If your spouse is also employed by Ideal, as a couple you may be restricted to a combined total of 12 weeks leave within any 24 month period for childbirth, adoption or placement of a foster child, or to care for a parent with a serious health condition.

Subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of the applicable plans, Ideal will continue to provide health insurance benefits for the full period of an approved family leave.

Your benefit accruals, such as vacation, sick leave, and holiday benefits, will continue during a family leave.

Please give us at least two weeks advance notice before you plan to return. When you return from family leave, you will go back to the same job if it is still available. If that job is no longer available, we will place you in an equivalent job that you are qualified for.

If you do not come back to work promptly at the end of a family leave, we will assume that you have resigned.

Policy No.  602  Issued  8/2/2005