Understanding Catastrophic Leave Policy in Arkansas Department of Military

CATASTROPHIC LEAVE HOW IT WORKS Michelle Young-Hobbs HR Administrator Office: 501-435-2480 Leah Brewer HR Administrator Assistant Office: 501435-2431 Arkansas Department of Military Website

TYPES OF CATASTROPHIC LEAVE ILLNESS/INJURY MATERNITY

ILLNESS/INJURY A medical condition of the following: Employee; Spouse of Employee; Parent of Employee; or Child of Employee who may be claimed as a dependent under Arkansas Income Act of 1929 ( 26-51-101 et seq.) MUST be certified by a physician or appropriate healthcare provider which requires absence from duty for prolonged period of time. MUST result in a substantial loss of income due to exhaustion of all earned sick, annal, holiday and compensatory leave.

Prolonged period of time may be intermittent or continuous. Substantial loss of income is a period of time where an employee will go without compensation. Onset of illness or injury means the start or initial beginning of a medical condition. Recurrence of same illness necessitates a subsequent catastrophic leave request, the eight hours banked leave shall not be required at onset of illness recurrence.

A medical condition is an emergency limited to the following: Debilitating/Catastrophic medical situations; Severely complicated disabilities; and/or Severe accidents that could not have been anticipated Elective surgeries do not qualify as a medical condition for catastrophic leave. An employee is eligible for approved catastrophic leave for a maximum of 1,040 hours within a five (5) year period.

Employee is responsible for providing the physician information regarding his/her assigned job duties. Catastrophic Leave Bank Committee shall not grant employee leave beyond the date the physician certified for the employee to return to work. Catastrophic Leave Bank Program creates no expectation or promise of continued employment with a State Agency and is intended to assist eligible employees during medical emergencies and for maternity purposes.

MATERNITY An eligible female employee may receive up to four (4) weeks (160 hours) of paid leave within the first twelve weeks after the birth of employee s biological child or placement of an adoptive child in the employee s home. Maternity Leave is treated as any other leave for sickness or disability; however, employee may elect to take unpaid leave without pay without exhausting accumulated annual and sick leave.

When employee is eligible for Catastrophic and Family Medical Leave, the two shall run concurrently. Employee may request Catastrophic Leave to receive paid Maternity Leave. Approved Catastrophic Leave will be granted for birth employee s biological child effective the date of the birth or after.

Catastrophic Leave will be granted for placement of adoptive child in employee s home effective the date the child is placed in the home or after. The granted Catastrophic Leave for Birth or placement to be used within the first twelve (12) weeks of the birth or placement.

Employee shall not be approved Catastrophic Leave for Maternity unless the employee has provided acceptable proof of the birth or placement. Acceptable proof of birth includes the following: Hospital Announcement with mother and biological child's name; Hospital discharge papers with mother and biological child's name; or Birth Certificate of biological child s name.

Acceptable Proof of Placement includes the following: Formal document from the placement entity with mother s and child s name; Legal Guardianship papers with mother s and child s name; Hospital Announcement with mother and biological child s name; or Birth Certificate with biological child s name.

Catastrophic Leave for Maternity shall not be granted retroactively. When Catastrophic Maternity begins, the employee will not receive any leave accruals to include Holiday and Birthday leave, should it occur in the Catastrophic Maternity Leave period. Employee on Catastrophic Medical Leave for ten or more days in a month will not receive accruals. Holiday and Birthday accruals while on Catastrophic will be replaced as Catastrophic Leave

CATASTROPHIC LEAVE REQUIREMENTS Employee must be a full-time employee for at least one (1) year. Employee must have at least eight (8) hours of Annual and/or Sick leave. No documented disciplinary action for leave abuse during the past one (1) year period from the date of application.

Proper Steps to Take 1. Employee contacts the DOTM Human Resources Benefits personnel 2. The Employee has physician complete appropriate forms; 3. Employee will complete their respective forms; 4. Supervisor completes his/her portion of the form; 5. Completed forms returned to DOTM Human Resources Benefits personnel; 6. Completed forms sent via secure transmittal to the Catastrophic Liaison to be presented before the Catastrophic Committee; and 7. The Catastrophic Committee makes the determination.

The OPM Catastrophic Leave Bank Committee encompasses employees of various Agencies. Members of the Committee shall be comprised of a rotating registry of Agency employees with the majority having a medical license or medically related background. Members shall elect a Committee Chairperson.

Catastrophic granted leave is in one-hour increments The Catastrophic Leave Bank is donated leave by employees and is not a monetary benefit. Accrued leave may only be donated in one-hour increments. Donations shall be granted hour by hour and not dollar for dollar. An employee cannot donate leave of the donation will reduce said employee s accrued sick and annual leave balance below eight (8) hours. This does not apply to employees who are terminating.

An employee who has donated annual and/or sick leave cannot have their donated annual and/or sick leave restored to them. Catastrophic Lease is to help/assist an employee in a catastrophic event that would otherwise leave the them without pay. This does not create additional budgetary needs.