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Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to some of the most common leaves questions.

If you have an upcoming leave of absence (i.e., medical treatment, surgery, military, paternity, maternity, adoption, or caring for an eligible family member), you should notify your department and contact your Leave Coordinator 30 days prior to the effective date of the requested leave. If circumstances prevent a 30 day advance notice, you must contact HR within 5 days of learning of the need for leave.

If your total time away from work would equal 5 consecutive days or more for a specific medical reason or if you have been sporadically off due to illness or caring for an eligible family member, you should contact your Leave Coordinator to discuss leave programs for which you may be eligible.

Your first step is to request an appointment with the Leave Coordinator in the Human Resources department. 

Contact

Jennifer Olsen
Confidential Leaves and Accommodations Coordinator
jennolsen@mail.fresnostate.edu
559.278.5345

All medical notes or forms associated with a medical leave of absence should be sent or delivered to your Leave Coordinator in Human Resources. It is not necessary to provide copies of these documents to your manager/department chair or to your department as your Leave Coordinator will keep your department informed of your leave status. Documents may be faxed to 559.278.4275 or via the secured document transfer software MOVEit.

The return to work date may be extended or changed to an earlier date based on a medical note from the doctor. A medical note must be provided to the Leave Coordinator 2-3 days prior to reporting to work in order to discuss accommodations with your manager, if applicable .  

Faculty, staff or administrators out ill on an approved medical leave through Human Resources must use their available sick leave credits first. When discussing an upcoming medical leave with your Leave Coordinator, you may opt to use available leave credits (Vacation, Personal Holiday, etc..) based on the appropriate leave program.  

If an employee has exhausted all sick leave credits and is not on an approved medical leave of absence, they cannot use their Personal Holiday, Vacation, CTO or Holiday Credit in lieu of unpaid sick leave. Usage of such leave credits are governed by CBA, CSU Policy and Title 5. Contact Human Resources for more information (559) 278-2032.

CSU policy requires that when an employee is placed on CSU FML for their own serious health condition, the employee must use sick leave credits, vacation credits, personal holiday, and compensatory time off (CTO) (unless specifically excluded by the applicable collective bargaining agreement) prior to going on any unpaid portion of CSU FML.

Similarly, employees who request FML for a family member must exhaust vacation credits, personal holiday, and CTO (unless prohibited by the collective bargaining agreement) prior to going on any unpaid portion of FML. Sick leave credits may be used by mutual agreement pursuant to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

If you are on a leave of absence, receiving full pay, your pay will issue in the same manner in which you receive regular payroll.

If you are participating in NDI or TD, your pay warrant may not issue from the State Controller's Office on a timely basis based on approvals. You can follow up with your Payroll Technician as to status of pay that is issued from the SCO.

An employee on a LWOP for more than one full pay period may elect to continue with fringe benefits at the employee’s expense. CSU benefit plan contributions for health, dental, and vision will continue while an employee is on CSU FML and PDL.

Any leave credits taken during an approved full or partial leave of absence will be entered on your behalf by your Leave Coordinator in Human Resources. Since Absence Management is available through the web, you can log into your Employee Self Service and verify the time has been entered for you.

If you have been approved for an intermittent leave of absence under the CSU FML, it will be your responsibility to enter your time in Absence Management on a weekly basis as specified by your Leave Coordinator. 

The California State University Family and Medical Leave (CSU FML) incorporates both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the state California Family Rights Act (CFRA). Employees with at least 12 months of service are eligible for a leave of up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period. Some units are required to have actually worked one thousand two hundred and fifty (1,250) hours in the twelve (12) months preceding the leave

NDI is NonIndustrial Disability Insurance, and is administered through the Employment Development Department. It is a short-term disability program provided by the California State University system for the majority of its employees. NDI can only be used for an employee's own illness.  An application for NDI can be requested from your Leave Coordinator in Human Resources. For all illnesses, there is a 7 day waiting period before benefits begin. The amount you will receive while on NDI varies by collective bargaining agreement. 

CAT Leave is the abbreivations for the Catastrophic Leave Donation Program. For information on the CAT Leave program, including who is eligible, how long it lasts, and how it effects senority, please visit the CLDP website.

Health benefits, Federal & State taxes, and Medicare are taken from the employee's pay while on these programs.  Voluntary deductions may also be deducted, provided enough pay has been generated by donated leave credits to cover them.  A CalPERS retirement deduction is made only from Catastrophic leave donations.    

Once you return from your medical leave, you are eligible to purchase the CalPERS Service credit . Please contact Human Resources.

The California State University does not participate in the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program, which is administered through the Employment Development Department. Instead, the CSU uses NonIndustrial Disability Insurance (NDI) as the short-term disability program for its employees. 

However, employees who have contributed to SDI through a recent or concurrent employer may be eligible for this benefit. This can be verified by contacting the Employment Development Department at: (866) 758-9768 or through their website at www.edd.ca.gov for more information. 

California State University employees are not eligible for the California Paid Family Leave. This benefit is paid through State Disability Insurance (SDI) deductions. California State University employees do not participate or contribute to this program. However, employees who have contributed to PFL through a recent or concurrent employer may be eligible for this benefit. This can be verified by contacting the Employment Development Department at: (866) 758-9768 or through their website for more information. 

A female with permanent status may be eligible to take up to one year of unpaid leave for pregnancy, childbirth and recovery.  This leave is normally paid for several months and the remaining time is unpaid. Eligibility is based on the employee’s Collective Bargaining Agreement or ED Code 89519 for MPPs. 

Yes, if you have been placed on a formal leave of absence which may incorporate a period of paid and unpaid time.   Your job protection is governed by the CSU Collective Bargaining Agreement, CSU Policies and federal and state regulations.  Additional information will be provided by your assigned Leave Coordinator in Human Resources.

Yes. A Medical Leave Application form will need to be completed via Adobe Sign along with additional documentation.  The Leave Coordinator will assist you in applying for a leave of absence for maternity leave. 

You must complete a Benefits Worksheet and provide your child's birth certificate and Social Security number to Human Resources within 30 days of the birth.  A newborn is covered under his/her mother's health plan for the first 30 days.

Sick time is used during the pregnancy disability period which is validated with a medical note from the treating physician.    

The State of California passed AB 1025, the Lactation Accommodation Law, which provides workplace support for mothers who are breastfeeding. We encourage you to work directly with your appropriate administrator for assistance. If further assistance is needed, contact the Human Resources Department.  

For a list of our current lactation stations please click here. 

A reproductive loss event means the day or, for a multiple day event, the final day of a failed
adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth, or an unsuccessful assisted reproduction.

A failed adoption means the dissolution or breach of an adoption agreement with the birth
mother or legal guardian, or an adoption that is not finalized because it is contested by another
party. This event applies to a person who would have been a parent of the adoptee if the
adoption had been completed.

A failed surrogacy means the dissolution or breach of surrogacy agreement, or a failed embryo transfer to the surrogate. This event applies to a person who would have been a parent of a child born as a result of the surrogacy.

Miscarriage means a miscarriage by a person, by the person’s current spouse or domestic partner, or by another individual if the person would have been a parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy. This reproductive loss leave event is also eligible for bereavement leave.

Stillbirth means a stillbirth resulting from a person’s pregnancy, the pregnancy of a person’s current spouse or domestic partner, or another individual, if the person would have been a parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy that ended in stillbirth. This reproductive loss leave event is also eligible for bereavement leave.

An unsuccessful assisted reproduction means an unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or of an assisted reproductive technology procedure. This event applies to a person, the person’s current spouse or domestic partner, or another individual, if the person would have been a parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy.

Reproductive loss leave (RLL) may be unpaid; however, an employee shall be allowed to use accrued and available vacation, personal holiday, sick leave, or compensatory time off (CTO). In addition to RLL, an employee experiencing a reproductive loss event due to either miscarriage or stllbirth, is eligible for paid bereavement leave.

No. The days may be taken nonconsecutively but must be completed within three months of the reproductive loss event.

A 12-month period is measured forward from the first date an employee took their first reproductive loss leave.

Possibly. Employees who have been employed by the CSU, the state of California, or any political or civil subdivision of the state, including cities and counties for at least 30 days before the leave are eligible to take a reproductive loss leave.

The law does not mention the need for an employee to provide documentation to take reproductive loss leave. However, in some instances, the leave may extend and become FML eligible which requires medical certification.