CSU Family Medical Leave

California State Univerisity Family Medical Leave (CSU FML) program is available for qualified employees if leave is needed for:

• Self
• Care for eligible family member
• Birth, adoption, or foster care
• Military (Wounded service member or Qualifying Exigency

A medical leave of absence is defined as any absence for self or to care for an eligible family member in excess of five (5) workdays. A medical leave of absence may be full, partial (a reduced work schedule), or intermittent (non-consecutive full or partial days).

Under CSU Family Medical Leave (FML), eligible employees with at least 12 months of service may take unpaid job-protected leave for up to 12 weeks in a 12-month, forward rolling period due to the employee’s own or a qualified family member’s serious health condition, the birth or placement of a child, or a qualified military exigency. Eligible employees may take up to 26 weeks to care for a covered service member. CSU FML incorporates both the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave entitlements, which normally run concurrently.

CSU FML eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The following employee groups must have been employed at least 12 months and must have actually worked 1,250 hours:

Physicians (R01)
Skilled Crafts (R06)
Statewide University Police Association (R08)
IUOE (R10) 
Confidential (C99)
Management Personnel Plan (MPP) (M80)

All other full-time and part-time employees not listed in the employee groups above who are employed for at least one academic year or 12 months preceding the request for CSU FML are exempt from the 1,250 hour eligibility requirement pursuant to their respective collective bargaining agreements.

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.

Under an exception to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and CSU policy, exempt employees’ accrued leave credits are charged for partial day absences while on CSU FML.

For more information, see the Department of Labor's Employee Rights and Responsibility under the Family and Medical Leave Act publication.