Within five business days of receiving a request for FMLA leave, Virginia Wesleyan University will notify the employee whether he or she is eligible for FMLA leave and whether the requested leave is designated and will be counted as FMLA leave. Virginia Wesleyan University will advise an employee of any certification found incomplete or insufficient and will state in writing what information is needed to correct the problem. The employee will then have seven calendar days to provide a corrected certification (unless this deadline is impracticable under the circumstances). After the employee has had an opportunity to correct the certification, Virginia Wesleyan University may contact the health care provider for clarification and/or authentication. Contact with the health care provider will be made only with the employee’s written authorization and will never be handled by the employee’s direct supervisor. An employee seeking additional FMLA leave for a previously certified condition must specifically mention the need for FMLA leave or the previous condition for which FMLA leave was used. If a certification is in a language other than English, the employee must provide a written translation at his or her own expense. Recertifications Virginia Wesleyan University may require periodic recertification of a serious health condition and periodic reports during the leave regarding an employee’s status and intent to return to work. In addition, Virginia Wesleyan may request that the employee provide annual certifications for medical conditions lasting longer than a leave year. Finally, Virginia Wesleyan University may require certification of an employee’s ability to return to work at the end of a leave. Second or third medical opinions In some cases, Virginia Wesleyan University may require periodic status reports and/or second and third opinions. To facilitate the process for a second or third opinion, an employee must authorize the release of relevant medical information to the health care provider supplying a second or third opinion, if that provider requests records related to the condition for which leave is sought. If the employee does not comply, Virginia Wesleyan University may deny FMLA leave. Benefits during leave During FMLA leave, a Virginia Wesleyan University employee will continue the same benefits received before leave began. If the leave is running concurrently with paid leave, employee benefit contributions are deducted from the employee’s paycheck as usual. If the leave is unpaid, the employee is billed directly for the contribution. If an employee fails to pay required insurance premiums on time (within 30 days), Virginia Wesleyan University may elect to pay the employee’s premiums and later recover those amounts from the employee. Alternatively, Virginia Wesleyan University may elect to terminate coverage. In some cases, Virginia Wesleyan University may recover all premiums it paid for an employee’s health coverage during leave if the employee fails to return to work. To the extent required by law, all employee benefits will be unconditionally reinstated upon the employee’s return to work.
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