Expecting Parent Resource Guide – Section 1

Employees are eligible for up to six weeks of unpaid leave for medical care related to pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion and recovery from such conditions. You do not have to be eligible for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to take Employer Pregnancy Leave. This leave can also be used before giving birth for any pregnancy-related complications.

In addition to your six weeks of unpaid Employer Pregnancy Leave, you may qualify for an additional six weeks of unpaid leave through FMLA.

• To qualify, you must have been employed for 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months directly preceding your leave.
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a rolling 12-month period.

If you have a nonwork-related accident, are pregnant or ill and can’t work, disability insurance provides benefits-eligible employees financial protection. Basic short-term disability (STD) insurance pays a percentage of your weekly income for up to 6 months. You are automatically enrolled at no cost to you when you meet the eligibility criteria:

• You are full-time or part-time, with a work status of at least 20 hours per week – 0.5 FTE or above.
• You have reached the first day of the month following the first 6 months of continuous service in a benefits-eligible position at the health system. (Ex: You started with the health system on January 10. Presuming you are at least 0.5 FTE during the entire time, you will be eligible for basic short-term disability coverage on August 1.)
• The Hartford determines if your medical condition qualifies for this benefit.

If you need to medically recover longer than a traditional delivery/recovery period, including due to giving birth via Cesarean section, ensure your provider sends documentation to the Hartford to initiate your short-term disability benefit.

Buy-up short-term disability insurance

You can purchase additional short-term disability coverage with the buy-up short-term disability plan that’s jointly paid for by you and the health system.

• You can enroll in this plan either during your initial eligibility period or during annual benefits enrollment each year.
• If you choose to purchase this coverage during your initial eligibility period, you do not need to provide evidence of insurability (EOI). If you did not choose this coverage during your initial eligibility period and are instead adding this coverage during an annual benefits enrollment period, you must provide EOI. A pre-existing condition, including pregnancy, could result in a denial for the buy-up benefit.

The health system provides long-term disability coverage at no cost to benefit-eligible employees for long-term covered injury or illness. This provides a monthly benefit for eligible employees who have exhausted their six months of covered short-term disability benefits.