Medical Leave (Own Illness)

Overview

If you need to take time off due to your own serious health condition, you may be eligible for job-protected leave. At UCSF, some or all of your job-protected leave may be paid.

Criteria for medical leave (own illness)

  • You need time off for a non-work-incurred injury, illness or other serious health condition.
  • A serious health condition is an illness, injury, or physical or mental condition that involves either inpatient care or continuing treatment by a health care provider.

Job protections and pay options

You may take up to 12 workweeks of job-protected leave during a calendar year. 

  • FMLA and CFRA are unpaid, however you may review the following options for pay with your leave specialist.
    • Use of accrued vacation and/or paid time off is guided by your policy or collective bargaining agreement.
    • Use of accrued sick and/or extended sick leave is guided by your policy or collective bargaining agreement.
    • Available disability benefits as either basic UC disability benefits or voluntary short term/long term disability with Lincoln Financial.
  • FMLA and CFRA may be taken intermittently, and are most often taken in increments of at least two weeks each.

Legal provisions

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides eligible employees with unpaid, job-protected leave for specific qualifying family and medical leave reasons. Eligible employees may take up to 12 workweeks of FMLA per calendar year.

In general, to be eligible for FMLA, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Must have 12 cumulative months of UC employment and
  • Must have worked at least 1,250 productive hours immediately preceding the 12 months before your FMLA leave starts. Productive hours do not include time away used for vacation/PTO, sick/extended sick time, and compensatory time off.

California Family Rights Act (CFRA) is a state law that provides eligible employees with unpaid, job-protected leave for specific, qualifying family and medical reasons. Eligible employees may take up to 12 workweeks of leave per calendar year. Please note, depending on the type of leave, CFRA may run concurrently with FMLA.

In general, to be eligible for CFRA, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Must have 12 cumulative months of UC employment and
  • Must have worked at least 1,250 productive hours immediately preceding the 12 months before your CFRA leave starts. Productive hours do not include time away used for vacation/PTO, sick/extended sick time, and compensatory time off.

Steps for taking a medical leave (own illness)

Step1

Review taking a leave of absence

Review Taking a Leave of Absence on UCnet to review your rights and available options.

Step2

Inform your manager

Inform your manager about your leave, including your anticipated dates out of the office, as far in advance as possible.

Details related to your medical condition do not need to be shared with your manager.

Step3

Submit request for leave

Submit your leave of absence request with Sedgwick using your personal email address. Once submitted, Sedgwick will partner with you to:

  • Return completed Health Care Provider Certification in order to certify your leave.
  • Determine the dates you will be on paid and unpaid status and your obligations while on unpaid status.
  • Review your options for pay with Sedgwick
    • Use of accrued leave is guided by your policy or collective bargaining agreement, related to the type of leave you are taking.
  • If you are on unpaid status, personal payments will need to be submitted to continue your benefits coverage. You will receive a Benefits Billing Election Form to complete and submit. 

Staff employees should contact Sedgwick using one of the following three methods:

  1. mySedgwick Portal: Access via MyAccess, or at www.Sedgwick.ucsf.edu   
  2. Sedgwick’s Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) at 844-601-8448; absences can be reported 24/7/365
  3. Call Sedgwick at 844-601-8448 and report the absence with a Sedgwick Representative during normal operating hours of 5am to 5pm PST Monday-Friday.

Step4

Confirm your return-to-work date

As early as possible, contact your supervisor and Sedgwick to confirm your return-to-work date.

Step5

Prior to your return

Obtain a return-to-work notice from your provider and submit it to Sedgwick using one of the following methods: 

If you are a Health employee, you must be cleared by Occupational Health before you can return to work.  Two weeks prior to your expected return to work date, you will need to contact Occupational Health at 415-885-7580 to schedule a non-work-related Return to Work appointment. Drop in visits are not accommodated. Please find more information and tips on the Occupational Health website.

Sedgwick will contact you 14 days prior to your return to confirm that you are coming back to work. Before returning:

  1. Notify your manager to confirm your return and schedule.
  2. Obtain your return to work notice from your provider and submit to Sedgwick
  3. If you are returning to work with medical restrictions, please provide documentation to your supervisor and Sedgwick from your health care provider that clearly outlines the work restrictions and the duration of the restrictions.
  4. Contact Occupational Health to schedule your return-to-work appointment and obtain clearance, if necessary. 

It's important to ensure all your mandatory department compliance is completed prior to or upon your return to work. Talk with your immediate supervisor or manager regarding any compliance actions you may need to complete.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are compliant with UC COVID-19 policy as well as any other required immunization and health screenings before returning to work. All relevant UC COVID-19 policy information, FAQs, and forms are included in UC's COVID-19 vaccination policy . 

If you will not be returning to work as expected, you must submit timely documentation to Sedgwick outlining the additional leave period requested and will be required to provide new complete and updated documentation before your expected return-to-work date. 

Step6

Return to work

Upon your return to work, you should:

  • Submit your benefit enrollment forms or enroll via UCPath to reinstate benefit coverage.
  • Review your benefit enrollments and benefits summary within 31 days after your return. Go to the UCPath portal or phone 855-982-7284.
  • Review your first several earnings statements on UCPath.
  • Contact Campus Life Services to reinstate any voluntary deductions, such as parking, pre-tax transit, gym, vanpool, etc.