Use of Paid Time during FML
FML is unpaid. However, if you have available paid time (e.g., vacation, sick, compensatory time, or paid parental leave), you must use that paid time while on FML and in any order you choose. You will continue receiving paychecks if you use paid time. You will move into unpaid time once you've exhausted your paid time.
If you are a remote employee who lives in a state with paid family and medical leave, contact Leaves Administration at 520-621-3660.
If you are on FML for your own serious health condition and have short-term disability insurance, you should apply for those benefits as well. See Potential Pay Options While On Leave section on the Leave of Absence Requests page.
Benefits Coverage While on FML
While you are receiving paychecks during FML, your benefit premium deductions continue.
If your pay ends, you can decline all benefits, suspend selected benefits to reduce costs, or continue all benefits. You will be billed directly for the employee premiums on any benefits you continue. To reduce or waive benefits while you are in unpaid status, submit a Qualified Life Event form to Human Resources.
When you return to work in a paid status, you can reinstate any suspended benefits by submitting another Qualified Life Event form to Human Resources. You must do this within 31 days of returning to work.
Time Tracking While on FML
Here are common FML time reporting codes in UAccess Employee:
| TYPE OF ABSENCE | CODE |
|---|---|
| FML + paid sick time | FMSE or FMSP |
| FML + vacation time | FMVE or FMVP |
| FML + holiday pay | FMHE or FMHP |
| FML + paid parental leave | FPLE or FPLP |
| FML + compensatory time taken | FMCT |
| FML + compassionate transfer of leave sick | FCSE or FCSP |
| FML + compassionate transfer of leave holiday | FCHE or FCHP |
| FML unpaid absence | FMUE or FMUP |
| FML for grad assistant, unpaid | FMGD |
| FML + grad assistant paid parental leave | FPLG |
| FML for student employee, unpaid | FMST |
A complete list of time reporting codes and descriptions is available on the Financial Services Office website at http://www.fso.arizona.edu/payroll/departments/trc
The Family and Medical Leave Act and University policy require that absences due to an FMLA-qualifying reason be reported and tracked as FML, whether or not you are receiving compensation. FML is job-protected leave, so it benefits you to apply.
Only absences taken due to the FMLA-qualifying reason are counted against your FML balance.
For example, if you normally work 8 hours per day, 5 days a week, and your reduced work schedule is 4 hours per day, 5 days a week, you would record 4 hours of FML per day, for 20 hours FML per week.
Suppose your position is subject to the University closure. In that case, the closure period and the paid holidays of December 24 (Christmas Eve), December 25 (Christmas Day), and January 1 (New Year's Day) do not count toward your FML entitlement. You can be paid holiday and university closure time as long as you are in a paid status on the last workday before the Christmas Eve holiday and the first workday after January 1.
In cases where your position is not subject to the University closure, such as when a department does not observe the closure, FML should be recorded for qualifying absences from scheduled work.