There are a number of government regulations that help employees when they need time away from work to handle important life events and responsibilities. One of these is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These types of regulations offer benefits and help protect an employee’s job while they’re away from work. Examples can be a planned leave for pregnancy, time away to care for a loved one or an unplanned leave for medical concerns, disabilities or other reasons.
This type of leave is especially important amid COVID-19. Federal guidelines encourage people to stay home as much as possible, especially when sick or caring for an ill loved one. Information about COVID-19 is available in our COVID-19 Resource Center.
FMLA is a regulation that gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year. 1 It protects their job while they’re away. It also helps them keep their health benefits in place during their leave from work.
Employees may take 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for: 2
Employees may take 26 weeks of leave during a single 12-month period to:
If an employee gets sick or injured and can’t work, their health insurance plan may cover medical bills — but how will people replace their lost income?
Disability plans help provide paycheck protection. A well-designed benefits package that includes short-term and long-term disability coverage helps support financial confidence for employees if illnesses or injuries prevent them from working. In addition to providing employees with important financial protection, disability plans may increase cost savings and productivity for your business.
Plan durations can vary, with short-term disability plans often ranging from 13 to 26 weeks or more. As the name implies, long-term disability plans are designed for illnesses or injuries that take employees away from work for a longer period of time. Based on the plan design selected, long-term disability coverage may provide benefit payments for periods of 2, 3 or 5 years. The plans may also provide benefits all the way to age 65, which is the traditional retirement age.
Flexible plan designs and funding options enable employers to tailor disability plans to meet the specific needs of employees, while establishing a robust benefits package may help attract and retain talent.
It can be complicated to manage absences like maternity and disability leaves. UnitedHealthcare offers strategic solutions to help employers, making it easier to manage absences and stay in compliance with regulations, even across the country.
Find news articles and resources to help you stay informed about disability leaves and absence management.
