Leaves of Absence

Employees requiring time off from work may apply for a leave of absence.

Leave of Absence – Other than Military – The purpose of a leave of absence is to protect your past service in the event you return to work on or before the time your leave

ends. During the period of the leave, service credits and benefits do not accumulate.

• Your overall performance on the job, length of service with the Practice and the operational needs of the business will all be considered in determining whether or

  not to grant a leave of absence.

• If you are a regular, full-time staff member who has been with the Practice for at least six months and desire consideration for a leave of absence because of a lay-off

  for lack of work, extended sickness, work-related injury or illness, maternity or urgent personal needs, you should make this request to your manager in writing at

  least two weeks before the effective date of the leave.

•  In the case of pregnancy, you should promptly notify your manager and give the anticipated date of birth. You will be permitted to work as long as your doctor

  certifies that you are physically able to do so, and so long as you satisfactorily perform your assigned job.

If you have not had the full amount of your vacation for the year, you will be given the balance of your earned vacation at that time, after which the leave of absence will

begin. Additionally you if the birth is near the end of the year you may roll your next year’s vacation time into your maternity leave.

• If you desire health, dental and/or life insurance benefits during a lack of work or personal leave of absence, you should notify your manager who will see that you are

  advised of the coverage that can be continued and make the arrangements with you concerning the cost and time of payments for those benefits.

• If you desire to return to work on or before the expiration date of your leave (or  an approved extension), you are expected to give at least two weeks’ notice to your

  manager  of your intent to return. If you do so, you will be reinstated to your former job, or to a comparable job, at the same rate of pay within thirty days of the date

  of receipt of your notice of intent to return. This provision does not apply to a leave of absence because of lay-off for lack of work, in which case we cannot offer you

  the opportunity for reinstatement unless there is a job available for which you qualify. If you are on a leave of absence  because of sickness or maternity, your notice

  of intention to return must include with it a certification from your doctor that you are physically fit and ready to commence working. Failure to provide such notice

  and certification, failure to return to work by the expiration date of your leave, or failure to return from a lack of work leave of absence when recalled will be treated as

  a voluntary resignation of employment and shall constitute a break in service retroactive to the day immediately preceding the effective starting date of the leave of

  absence.

• If you have been paying for benefits coverage during a leave of absence and terminate (or are terminated) as a staff member, your benefits coverage and insurance

  conversion rights will be handled in the same manner as for any terminating employee.

• All requests for leaves of absence and/or extensions require prior approval of your manager before they can become effective.

• If you are ineligible for a leave of absence, if you do not apply for a leave of absence or if it is not granted and you are off the payroll for more than one week your

  employment will be terminated.

• Leave of Absence – Military – You are entitled to time off from your job to fulfill your National Guard or Reserve short-term military training obligations or to report for

  duty when ordered to do so as in emergencies.

Time off for this purpose will be without pay or can be taken as part of your vacation entitlement. If you are drafted into, or enlist in, the military, you will receive a leave of

absence without pay for the length of time required by law. If you have not had the full amount of your vacation for the year, you will be given the balance of your earned

vacation at that time, after which the leave of absence will begin.  If you return to work in accordance with the provisions of the law, you will receive severance credits for

your time in the military as though you were continuously employed. If you do not return within the statutory period, your termination date will be your last day actually

worked.