Medical Leave of Absence

An eligible employee who has a “serious health condition” that makes the employee unable to perform their job may request a medical leave of absence (LOA) under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or California Family Rights Act (CFRA). Provided that the total medical and family leave period does not exceed 12 workweeks, as specified in the FMLA and CFRA policy, the employee will, upon return to work, be restored to his or her same position (when possible), or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, working conditions, and other terms and conditions of employment. 

To be eligible for a job-protected leave under FMLA and CFRA, an employee must meet all of the following:

• Have been employed by the University for at least 12 months,
• Have completed at least 1,250 hours of service (an average of about 24 hours per week) during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the leave commences, and
• Work in a location with 50 employees or within 75 miles of such location.

Employees who do not qualify or no longer qualify for FMLA and CFRA under this policy may be eligible for a LOA under the University's Supplemental Medical or Supplemental Personal Leave policies. Please contact Human Resources at benefits@pepperdine.edu for more information.

1. Employees are required to complete Pepperdine's Leave of Absence Intake Form.
2. Next, have your medical provider complete the Medical Certification Form before your leave begins. Please remember that neither you nor your healthcare provider is required to disclose your diagnosis.

Please return the completed the Medical Certification Form or doctor’s note before your leave begins to benefits@pepperdine.edu or should be faxed or mailed to:

HR Benefits Administrator
Human Resources
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA 90263
Phone: 310-506-4397
Fax: 310-506-4839
benefits@pepperdine.edu

If your medical provider is Kaiser, you may disregard the Medical Certification form and submit the Kaiser Work Status Report instead. If your provider does not accept the third-party forms, you may submit a doctor’s note indicating your last day of work and estimated release to return to work date.

If you are not a California resident, please contact Human Resources at benefits@pepperdine.edu for more information on your state’s leave policy.

Disability Insurance (DI) is a partial wage replacement benefit that provides up to 70-90% of your gross weekly salary while you are on a leave of absence related to your own serious illness, injury, or pregnancy. Once your claim is approved, there is a seven-day waiting period for which you will not receive payment.

coordination of benefits

Staff may use accrued and available sick and vacation time to cover:

• The 10-30% of their gross weekly salary that is not covered by disability insurance, and/or
• The seven-day waiting period.
• You also have the option to take the leave unpaid.

If staff would like Human Resources to supplement their DI pay with their accruals, they must provide HR with their written approval to use accruals. Without approval, employees will not receive payment from Pepperdine for the duration of their leave.

Eligible faculty will receive salary continuation less any amount of disability insurance received during their leave.

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APPLY FOR DI THROUGH UNUM

California employees participating in "CA VDI" may apply for disability insurance through Unum, Pepperdine's managed partner.

When completing the claim form, please follow the steps below:

• Visit Unum’s website or download the My Unum app on your smart device.
• Register for an online account by creating a username and password.
• Click on Start a new claim or leave.
• Select the option that best represents your leave:
  • Is sick, critically ill, needs surgery, or in the hospital, or
  • Had an accident or injury.
• Provide the necessary details for your claim and select your desired payment method (check or direct deposit).
• Before you submit your claim, you may authorize Unum to send any required certification for your disability payment benefits directly to your healthcare provider for completion. Remember to let your medical provider know to expect communication from Unum regarding your disability claim. Please note, if you do not provide authorization, you are responsible for working with your provider to submit a completed medical certification to Unum by the claim-filing deadline.

If you are unable to file a claim online, you may also file by calling Unum at 888-673-9940. Representatives are available to assist you 5 AM to 5 PM (Pacific), Monday through Friday.

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apply for DI THROUGH THE CA EDD

California employees who opted out of VDI may apply for State Disability Insurance (SDI) on the Employment Development Department's (EDD) website, https://edd.ca.gov/. When completing the form, please follow the steps below:

• Click on Claims
• Under Disability Insurance, select How to file a DI Claim in SDI Online
• Follow each step below:
  • Gather your information/documentation
  • Register for an online account by creating a username and password, or log in to your existing account
  • File a claim: When filling out the SDI form, please answer "no" to the question "Has or will your employer continue to pay you during your disability leave?"
  • After you submit your claim, give your doctor's office the Form Receipt Number that the EDD website provides, so your doctor can verify your claim.

If you are mailing a paper form to the EDD, you may request a paper application from benefits@pepperdine.edu.

While your claim is under review, the EDD will provide you with a Notice of Computation report which lists your daily pay rate for SDI payments. It is important that you submit your Notice of Computation report as soon as it is available so that Human Resources can coordinate your Pepperdine pay appropriately.

new doctor's note requirement

Prior to your expected return-to-work date, indicated in your initial doctor’s note, please submit a new doctor’s note that either:

1. authorizes you to return to work, including any restrictions, and the effect date, or
2. extends your "off-work" status with a new tentative return date.

accommodations

As you return to work, and if in the event you need additional medical-related accommodations due to your recent life event, please contact Greyson Orellana (greyson.orellana@pepperdine.edu) for more information on the University's Accommodations process.

benefits during leave

For the duration of a medical LOA, the employee's benefits coverage under any group health plan will be maintained and continued at the level and under the conditions such benefits would have been provided if the employee remained actively and continuously employed through the maximum duration allowed under University Policy. Holiday pay will apply as well as vacation and sick time will continue to accrue for the first 30 calendar days of a medical LOA.