POLICY
SUBJECT: Shared Leave Eligibility
I. Objective:
WSSB allows employees who are suffering from a “severe”, “serious” or “extra-ordinary” illness or injury to receive shared leave.
II. Purpose:
To define “severe”, “serious” or “extraordinary” illness or injury.
III. Policy:
In order to be eligible to request and receive shared leave, the employee must have a qualifying event under the following criteria:
A. A “severe”, “serious” or “extraordinary” illness or injury is defined as one or more of the following:
1. Hospital Care - Inpatient care (i.e. an overnight stay) in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, including any period of incapacity or subsequent treatment in connection with or consequent to such inpatient care.
2. Absence Plus Treatment - A period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days (including any subsequent treatment or period of incapacity relating to the same condition), that also involves:
A. Treatment two or more times by a health care provider, by a nurse or physician’s assistant under direct supervision of a health care provider, or by a provider of health care services (e.g. physical therapist) under orders of, or on referral by, a health care provider; or
B. Treatment by a health care provider on at least one occasion which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the health care provider.
- Treatment includes examinations to determine if a serious health condition exists and evaluations of the condition. Treatment does not include routine physical examinations, eye examinations, or dental examinations. A regimen of continuing treatment includes, for example, a course of prescription medication (e.g., an antibiotic) or therapy requiring special equipment to resolve or alleviate the health condition. A regimen of treatment does not include taking of over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, antihistamines, or salves; or bed rest, drinking fluids, exercise, and other similar activities than can be initiated without a visit to a healthcare provider.
3. Pregnancy - Any period of incapacity due to pregnancy or for prenatal care.
4. Chronic Conditions Requiring Treatments - A chronic condition which:
A. Requires periodic visits for treatment by a health care provider, or by a nurse or physician’s assistant under direct supervision of a health care provider;
B. Continues over an extended period of time (including recurring episodes of a single underlying condition); and
C. May cause episodic rather than a continuing period of incapacity (e.g., asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.).
5. Permanent/Long-term Conditions Requiring Supervision - A period of incapacity that is permanent or long-term due to a condition for which treatment may not be effective. The employee or family member must be under the continuing supervision of, but need not be receiving active treatment by, a healthcare provider. Examples may include Alzheimer’s, a severe stroke, or the terminal stages of a disease.
6. Multiple Treatments (Non-Chronic Conditions) - Any period of absence to receive multiple treatments (including any period of recovery there from) by a health care provider or by a provider of health care services under orders of, or on referral by,
a health care provider, either for restorative surgery after an accident or other injury, or for a condition that would likely result in a period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days in the absence of medical intervention or treatment, such as cancer (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.), severe arthritis (physical therapy), or kidney disease (dialysis).