About CIT

CIT Departmental Policy Statement

Cornell University provides several kinds of leave to assist non-academic staff members to balance the demands of the workplace, their individual needs, and the needs of their families, in ways that accommodate the legitimate interests of campus units. To assist staff to meet these needs, this section of University Policy 6.9, Time Away from Work, establishes benefits that meet or exceed compliance standards of various states' laws related to Workers' Compensation and Short-term disability, as well as federal standards under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

Link to University Policy

http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/treasurer/policyoffice/policies/volumes/humanresources/timeaway.cfm

Overview

There are three categories that comprise Medical Leaves for Staff:

• Short-term Disability (Long-term Disability)
• Workers' Compensation
• Personal Medical Leave (FMLA)

CIT has established the following processes and procedures to ensure compliance with the associated university policies.

Please note that most policies and obligations contained in the university policy are not repeated in this document and employees are expected to go to the link provided at the beginning of this document for detailed information.

Employee Responsibilities
For all Medical Leaves, CIT employees are expected to:

1. Read, understand, and comply with all provision of the university's "Time Away from Work: Medical Leaves for Staff" policy and the processes/procedures in this document
2. Consult with CIT HR to review eligibility, obtain appropriate forms, and/or understand specific leave requirements
3. Provide required medical documentation to university Workers' Compensation and Disability Services (WCDS) of the Office of Human Resources representative
4. Respond to all requests for information from supervisor, CIT HR or WCDS
5. Maintain agreed upon communication with supervisor during leave period

Supervisor Responsibilities
For all Medical Leaves, CIT supervisors are expected to:

1. Read, understand, and comply with all provision of the university's "Time Away from Work: Medical Leaves for Staff" policy and the processes/procedures in this document
2. Consult with CIT HR to review eligibility, obtain appropriate forms, and/or understand specific leave requirements
3. Maintain contact with employee and CIT HR to ensure compliance with provisions of leave policy
4. Forward any medical reports/information to WCDS (Surge III Facility) without reading or assessing this information (all medical information and records are maintained by WCDS)

Short-term Disability
For medical leave due to non-work related illness or injury such as maternity leave, surgery, etc., CIT employees must:

1. Provide as much advance notification as possible to supervisor of need for Short-term Disability including approximate leave dates
2. Provide required medical documentation
3. Ensure time away from work records (e.g. COLTS or monthly time sheets) are up-to-date before leave begins
4. Consult with CIT HR to verify if leave will be supplemented to receive full salary for duration of leave
5. Submit required medical status reports verifying disability status to WCDS within indicated timeframe (WCDS will mail letter with form and instructions to employee's home address within 7 days of receiving leave notification from CIT HR)
6. Provide medical clearance from treating physician(s) to CIT HR to return to work

Workers' Compensation
If a CIT employee suffers a work-related accident or injury, they must:

1. Notify supervisor within 24 hours of incident
2. Complete Accident Report (if employee is unable, supervisor can complete)
3. Contact CIT HR as soon as possible if there is a loss of time worked due to injury
4. Provide medical documentation, if required
5. If unable to work, inform supervisor and/or WCDS case manager when able to return to work and provide medical clearance from treating health care provider(s) to WCDS

Personal Medical Leave
If a CIT employee has a medical condition that does not qualify for Workers' Compensation or Short-term Disability coverage but may qualify under the FMLA, the employee should consult with CIT HR and WCDS to determine the employee's eligibility for appropriate medical leave coverage.

CIT HR will work closely with the employee and their supervisor to ensure employee's needs are addressed.

Medical Leaves for employees can be initiated by the employee or the supervisor; however, it is the employee's ultimate responsibility to pursue appropriate coverage including providing proper documentation.

Long-term Disability
If an employee is unable to return to work after 26 weeks of absence due to Workers' Compensation or Short-term Disability, the employee may apply for Long-term Disability benefits. CIT HR will work closely with the employee, WCDS, and manager to ensure appropriate paperwork is completed.

University Forms

• Accident Report http://cfp-rmps.coldfusion.cornell.edu/accinj/

CIT Forms

• [None]
  

Related Documents and Policies

University Documents and Policies

• University Policy 6.9, Time Away from Work (excluding Academic and Bargaining Unit Staff) http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/treasurer/policyoffice/policies/volumes/humanresources/timeaway.cfm
• University Policy 6.6.13, Flexibility in the Workplace http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/treasurer/policyoffice/policies/volumes/humanresources/flexibility.cfm

CIT Documents and Policies

• [None]

Process

CIT HR will contact the employee and supervisor of any potential violations and consequences.

Consequences

Failure to provide required medical documentation may result in initiation of or denial of disability benefits payments. Paycheck delays may also occur if proper medical documentation is not submitted within specified time frames.

Delays in notification of intended leave to CIT HR may result in payroll overpayments requiring the employee to repay the overage.

University definitions are marked with an asterisk, all others are CIT definitions.

Refer to University Policy 6.9 Time Away from Work for exhaustive list of definitions related to this policy.

Any other questions should be directed to Linda Croll Howell, 5-2590, llc36@cornell.edu.