The Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave

chapter 9 | managing an employee’s leave | 209
o If we will be using an outside consultant or company, I took any steps necessary
to start the process.
o I informed everyone who needs to know about these arrangements, such as my
manager, the employee’s coworkers, vendors, clients, and so on.
Benefits
o I made arrangements to continue the employee’s group health benefits—
including medical, dental, and vision coverage—during FMLA leave.
o I applied any benefits changes to the employee, just as if he or she were not on
leave.
o If the employee chose not to continue benefits, I made sure that we can
reinstate those benefits immediately, without any requalification requirements,
when the employee returns to work; if not, I continued the employee’s
benefits, arranged to pay the employee’s share of the premium, and sought
reimbursement from the employee after his or her return to work.
o I collected the employee’s share of the premium as permitted by the FMLA and
provided written notice, in advance, of how and when to make these payments.
o Before terminating the employee’s coverage for failing to pay the premiums, I
sent the employee written notice, including the following information:
o The employee’s payment hasn’t been received.
o The company intends to terminate the employee’s coverage if payment isn’t
received by a specified date, at least 15 days after the date I sent the letter.
o Before terminating the employee’s coverage for failing to pay the premiums,
I made sure we could reinstate the employee’s coverage without any
requalification requirements.
o For other benefits, I followed my company’s usual policies for employees on
unpaid leave.
o Before discontinuing any life, disability, or other insurance benefits, I made sure
that we could reinstate the employee’s coverage without any requalification
requirements; if not, I continued the employee’s coverage, arranged to pay
the employee’s share of the premium, and sought reimbursement from the
employee after his or her return to work.
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