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Leave of Absence

When you need to spend more than three consecutive days away from work, it's considered a leave of absence, unless you are taking planned vacation. The company provides many types of leave for these occasions.

  • Disability
  • Family Care
  • Pregnancy-Related Leave
  • Military

Filing a Claim for a Leave of Absence
The company’s disability and leave programs are administered by The Hartford. It's important that you follow the necessary steps and complete the required paperwork within required timeframes for your leave to be approved. Click here to learn more about timing and how to file a claim.

The Hartford makes it easier than ever to manage your leave of absence online. Register for an account at https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com/ and you can print or download forms needed to process your claim, check the status of your claim, review notifications or letters from The Hartford and much more!

Income During a Leave of Absence

Paid time off (PTO) can replace up to 100% of your income while you are on a leave of absence.  PTO can be used for as long as you have time accrued. 

If you deplete your PTO before you return to work, time off will be unpaid.  If you qualify for disability benefits, which may replace a portion of your income, you can use any PTO to supplement your income up to 100% of your pre-disability income.

Your Benefits During a Leave of Absence

Once you report your leave to The Hartford, you will receive information about continuing your benefits.  The chart below is an at-a-glance look at what happens to your benefits while you are on leave and after you return to work.

Benefit When on Leave When You Return to Work
Leave Type: FMLA and applicable state leaves
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D and Disability Your benefits will continue for up to 12 weeks (26 weeks for a qualifying exigency leave). If your leave extends beyond 12 weeks (26 weeks for qualifying exigency leave), your company-provided medical benefits may continue if you have been determined to be a “full-time” employee based on the results of a preceding Measurement Period. Consult the Cotality Benefits Center for more information about your specific coverage.
Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HC FSA) and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC FSA) Your FSA accounts will remain active while on leave. You can use your HC FSA debit card for eligible expenses and submit DC FSA claims during leave. Your paycheck benefit deductions will continue to be taken through payroll if you are receiving compensation.
401(k) Savings Plan If you receive earned income through payroll during your leave, you can contribute to the 401(k). Disability insurance income is not considered earned income. You must make payments on outstanding loans during your leave of absence. Your regular paycheck deductions will start immediately. You can change these any time on NetBenefits at netbenefits.com.
Paid Time Off You will not accrue PTO while you are on leave. You will begin accruing PTO on the regular cycle of your return from leave.



Family Medical Leave (FMLA)

If you have been a Cotality employee for at least 12 months and you have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours, you may be eligible for a job-protected leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This means that when you are off of work due to your own illness or injury or to care for an immediate family member who is ill or injured, you are eligible for 12 weeks of job-protected leave in a rolling 12-month period. This leave runs concurrent to any other leave programs provided by Cotality.

When you contact The Hartford to report your leave, The Hartford will check your eligibility for and submit your request for FMLA leave automatically.

Reporting Your Leave

You must contact The Hartford our leave administrator at 1-866-611-7079 to report your leave or file online at https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com/.

If your claim is for your own serious health condition and you are eligible for disability coverage, your disability and leave claim will be opened simultaneously.

Paid Parental Leave
To help you bond with your new child, Cotality provides up to eight (8) full weeks of paid parental leave (PPL). Birth parents are also eligible for an additional eight (8) weeks of company-paid short-term disability leave. This benefit applies following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. Any time taken under PPL runs concurrently with leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and any applicable state laws.

To qualify for Paid Parental Leave, you must:

  • Have been employed with the company a minimum of 180 days prior to the start of the leave
  • Be a full time or part-time, regular employee (temporary employees and interns are not eligible for this benefit)
  • Be a parent of the child
  • Have adopted a child or been placed with a foster child (in either case, the child must be age 17 or younger).

To request a Paid Parental Leave:

  • Notify your leader and Employee Services of your request for leave by opening a ticket in Workday. This must be done at least 30 days before the planned leave start date or, if the leave was unforeseen, as soon as possible.
  • Report your leave to The Hartford by calling 888-437-8464 or filling out the request online at https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com
  • Paid Parental Leave must be taken within 6 months after birth, adoption or foster placement

Click here for more details on the Paid Parental Leave Plan

Initiating Your Leave of Absence Claim

Before you go on leave, and throughout your leave, it's important that you keep in contact with both your manager and The Hartford.

Before Your Leave

For planned leaves, such as pregnancy, planned surgeries, etc:

  • Contact your manager -  You should notify your manager of your leave date and expected return to work date as soon as possible.  
  • Contact The Hartford - Contact The Hartford via phone at 888-437-8464 or by registering at https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com/ no more than 30 days of your leave date, but before your first date absent from work.

For unplanned leaves:

Contact your manager - You must contact your manager no more than 30 minutes prior to the start of the workday (or follow your department's normal notification procedure)

  • Contact The Hartford - You must contact The Hartford within 3 days of your first day absent. If you do not contact The Hartford within that timeframe, your request for leave may be denied.
Filing a Claim
To begin the leave process, you need to contact The Hartford by calling 888-437-8464 or registering and applying at https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com/. When you apply, you will need the following information (if applicable):
  • Your last day worked and expected return to work date
  • Your personal information, including Social Security Number and employee ID number
  • The reason for your leave and date of injury/illness/disability
  • Your health care provider's name and contact information
  • Dates of recent and future health care visits
  • Military paperwork for military leaves
If your claim is for your own serious health condition, The Hartford will open a disability claim for you automatically.
Important - Depending on what kind of leave you are requesting, The Hartford may send you a packet of information, including forms that you and your doctor need to complete. Be sure to submit the required documentation to The Hartford within 15 calendar days from the date indicated in your leave packet.
 


Important Reminders

Throughout your leave, keep the following tips in mind:

Before Your Leave

  • Complete your timecard to reflect hours worked before you go on your leave. If you are using PTO during a portion of your leave, enter your PTO request on your timecard.
  • Place an out of office message on your email and phone. Systems access will be suspended until you return to work.
  • If your injury is work related, contact Human Resources Employee Services by opening a ticket in Help – Powered By Workday to initiate a Workers Compensation claim with our insurer, Sedgwick.
  • If you live in a state that offers disability pay, contact the state directly to file a claim (see FAQs for more details).

During Your Leave

  • Do not participate in work meetings, calls or email while on leave. However, you should keep your manager updated on your status and expected return to work date.
  • Notify The Hartford if your return to work date or status changes. You may need to submit new paperwork to get approval for both leaves and disability.
  • If you have a life event during your leave (marriage, new baby) and you need to make changes to your benefits. visit the Cotality Benefits Center to make the changes. All changes must be made within 30 days of your life event.

During your leave, you keep updated on the status of your leave by visiting https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com/ (be sure to register before you begin your leave).

Coming Back to Work

  • Notify The Hartford and your manager of your return to work date.
  • On your first day back, Request Return from Leave of Absence in Workday to ensure your pay, benefits and HR systems are reinstated. Contact Human Resources Employee Services by opening a ticket in Help – Powered By Workday.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, is designed to provide you with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in any 12-month period for the following reasons:
  • For your own serious health condition that keeps you from doing your job
  • To care for a child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition
  • For the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care
  • To deal with certain arrangements when your spouse, son, daughter, or parent is serving in the military and deployed to a foreign country.
conditions:
  • Have at least 12 months or 52 weeks of service. Separate periods will count as one as long as the break is seven years or less (break in service rules do not apply to National Guard or Reserve military status).
  • Have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately before the date when the leave is to begin. Time spent on paid or unpaid leave is not counted as part of the 1,250 hours.
  • Work where 50 or more employees are employed by the company within 75 miles of the office/worksite.
  • Haven’t exhausted a total of 12 weeks of FMLA in the most recent 12 months.
You should provide updates to your manager about the status of your leave and return to work plans. However, you should not be working while out on leave, so please do not email or participate in conference calls. You are not required to share medical information with your manager.
If you’re approved for intermittent leave and have pre-approved time off with your manager, you must contact The Hartford within 3 days of each occurrence. Also, the time that you take has to fall within the approved frequency and duration as requested by your physician. For example: 2 times per month, 2 days each time. If you are requesting time off that falls outside of what was approved, you will need to provide additional documentation from your physician to The Hartford that supports your request. Failure to report your intermittent time taken with The Hartford in a timely manner may result in corrective action.
Employees, at their discretion, may use accrued PTO during any period of unpaid leave. If you would like to use PTO while on leave, you will need to enter a PTO request within Workday. Once you have entered the PTO request, your manager will need to review and approve your request. You and your manager will have the ability to edit your timecard as necessary. Please ensure you enter your PTO request before the pay period ends.
You may, at your discretion, use accrued PTO during any period of unpaid leave. The company will follow all relevant federal, state and local laws with regard to the required use and accrual of PTO during a leave of absence.
You and your manager have the ability to update your timecard before the pay period closes. You may access it directly by going to this link and logging in.
  1. Use the direct login link: https://wd5.myworkday.com/corelogic/
  2. Your login information will be your current Employee ID and password to Workday.
  3. fReset your password and you may or may not need to set up security questions if it is your first time logging in.
Deductions for your benefits coverage will continue as long as you are receiving a paycheck from the company. The company will pay its share of premiums for coverage during a qualified leave and you will be responsible for paying your share of the premiums upon your return to work. The company will collect outstanding premiums owed through payroll deductions. The deductions will not exceed twice your normal bi-weekly premiums.
Yes. Certain types of leave may be taken even if you are not disabled, for example, a military leave of absence.
You will receive weekly checks via regular U.S. mail from The Hartford once your disability claim has been approved. You will have the option to receive your Short-Term Disability payments via check, direct deposit or on The Hartford’s prepaid debit card.
Yes. The basic benefits (employer paid) are taxable. The following describes how the taxation works for each of the disability benefit options:
Short-Term Disability – STD benefit payments are considered taxable wages and will have FICA taxes withheld along with Federal and State income taxes. Federal and State income taxes will default to a withholding rate of S/0 unless a signed W-4 form is received by The Hartford. The Hartford will include a W-4 form within the initial new claim packet. At the end of the year The Hartford will provide a W-2 for all benefits paid while on disability.
Long-Term Disability – LTD benefit payments are considered taxable wages and will automatically have FICA taxes withheld for the first 6 full months following your last date worked. Federal and State income taxes are a voluntary withholding and The Hartford will not withhold any Federal or State income tax unless a signed W-4s form is received. The Hartford will include a W-4s form within the initial new claim packet. At the end of the year The Hartford will provide a W-2 for all benefits paid while on disability. Additionally, we recommend consulting your tax advisor about any personal tax obligations.
If you live in a state that offers disability pay, paid family leave or new-child bonding leave, make sure you contact the state directly to understand how to file a claim. Helpful links and contact information are included below:

California State Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave
1-800-480-3287 or http://www.edd.ca.gov/

New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits or Paid Family Leave
1-609-292-7060 or http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor

Rhode Island Disability Insurance
1-401-462-8420 or www.dlt.state.ri.us/tdi
New York State Disability Insurance
1-888-875-5790 or ww3.nysif.com/DisabilityBenefits.aspx
Disability benefit payments may be fully or partially integrated with PTO or The Hartford disability payments. You may not receive more than 100% of your base weekly earnings and you may be subject to recovery for the amounts over 100% of base salary. The Hartford’s short term disability payment will be reduced by the amount of state benefit you are eligible for or are currently receiving. If the state benefit amount is greater that the allowable short term benefit amount, a weekly minimum benefit may be payable.
No. If you are on a leave of absence, you will not be paid for any company-designated holidays.
A salary adjustment that has an effective date prior to your leave will be implemented prior to your leave. Any salary adjustments with an effective date after your leave will be applied when return from leave.
Notify your manager and The Hartford. The Company may approve an accommodation to prior to your return date to extend your leave, however you must take action and complete and submit an Accommodation Request Form. Accommodation requests should be sent directly to The Hartford, within specified timeframes. Contact The Hartford to learn more about the process and action you must take.
In general, if you are out of work for a personal medical situation, have been released to work without any restrictions and you have confirmed your return to work date with The Hartford, a return to work certification is not required. If you are released to work with restrictions or if you return earlier than the date specified in your last doctor’s note, you will need to provide documentation to The Hartford from your healthcare provider.

* Please see the Company’s handbook for further details.

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