FAQ (FMLA & TD)

Inform your campus of your expected start date of absence and how long you will be out.

Enter absences into AESOP or complete absence-from-duty forms for your department for the length of time you anticipate being absent.

Provide a medical note or medical certification to your Human Resources Leave Specialist via fax (281) 897-3861 or via email (HRLeave@cfisd.net). If a medical note is provided, it must be on physician/clinic letterhead and signed by the physician stating:

• Employee Name/Patient Name,
• Date absences began due to medical condition,
• Medical facts of qualifying serious health condition, and 
• Anticipated length of recovery and/or specific release date 

The employee must

• Have a total of at least 12 months of service, and
• Have physically worked 1,250 hours with CFISD within the 12 months prior to the need for FMLA leave.
• Provide medical documentation of a qualifying serious health condition. Forms can be found in Leave Resources.

An employee may qualify for FMLA

• for the birth of a son or daughter, and to bond with the newborn child.
• for the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care, and to bond with that child.
• to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent – but not a parent “in-law”) with a serious health condition:
  •  Minor children are covered for qualifying serious health conditions.
  •  Adult children are covered if they are incapable of self-care because of a qualifying disability AND have a qualifying serious health condition.
• when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.
• for qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is on covered active duty or call to covered active-duty status as a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or Regular Armed Forces.

Temporary Disability may be used 

• When the employee does not meet FMLA criteria.
• To cover an employee’s own illness/injury.
• After providing medical documentation of a qualifying serious health condition. Forms can be found in Leave Resources.

It's important to note that Temporary Disability

• Does not cover absences for care of a family member.
• Only covers consecutive absences. No intermittent Leave is available.

The maximum FMLA leave period is 12 weeks of leave/ 60 workdays of absence in a rolling 12-month period.

The leave period is approved based on the medical documentation and the CFISD leave policy.

The leave period does not count weekends and non-contracted workdays.

Paid leave days are required to be used concurrently with medical leave.

For contract (teacher/paraprofessional) employees – TD is a maximum of 180 calendar days but limited to the amount of time identified by the physician as medically necessary.

For hourly/ancillary employees – TD is a maximum of 60 workdays but limited to the amount of time identified by the physician as medically necessary.

If an employee has not been released to return to return to work, medical leave applies if more than 3 consecutive days of absence occur.

If a medical event occurs off-contract and an employee is released to return to work, on or before first workday of contract, no leave is needed.

For bonding/care of newborn, if eligible for FMLA, employees may begin leave at the beginning of the contracted school year.

This is identified in the Employee Handbook.

CFISD does not permit the use of intermittent or reduced schedule FMLA leave for the care of a newborn child or adoption or placement of a child with the employee.

The FMLA entitlement of 12 work weeks is shared between married employees for care of a newborn/bonding.

No.

If an employee has enough leave days to cover their absences, there is no impact to paychecks.

If an employee incurs 5 or less days of unpaid coverage, checks will be docked at their daily rate on the corresponding paycheck period.

For hourly employees: once checks stop, they restart only once an employee returns to work. There is no recalculation.

For contracted employees: If employees will incur more than 5 dock days, checks may be processed to stop.

• Checks stop once all monies owed are paid out.  This means checks may stop after 1 check or continue for 2-3 more checks depending on the number of leave days available and the number of days worked.
• Once an employee returns to work, checks are restarted based on payroll cycles.
• Restarted checks are recalculated based on the number of contracted workdays remaining in the school year. This calculation is the employee’s daily rate multiplied by the number of workdays remaining in contract period.  This gross amount is averaged over the remaining paychecks in the payroll cycle. Example – An employee has a daily rate of $341.34.  Returns to work 11/7/23, leaving 127 workdays in the contract period.  Checks restart 12/19/23, leaving 18 remaining paychecks. Calculation is $341.34 x 127 / 18 = $2408.34 before deductions per paycheck.    
• The recalculated gross, per paycheck amounts are typically smaller than the pre-leave checks. The recalculated check amount continues through the end of the contracted year’s pay cycle (typically August).

No. CFISD requires an employee to use their leave days to pay them during medical leave absences.  This use of leave runs concurrently with the FMLA/TD coverage.

No.  CFISD does not have an individualized leave day share program.

Employees can join the Sick Leave Bank during the open enrollment period. More information on this can be found in the Policies section of District Intranet. 

Unpaid status refers to paychecks received from CFISD. Third-party insurance payments are not considered when determining unpaid status. 

The disability insurance contact can be reached at 281-897-4010 for questions related to disability insurance.

If you are in paid status, you may return once released.

If you are in unpaid status, you must return at least 10 workdays prior to the end of your contract period for checks to restart at their recalculated amount.

If you are in unpaid status, and you are not released to return the last 10 workdays of your contract period, you will not be able to return until the new contract period begins.  Checks once stopped, will restart after your return in the new contract year based on the payroll cycle.

 No. While on medical leave, this is a no-work period.  You are not allowed on-site at CFISD facilities or events. The exception would be visiting the administrative building to address payroll, insurance and/or Human Resources questions.

If in inactive status during summer months, employee will not be able to attend/complete professional development nor complete CTE.

CTE credit is used for compensation purposes and will not extend the FMLA or Temporary Disability entitlement.

To speak with a family member, Human Resources requires written permission from the employee from their CFISD email address or a financial power of attorney.