The Leave of Absence policies apply to most full-time and part-time employees.  However, some types of leave may have specific eligibility requirements, which are described in each policy. Different or additional provisions may apply to some types of leave for faculty and to employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement.  Faculty members should refer to Faculty HR Policies for additional information on faculty leaves.  Union members should refer to their collective bargaining agreement.

A Leave of Absence may be granted for a specified, limited period of time. Depending on the nature of the leave and an employee’s employment situation, a leave may be covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), other state or federal statutes governing employee leaves of absences, or Bentley’s Leaves of Absence policies. Examples of leaves include Medical, Parental, Military and Personal Leave. For more details, please see the relevant sections below; employees may also contact their Human Resources Business Partner at any time with questions. A Leave of Absence presupposes that an employee will return to work at the end of the leave. Some leave entitlements may run concurrently.  An employee on a Leave of Absence from Bentley may not work at another job while on leave and generally should not be on campus during the leave. .

Employees requesting a Leave of Absence must notify both their supervisor and their Human Resources Business Partner as soon as the need for the leave arises. For medically-related leaves employees do not need to disclose their specific medical condition, just the need for the leave and the anticipated duration so the supervisor is aware and can prepare accordingly. Human Resources will provide the employee with documentation in order to formally initiate the request for a Leave of Absence with The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (LNL). LNL will collect and review all necessary documentation before determining whether the employee is eligible for the type of leave requested. The employee is responsible for providing  LNL with all required documentation in support of the leave request. Based on the type of leave, Human Resources will inform the employee how the leave will impact pay and benefits.

If the need for the leave is not foreseeable, the employee is still required to notify his/her supervisor and Human Resources as soon as practical. If the need for a Leave of Absence is foreseeable, the request for a leave must be made with as much advance notice as practical.

Typically, when an employee is out for more than five consecutive work days, the employee and the supervisor should contact Human Resources to discuss any potential need for a leave.

What Managers Need to Know about FMLA (SHRM) 

Looking for more? Click here to learn more about Bentley University Leave Policies 

Looking for answers? Click here to contact your business partner to set up a time to review the leave process