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Human Resources

Introduction

Bentley University remains committed to helping employees achieve the best possible health and wellbeing through the support of our comprehensive benefits program. With the Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave Act (MAPFML) taking effect on January 1, 2021, Bentley will be maintaining all our robust medical and family leave programs as they exist today, as well as expanding in some areas in accordance with the new law.

Our program will be administered by Lincoln Financial Group to provide consistency and efficiency. Lincoln Financial Group currently administers other programs for Bentley, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Short-Term Disability (STD), and Long-Term Disability (LTD). Our plans will ensure you receive the best possible leave benefits—which are above and beyond the state’s requirements—while providing an easier, integrated, and streamlined application process through Lincoln Financial Group.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions and detailed answers regarding MAPFML.

 

MAPFML Overview

On January 1, 2021, the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MAPFML) law will take effect. As a result, all eligible workers with a work location in Massachusetts will be entitled to certain paid medical and family leave benefits.

Paid medical leave may be taken to:

  • Manage a personal serious health condition

Paid family leave may be taken to:

  • Bond with a child during first 12 months after birth, adoption or foster placement (including employees who had a baby, or a child placed in your family either by adoption or foster care during the 2020 calendar year)
  • Manage needs resulting from the military deployment of a family member

On July 1, 2021, paid family leave benefits will become available for those who need to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

For a summary, see Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Overview and the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Employee Guide.

What’s Changing

Bentley’s comprehensive benefits program has always included opportunities for income replacement in the event of medical or family leaves. With the implementation of the new MAPFML law, our programs will become even more robust, with a potential for longer paid leaves for certain situations, for example, non-birth parent family bonding leaves. (See frequently asked questions).

With Lincoln Financial Group administering all of our medical and family leave programs, coordination between MAPMFL benefits and other potential applicable benefits (for example, Short-Term Disability benefits) will be seamless.

Lincoln Financial Group will be responsible for approving all medical and family leaves. Please also provide notice to your manager at least 30 days in advance for foreseeable events, or as soon as practicable for unforeseen leaves.

See the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Employee Guide for more information about how Lincoln Financial Group will administer all family and medical leaves.

Medical Leave

Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave is made up of two types of leave components—medical leave and family leave.

To be eligible for a medical leave, you must have a serious health condition. Under the MAPFML, a serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition that involves:

  • Inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility; or
  • Continuing treatment by a health care provider.

See https://www.mass.gov/info-details/paid-family-and-medical-leave-pfml-benefits-guide#what-is-a-serious-health-condition? for examples.

Approved medical leaves can be taken for up to 20 weeks per benefit year. A benefit year is the period of 52 consecutive weeks beginning on the Sunday immediately before your first day of leave. ( For example, if your first day of leave is Tuesday, February 16, your benefit year begins the Sunday immediately before, Sunday, February 14.)

There is a 7-day waiting period before medical leave benefits begin. You may use your accrued paid time off during the waiting period to receive up to 100% of pay.

When you qualify for benefits under both MAPFML and Short-Term Disability (STD), your claims will coordinate. Specifically, your MAPFML benefit would be payable plus any excess STD benefits you qualify for that exceed your MAPFML benefit, up to 100% of pay.

For more information, see the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Employee Guide.

Leave Requests
If you plan to take a qualified leave, please provide notice to your manager at least 30 days in advance for foreseeable events, or as soon as practicable for unforeseen leaves, and submit your claim by contacting Lincoln Financial Group.

Family Leave

Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave is made up of two types of leave components—medical leave and family leave.

Under MAPFML, starting January 1, 2021, you may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of family leave for bonding with a new child or certain situations related to active military service (some eligible for up to 26 weeks).

Starting July 1, 2021, you may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of family leave for caring for a sick family member.

Bonding
Up to 12 weeks of family leave can be taken by a parent or legal guardian to bond with a child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement.

Care for a covered military service member
You can take family leave to care for a family member who is or was a Covered Service Member of the Armed Forces and who requires medical care as a result of an illness or injury related to the family member’s active service. There are two types of family leave available if you have a family member who is, was, or will be deployed in a foreign country:

You can take up to 26 weeks of family leave per year to care for a family member who is a current member of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, who is:

  • Undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious health condition that was received or aggravated while they were deployed in a foreign country
  • In outpatient status for a serious health condition that was received or aggravated while they were deployed in a foreign country
  • On the temporary disability retired list for a serious injury or illness that happened while deployed in a foreign country
  • On the temporary disability retired list for a serious injury or illness that existed before the beginning of the member's active duty, and was aggravated by service while deployed in a foreign country

You can take up to 12 weeks of family leave per year to manage any needs that take place immediately after a family member is deployed in a foreign country or has been notified of an upcoming deployment in a foreign country. These needs may include:

  • Caring for a deployed family member’s child or other family member immediately before their deployment
  • Making financial or legal arrangements for deployed family member
  • Attending counseling
  • Attending military events or ceremonies
  • Spending time with a deployed family member during a rest or recuperation period
  • Spending time with a family member when they return from deployment
  • Making necessary arrangements following the death of a family member who had been deployed

See https://www.mass.gov/info-details/paid-family-and-medical-leave-pfml-benefits-guide#about-family-leave-for-family-members-who-are-active-service-members on the MAPFML website for more information.

Caring for a sick family member
MAPFML family leave benefits to care for a family member with a serious health condition become available starting July 1, 2021. Under the MAPFML, a serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition that involves:

  • Inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility; or
  • Continuing treatment by a health care provider.

For the purposes of MAPFML family leave, family members include your spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, grandchild, grandparent or sibling, the parent of your spouse or domestic partner, and guardians who legally acted as a parent when you were a minor. A child is a biological, adopted or foster child, a stepchild or legal ward, a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis, or a person to whom the employee stood in loco parentis when the person was a minor child.

Family leave to care for a sick family member is available up to 12 weeks.

Waiting period
There is a 7-day waiting period before family leave benefits begin (except for transitioning from medical leave for childbirth to family leave for bonding). You may use your accrued paid time off during the waiting period to receive 100% of pay.

Leave Requests
If you plan to take a qualified leave, please provide notice to your manager at least 30 days in advance for foreseeable events, or as soon as practicable for unforeseen leaves and submit your claim by contacting Lincoln Financial Group.

Lincoln Financial Group Contact Information

Contact your Department Chair, Manager or Supervisor AND Lincoln Financial Group at least 30 days before your leave, or as soon as practicable.

You can contact Lincoln Financial Group at 888-408-7300, or report via web or mobile device as follows:

  • Visit MyLincolnPortal.com
  • Select “Register” under “New Users.”
  • The “Create an Account” webpage will open.
  • Enter BENTLEY in the “Company Code” field and click “Validate.”
  • Enter your personal information in the corresponding fields.
  • You must also create a username and password.
  • When you have completed the required fields (marked by asterisks), click “Register.”
  • Review the Web Agreement and, if you agree, select the “Accept” button to complete your registration. You must accept in order to register successfully.

Once your claim has been received, you will be assigned a claims specialist who will guide you through the process.