family leave of absence
understand your options
The rules about what time qualifies as Chevron Family Leave and FMLA are complex. Contact Reed Group at 1-888-825-5247 for clarification and guidance on what is covered under FMLA and to discuss Chevron Family Leaves and how to request them.
overview
Chevron provides employees with Family Leave Without Pay that offers similar job protection as FMLA. Moreover, the company’s Family Leave provides more time off for family reasons than the federal law, and it includes a broader definition of a family member.
For more information, see HR Policy 112 for U.S.-Payroll Employees Family Leave (intranet access only).
See the at-a-glance chart for a quick look at the provisions of FMLA and Chevron Family Leave, as well as several California laws that apply to time off.
The rules about what time qualifies as Chevron Family Leave and FMLA are complex, and there are different procedures for reporting and qualifying for the time off. If you have questions about how your time off may be counted or what you need to do, contact Reed Group at 1-888-825-5247.
eligibility
If you're an eligible employee with six or more months of health and welfare eligibility service, you can take a Family Leave for the following reasons:
- Childbirth, adoption or a new foster child.
- To care for a member of your immediate family who's seriously ill or injured.
- Military exigency
how to request a leave
You should contact your supervisor as soon as possible if you are considering a leave or if you need to take a leave.
To request a leave under this policy, follow the Disability Management process.
summary of conditions
pay
Your pay will be suspended while you're on Family Leave.
service
If you're reinstated to active employment, the entire period of your leave will count as vesting and eligibility service in the Retirement Plan and the Employee Savings Investment Plan and as benefit accrual service in the Retirement Plan. If you're eligible to accrue health and welfare eligibility service, the entire period while on leave will count as health and welfare eligibility service.
However, if you work for others for pay during your leave without securing advance permission from Chevron, if you do not return to work on the first workday after your leave ends, or if you do not apply for reinstatement, your vesting and eligibility service and health and welfare eligibility service will end on the earliest of the following:
- 365 days from the date the leave began.
- The date Chevron determines you began work for others for pay.
- The date the leave ends.
In these instances, no time on leave will count as benefit accrual service for the Retirement Plan.
returning to work
You must apply for Chevron reinstatement before your Family Leave ends. On receipt of notice that you intend to return to work, the company will reinstate you in your previous position or another position (in the same general geographic area) that the company considers equivalent in terms of level and pay. During the leave, you remain subject to the disciplinary process and to transfer, reassignment, severance, termination and demotion, as required by organizational changes and other business needs.
benefits during family leave
Medical, dental and mental health/substance abuse coverage for you and your dependents continues during the leave, unless you cancel your coverage. To continue mental health/substance abuse coverage for your dependents, you also must continue their medical coverage during the leave.
To continue coverage, you must pay any required contributions at employee rates. You will receive billing information from the HR Service Center. You are responsible for making timely premium payments as defined by the administrative rules of the Omnibus Health Care Plan. To avoid cancellation of coverage for a late or missed payment, please call the HR Service Center within 31 days of your leave if you don't receive information regarding the billing of your premiums. If coverage ends due to late or missed payments, you and your enrolled dependents may qualify for continuing health plan coverage under COBRA by timely electing such coverage and paying the required 102 percent premiums. If you still are on a Family Leave during the annual open enrollment period, you can re-enroll in a health plan at employee rates during open enrollment by contacting the HR Service Center. Coverage elected during open enrollment becomes effective the following January 1.
To cancel your coverage, call the HR Service Center. If you cancel your medical and dental coverage, it will be reinstated effective the first day of the month after you return to work. If you return to work during the same calendar year, you will be re-enrolled automatically in the same coverage options that you had before the leave began. If you return to work in a different calendar year, you can change your medical and dental options. This assumes you return to work with Chevron on the first workday following the expiration of your leave.
Your Basic Life Insurance Plan coverage continues during your leave, but not for more than six months. You can continue Supplemental Life Insurance Plan coverage and Dependent Life Insurance Plan coverage for yourself and your eligible dependents. To continue coverage, you must pay the required contributions. You will be billed directly by the HR Service Center.
If you are a former Texaco employee, your Former Texaco Term Life Insurance Plan coverage continues during your leave. You also can continue Former Texaco Contributory Term Life Insurance Plan coverage if you pay the required contributions. You will receive billing information from the HR Service Center.
If your leave is 31 days or less, and you return within the calendar year in which your leave began, your Dependent Care Spending Account contributions are suspended during your leave and then resumed automatically when you return to work. The total amount not already deducted for the year will be taken out of your remaining paychecks for the year when you return to work.
If your leave is more than 31 days, your contributions end. To resume your contributions, you must contact the HR Service Center when you return to work. You can request reimbursement of qualified expenses incurred in the calendar year in which your leave begins, as long as there's money in your account (subject to the administrative rules of the Omnibus Health Care Plan).