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disability management process

for U.S.-payroll employees

disability management process

Understand how the Chevron disability management process works and which action items you’re responsible for completing in a timely manner to initiate an absence or a return to work.
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Questions?

If you have questions or concerns about any of the following, please contact Disability Management at 1-877-230-8564:

  • Recent mySedgwick changes
  • Absence
  • Leave
  • Returning to work

quick links

mySedgwick website
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Short-Term Disability (STD)
Long-Term Disability (LTD)
State disability and leave benefits
Disability Management Overview
Time Away Overview (intranet)

compliance for U.S.-payroll employees

For absences that are subject to the Disability Management process, you’re responsible for ensuring you follow all steps in the reporting and return-to-work process, and that requested information is provided in a timely manner. If you don’t complete all required steps, you could be disqualified from being able to receive disability benefits, or you may not receive job protection for FMLA-related absences.

disability management overview

If you have an absence that’s subject to Chevron’s Disability Management process, there are certain processes that you have to follow and actions that you need to complete to report an absence and receive any benefits for which you may be eligible. In general, you should follow the Disability Management process for any absence that’s related to: 

  • Job protection under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or a state or local leave law for any length of time you'll miss work for a qualifying reason 
  • Your own illness or injury that lasts for more than five consecutive scheduled workdays 
  • Caring for a seriously ill or injured qualifying family member
  • The birth, placement or adoption of a child 
  • Military family leave 

If you're a resident expatriate or rotational expatriate employee, you have unique responsibilities under this process. Learn more (intranet). 

how to report a qualifying absence

As a general rule, you should always notify your supervisor of any absence that causes you to miss work, regardless of the reason or length. When it’s possible, you should give your supervisor at least a 30-day notice or as much notice as you can. You don’t have to share any medical or personal health information with your supervisor.

To initiate the Disability Management process, contact Chevron’s absence management partner to report your absence at least 30 days before it begins (or with as much notice as is practicable). This will begin the certification process to verify your eligibility. 

As a reminder, you should follow the Disability Management process for any absence that’s related to: 

  • Job protection under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or a state or local leave law 
  • Your own illness or injury that lasts for more than five scheduled consecutive workdays 
  • Caring for a seriously ill or injured qualifying family member
  • The birth, placement or adoption of a child 
  • Military family leave 

If you’re unable to report an absence yourself, you may have a family member or friend do so on your behalf.

to report an absence by phone:

if you prefer to report an absence online:

If you’re unable to report an absence yourself, you may have a family member or friend do so on your behalf. 

Chevron’s absence management partner will explain which forms you need to complete related to your absence. In addition, they can request medical information from your doctor(s) on your behalf with the appropriate approvals from you (except when you report an absence under FMLA).  

Throughout this process, Chevron’s absence management partner could request additional documentation from you or your doctor(s), as needed. Ultimately, you’re responsible for ensuring all requested information, either from you or from your doctor(s), is provided in a timely manner. 

If you don’t complete the required steps or provide the requested information, you could be disqualified from being eligible to receive disability benefits, including Short-Term Disability (STD) or Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefits. In addition, if you’re absent for an FMLA-related reason and you don’t contact Chevron’s absence management partner, your absence won’t be recorded as qualifying for job protection under FMLA. 
After you report your absence, a designated case manager from Chevron’s absence management partner will contact you. This person will be your primary point of contact throughout the duration of your time away from work. 

Your case manager and their team (which could include doctors, nurses and vocational specialists) will evaluate your situation and the potential length of time you need to be absent. This person will also work with you and with Chevron to help you meet your recovery and return-to-work goals. 

As your absence progresses, you’re responsible for staying in contact with your case manager (like to provide medical updates after doctor visits) as well as your supervisor (remember, you shouldn’t share health-related information but it’s a good idea to keep them updated on when you could potentially return to work). 

how to prepare for a return to work

When you think you’re able to return to work, contact your supervisor to let them know what date you intend to return, even if it’s on a part-time basis. Next, you should contact your case manager (you can contact Chevron's absence management partner if your case manager isn’t available). 

If your case manager has questions about your condition or ability to return to work, they could request an independent medical exam (IME) from a local health care provider at no cost to you. The IME doctor will not provide medical treatment but will give an independent opinion about your condition to your case manager. 
Before you can return, you must submit documentation from your doctor(s) that states you have been released to return to work. In addition, please also email your return-to-work note to Disability Management so your fitness for duty decision maker may reach out to you about coming back to work before you do so. 

This return-to-work note should outline all activities that you should not or cannot perform and how long these restrictions or limitations are in effect. If you have either, you’ll receive assistance to determine your job-specific accommodation needs, and then your supervisor will determine if those needs can be met or not and for how long. 

Information about your fitness to return to work could be shared with your supervisor and HR business partner so they can take steps to help you return safely, like helping to arrange for job accommodations you may need, when possible.

Confidential health and personal information are protected by applicable privacy laws and internal policies and are never shared with your supervisor or anyone else at Chevron, except Chevron’s Disability Management and Health & Medical teams, if necessary.
To support your safe return to work, you should work with your doctor(s), absence management case manager, supervisor and Chevron Disability Management to create a return-to-work plan, if appropriate or required. 

You may return on a reduced schedule or with reduced duties while you continue to recover from an illness or injury, so long as you’re able to do so and your supervisor is able to accommodate the request. 
Chevron could require that you complete a fitness for duty (FFD) review and receive clearance after an exam before you can return to work. This could include but is not limited to a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) or other Operational Excellence Fitness for Duty processes. 

Your operating company or business unit may request additional documentation related to work restrictions or limitations, or have its own return-to-work guidelines that you have to follow (your supervisor can provide this information, if applicable). 

If you have questions, please refer to the Chevron FFD website (intranet) or consult your FFD Decision Maker. If you need help identifying who your FFD Decision Maker is, you may consult the Occupational Health Support Finder (intranet) to determine your contact.

roles and responsibilities

Here’s an overview of who’s involved as part of the Disability Management process. Knowing this information can help you understand generally what each party is responsible for doing and how their role helps to ensure the Disability Management process works as intended.

employees

supervisors

  • Encourage and support an employee’s compliance with the Disability Management process
  • Review the Absence Management Quick Start Guide (watch video, intranet) to learn about required absence processes
  • Routinely review reports to ensure an employee’s time off is coded accurately; see this video (intranet) to learn how
  • Follow the Disability Management process, as well as any local absence and return-to-work fitness for duty procedures that apply
  • Ensure employee does not return to work until you’ve received notice indicating their return clearance from CorpFFD@chevron.com
  • Communicate any absence information to Disability Management that may be relevant to managing employee absences 
  • Provide Chevron’s absence management partner with necessary information (like a GO-308, for example)
  • Instructions for accessing mySedgwick for supervisors

HR business partners

  • Counsel employees about how the Disability Management process works
  • Refer employees to information resources about local absence and return-to-work procedures
  • Answer employee questions about absence eligibility depending on the type of absence they may have
  • Help employees navigate the return-to-work process, as appropriate; this could include job search assistance

absence management partner

  • Primary point of contact for employees to help navigate the process for qualifying absences
  • Certifies benefits eligibility under applicable Chevron plan, program and/or policy, or state or local leave law
  • Provides status of claims to employee and Chevron’s Disability Management team
  • Manages and administers pay for Long-Term Disability (LTD) Plan benefits 
  • Helps employee navigate the return-to-work process 

chevron resources

Chevron's Disability Management and Health & Medical teams can provide employees with information about:

  • The Operational Excellence Fitness-for-Duty (intranet) process 
  • Internal job-specific return-to-work processes, depending on job 
  • Returning with or without accommodations and/or reduced work schedules 
  • Questions related to what needs to happen for a return to full work duties 

contacts

chevron's absence management partner

Contact Chevron's absence management partner when you need to report an absence as part of the Disability Management process, complete documentation required for your absence, or contact your dedicated case manager.

chevron HR service center

Contact the Chevron HR Service Center (Choose the phone menu option for Benefits) for assistance with the following time away needs:

  • Verify if you are currently enrolled in the Chevron Short-Term Disability Plan and the Chevron Long-Term Disability Plan.
  • If you need to enroll in or stop Optional Coverage under the Chevron Long-Term Disability Plan.
  • If you want to learn about how your other Chevron benefits are affected while you are on a leave.
  • If you need to pay for Chevron benefit coverage through direct billing while on leave.

disability management

Contact Disability Management for general questions or concerns about an absence, leave, or about returning to work.

  • 1-877-230-8564 

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