disability leave of absence
without pay
looking for short-term disability info?
The information on this website is specific to Disability Leaves of Absence under the Long-Term Disability (LTD) Plan. Learn more about Short-Term Disability (STD) benefits.
overview
If you’re eligible for coverage under the Long-Term Disability (LTD) Plan and you’re disabled, you can request to be placed on a Disability Leave of Absence while you’re in the LTD elimination period (the time that must pass before LTD benefits begin) or while receiving LTD Plan benefits. A Disability Leave of Absence doesn't provide pay, rather it protects your employment status with Chevron for service recognition purposes.
To initiate a Disability Leave of Absence, you are required to follow all of the applicable steps that are outlined by the Disability Management process (even if you’ve already completed the process for a Short-Term Disability claim). You cannot be placed on a Disability Leave of Absence until after you’ve exhausted all of your Short-Term Disability (STD) Plan benefits and used all of your vacation time.
more about disability leave
read the full policy
how to request a disability leave
when disability leave starts and ends
Typically, a Disability Leave of Absence starts the day after all of your Short-Term Disability (STD) Plan benefits and vacation time have been exhausted. This type of absence can continue as long as you’re in the Long-Term Disability (LTD) Plan elimination period (the time that must pass before you can begin to receive LTD benefits) or as long as you’re receiving benefits from the LTD Plan.
In general, a Disability Leave of Absence will end when you return to work or when the first of the following occurs:
- There is not a job available on the date you’re able to return
- A job is available on your return date, but you elect not to return
- The date you’re no longer in compliance with Disability Leave of Absence guidelines
- The date you resign, or your inactive employment status is otherwise terminated
- The date you’re no longer eligible to receive LTD Plan benefits
- The date of your death
A Disability Leave of Absence can satisfy the legal entitlements outlined by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as well as similar entitlements under applicable state leave laws.
pay during a disability leave
pay during a disability leave
returning to work from a disability leave
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.
Chevron is not obligated to return you to active employment after the first 31 days of a Disability Leave of Absence, unless your leave is protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In every case, Chevron will attempt to return you to active employment taking your qualifications and the company’s business needs into consideration.
Disability Leaves of Absence that qualify under FMLA and leaves of absence for maternity, childbirth or related medical conditions may have different work reinstatement guidelines and processes, and will be managed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
what happens to your benefits while on leave
Your eligibility to participate in Chevron medical, dental, mental health and substance use disorder coverage for you and your dependents continues during the leave, unless you cancel your coverage. (Note: To continue mental health and substance use disorder 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 direct billing information from the HR Service Center. You are responsible for making timely premium payments.
- 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 direct 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 leave during the open enrollment period, you can then 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.
- Short-Term Disability Plan coverage is suspended while you're on leave and will be reinstated when you return to work.
- Basic Coverage in the Long-Term Disability Plan continues during leave.
- If you have Optional Coverage in the Long-Term Disability Plan or Excess LTD Plan coverage, this coverage continues if you make any required contributions. (Optional Coverage contributions are suspended while you're receiving LTD benefits, and Excess LTD coverage contributions are suspended while you're receiving Excess LTD benefits.)
Your Basic Life Insurance Plan coverage continues during your leave.
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 premiums timely.
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.
To pay any required premiums:
- You will receive direct billing information from the HR Service Center.
- 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 direct billing of your premiums.
You can continue Voluntary Group Accident Insurance Plan coverage during your leave if you pay the required premiums. If you stop coverage while on leave, the coverage you had before the leave will be reinstated effective the first day of the month after you return.
- You will receive direct billing information from the HR Service Center.
- 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 direct billing of your premiums.
- You can continue Long-Term Care Insurance Plan coverage and there is no change to how you pay your premiums with Genworth.
- You can continue Group Auto and Home Insurance coverage for yourself and your eligible dependents. To continue coverage, you must pay the required premiums. Contact Mercer Voluntary Benefits to arrange for direct billing during your leave.
You can continue Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) participation on an after-tax basis while on leave. If you cancel participation or if your coverage ends due to late or missed payments, you can't claim expenses incurred during the period you did not participate. To resume participation when you return to work, you must call the HR Service Center to re-enroll.
- You will receive direct billing information from the HR Service Center.
- 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 direct billing of your premiums.
If your leave is 31 days or less, and you return within the calendar year in which your leave began, your Dependent Day Care Spending Account (DCSA) 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 call 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.
Your active participation in the Employee Savings Investment Plan (ESIP) is suspended during your leave.
- Your contributions and the company's contributions stop until you return to work.
- Your accounts remain invested and continue to share in earnings, gains and losses.
- You can make exchanges and withdrawals and take loans while on leave.
- You also may be eligible for a disability withdrawal that allows you to withdraw your before-tax contributions.
- Depending on the type of withdrawal, you may be suspended from active participation for three months.
- If you have a loan outstanding and are on leave for more than 30 days, call Fidelity for information about your repayment options.
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
This communication provides only certain highlights about benefit provisions. It is not intended to be a complete explanation. If there are any discrepancies between this communication and the legal plan documents, the legal plan documents will prevail to the extent permitted by law. Oral statements about plan benefits are not binding on Chevron or the applicable plan. Chevron Corporation reserves all rights, for any reason and at any time, to amend, change or terminate these plans or to change or eliminate the company contribution toward the cost of such plans. Such amendments, changes, terminations or eliminations may be applicable without regard to whether someone previously terminated employment with Chevron or previously was subject to a grandfathering provision. Unless required by applicable law, there are no vested rights with respect to any Chevron health and welfare plan benefit or to any company contributions towards the cost of such health and welfare plan benefits. Some benefit plans and policies described in this document may be subject to collective bargaining and, therefore, may not apply to union-represented employees.
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contact
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