Holidays & Leave

FML Supervisor FAQs

If you have a question that are not answered here, please reach out to us directly at ua-hr-leaves@alaska.edu to discuss. 

Please review the information in the drop down menus below depending on your situation. Reach out to ua-benefits@alaska.edu with any questions.

Direct them to apply with Unum
If you have an employee who indicates that they need FML for a serious health condition for themselves or a family member, please direct the employee to Unum so that they may begin a claim. 

Unum can be reached either online, via phone, or through their mobile application. 

  • Unum phone number 866-779-1054

Time and schedule
As a supervisor, you should be aware of your employees absences and direct your employees to complete their time sheets in UAOnline and with Unum appropriately. 

  • UAOnline Time Recording
    • Employees should use sick leave (earnings code 550) for all FML absences
    • Supervisors should review time sheets on UAOnline for accuracy before approving
  • Unum Time Recording
    • Employees must report their FML to Unum as soon as practicable.
    • Unum can be contacted online, via phone, or through their mobile application
      • Unum phone number 866-779-1054
      • Supervisors should be directing employees to Unum to enter their time.

Email ua-benefits@alaska.edu 
Yes. Please email ua-benefits@alaska.edu with the details surrounding your employee's FML needs. 

May vary; communicated by Unum via the approval notice
If eligible for FML, employees may be eligible for federal leave and/or state leaves. State leaves will depend on the employees work location.  You will receive information via email from Unum regarding your employee's entitlement. 

 

Sick leave
Sick leave (earnings code 550) is used for all FML absences. Be sure your employees are completing their time sheets properly and coding their FML time as earnings code 550. 

 

 

Unum tracks the FML entitlement
Unum does not use the same earnings codes as UAOnline. If you have an employee on FML, they will enter their sick leave in UAOnline and then reach out to Unum and report their absence with them separately. 

Required to report time to Unum
Employees must report their FML time to Unum to be considered protected under the FMLA.

No. Time reported to Unum will need to be done directly by the employee. If there are concerns with time reporting (i.e. if the employee is unavailable) please email ua-benefits@alaska.edu. 

Supervisors should never see their employee's medical documentation
No. Supervisors should not have access to any medical data provided on the certification for a serious health condition.  This would include accepting the certification from the employee and providing it to Unum on the employee's behalf. 

FML is unpaid job protection
While FML in unpaid, the èßäÊÓƵ requires that employees use their paid leaves while on approved FML. To do so, employees must use their sick leave (earnings code 550) when they are absent for FML. If sick leave exhausts, employees must still use the 550 earnings code. This code will then cascade automatically to annual leave, faculty time off, and personal holiday. If you do not have sufficient paid leave to cover your FML event, you are still entitled to take unpaid FML or review on of the possible salary continuation options available under the drop down "Since FML is unpaid leave, what are my salary continuation options?" on the main FML webpage. 

Salary continuation options
There are a few salary continuation options available to employees out on FML. Review the salary continuation options on the main FML webpage.

Employees should reach out to their supervisor and Unum
When your employee is returning to work after their FML event, they will need to reach out to Unum to close out their FML. As a supervisor, you should direct your employee to Unum to discuss closeout information with Unum. 

Three options
If your employee is exhausting their FML entitlement and they are not able to return to work, there are several options to discuss:

  1. You can work with your employee directly to continue a schedule that works for both the department and the employee's needs (not FML protected)
  2. The employee can apply for an American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation. Reach out to ua-ada@alaska.edu to discuss. 
  3. The employee can apply for LTD through Unum

If these options have been exhausted, please reach out to ua-benefits@alaska.edu for additional/next steps.