Facts about the Leave of Absence Agreement template

Contents

What is a Leave of Absence Agreement?

Employees who need to take more than a few days off of work may ask for a leave of absence from their responsibilities. If they want to return at some point, it's beneficial to create a formal agreement that details the terms of the leave of absence. A leave of absence agreement is a document that specifies the conditions of a worker's leave of absence with the employer. Sometimes, various situations in life happen, making attending to a full-time job incredibly difficult. A leave of absence helps workers take care of things in their lives and then come back to their job after a period of time. A leave of absence may be used for situations like the birth of a child, caring for a sick family member, an injury or surgery recovery or a serious long-term illness. Using a leave of absence allows an employee to get the time off they need to deal with these significant life events.
In this type of agreement, the employer states how long the leave of absence is by including the start and end date of the time off from work. The agreement may sometimes guarantee that the employee will still have a job at the company after taking the leave of absence. The leave of absence agreement may also include details about the medical diagnosis if it's a medical leave of absence, information about periodic updates to the life situation, details about pay during the leave and training documentation requirements during the leave if necessary.

What is a Leave of Absence Agreement used for?

A leave of absence agreement is used by both employers and employees to set clear terms for an extended absence from work. Employers may use them to ensure workers have specific expectations about various types of extended absences and to retain employees instead of hiring new people. Employees use this agreement when they need to take a short break from the job and intend to come back.

Why should you use a Leave of Absence Agreement?

Without a clear leave of absence agreement, employees run the risk of losing their job. This could also impact their health insurance benefits and financial stability. Some leave of absence agreements stipulate what kind of pay the employee will receive during the time off, and if there is no agreement, an employee may not be able to secure any compensation.
Employers also benefit from putting an agreement into place for a worker's leave of absence. During an extended leave, a leave of absence agreement details the return date, giving the company a way to plan around someone's time off by reallocating responsibilities or moving other staff around. They also don't have to be caught off guard if the person on leave never returns, forcing the organization to find a replacement quickly. Having this agreement helps avoid disputes or potential problems.

How to write a Leave of Absence Agreement?

The process for writing a leave of absence agreement should be straightforward but also aim to be as detailed as possible for both the employer's and employee's protection. Before preparing a leave of absence agreement, the company and the worker should review the federal government's family medical leave act information or FMLA to understand the laws of taking an extended leave to take care of a new baby or a sick family member. The federal law allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave without losing their job. Some states may offer more than the 12 weeks for different circumstances. Besides including the basic details, this agreement should also be customized for the specific situation of the worker and the company's policies for employees on an extended leave There should be lots of communication between the human resources department, management and the employee while preparing this document. Here is the information that most leave of absence agreements include:

  • Name and current position
  • Information about the type of leave
  • Reason for leave
  • FMLA information
  • Leave date and return date
  • Compensation during leave
  • Benefits information and deduction
  • Retirement information during leave
  • Job training expectations during leave
  • Resignation deadlines
  • Requirements for medical leave documentation

How to fill out a Leave of Absence Agreement with PDFSimpli in five steps?

  • 1. Preparation:

    Make sure you have all of the necessary information before starting to fill out the form. The agreement is usually prepared by the employer or human resources department, but the employee needs to be involved in the process. You will need to know what kind of leave is being requested, the amount of time the employee is taking off, the compensation and other contingency details if the employee ends up deciding to resign at the end of the leave.

  • 2. Choosing a Software:

    While it's possible to create this document on your own, it's much easier to use a software program to complete and edit a leave of absence agreement that works for your situation. With our PDFSimpli software, you get the capability to work on a PDF document at your own pace and come back and edit it when you need to. This helps people in the workplace get a simple, easy to understand electronic document that details a leave of absence. Best of all, it's free during the trial period.

  • 3. Fill Out or Edit the Leave of Absence Agreement:

    PDFSimpli highlights all of the parts of the document the employer and the employee need to complete and edit, making the process much faster and smoother. If you need more information to fill out the leave of absence agreement, you can find out what you need and then finish it later. Once completing the details, the software also allows for electronic signatures.

  • 4. Review:

    After you have finished filling out the document and ensuring it's correct and complete, it needs to be reviewed by both the employer and the employee. Both parties need to check over to see if all of the names, details and dates of the leave are correct. If everything looks good, it should be signed by the employee and the employer to indicate agreement.

  • 5. Save, Download, Print or Send for E-Signature:

    The leave of absence agreement should then be saved and downloaded into the computer for printing. Once it's printed out, it should be filed into the employer's human resources department. If the company keeps human resources files on each employee, place the leave of absence agreement into the employee's individual file. If a physical signature is required over an electronic one, make sure both parties sign the agreement.

Leave of Absence Agreement frequently asked questions

There are various reasons why people ask to take a temporary leave of absence. Some of the most common leave types are paternity or maternity leave, medical leave, family medical leave, military deployment or an academic sabbatical. Some employees may also grant leave to workers looking to further their skills in the field or for temporary projects with another company.

Some leave of absence agreements address employee benefits, payroll deductions and what happens to them during the leave. If the leave is unpaid, the agreement needs to address how benefit payroll elections will be handled and if the employee is responsible for submitting payments to the benefits coordinator to keep health and dental insurance. Paid leave terms may not have to include changes to benefits and payroll deductions.

When employees are on a temporary leave of absence, some may eventually decide to resign from their position instead of returning. A leave of absence agreement may include a stipulation of a deadline to indicate resignation during the leave so management can find a suitable replacement. The agreement should also indicate whether or not the employee will return at the same position, salary and location or one that is similar to it.

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