Family and Medical Leave

In accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act, Lakeland will provide medical leaves of absence without pay to eligible employees who are temporarily unable to work due to a serious health condition or disability. For purposes of this policy, serious health conditions or disabilities include inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility; continuing treatment by a health care provider; and temporary disabilities associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. Family leave is also available for adoption, foster child placement, and care of a dependent child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition.

Eligible employees must have been employed for at least 12 months and worked for 1250 hours or more in the last twelve months. Also, to be eligible, there must be 50 or more employees working within 75 miles, as defined in the Act.

Employees in the following employment classifications may also request medical leave as described in this policy even if they are not otherwise entitled to Family Medical Leave:

* Regular full-time employees

* Regular part-time employees

Eligible employees should make requests for medical leave to their supervisors at least 30 days in advance of foreseeable events and as soon as possible for unforeseeable events.

Eligible employees must submit a statement by a health care provider verifying the serious health condition or temporary disability, the need for medical leave and the beginning and expected ending dates of the needed leave. Any changes in this information must be promptly reported by the employee to Lakeland. Employees returning from medical leave must submit a health care provider's verification of their fitness to return to work.

Eligible employees are normally granted leave for the period of the disability, up to a maximum of 12 weeks within any 12-month period, calculated from the date of the requested leave. Employees will be required to first use any available paid leave time before taking unpaid family or medical leave. Any combination of paid and unpaid leave may not exceed this maximum 12 week limit. If the initial period of approved absence proves insufficient, consideration will be given to a request for an extension.

Employees who sustain work-related injuries and are required by a medical service provider to be absent from work, are eligible for a medical leave of absence in accordance with this policy. Refer to Section 306 Workers? Compensation (above) for use of sick leave during state mandated waiting period for work related injuries.

Subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of the applicable plans, insurance benefits under the group health plan will be provided by Lakeland during the Family Medical Leave for eligible employees. Employees will be required to pay any current co-payment on the premium and may be required to reimburse Lakeland for any premium amounts paid if they do not return to work at the conclusion of the leave.

For non-eligible employees granted leave, insurance coverages will be continued, with any required co-payment on premium, through the end of the month in which the approved medical leave begins. At that time, employees will become responsible for the full costs of these benefits if they wish coverage to continue beyond the end of that month.

When the employee returns from family or medical leave, these insurance benefits will again be provided by Lakeland according to the applicable plans and policies in place at that time.

Benefit accruals, such as vacation, sick leave, or holiday benefits, will be suspended during the leave and will resume upon return to active employment.

Eligible employees returning from an approved Family Medical Leave will be returned to the same or equivalent position, unless their employment would have otherwise been terminated for legitimate reasons. Employees designated as ?key? employees may not be eligible for reinstatement. The designation will be determined at the time the leave is requested.

Non-eligible employees who are granted leave will likewise be returned to their previous position, if it is still available, or to another open position if one is available for which they are qualified. Reinstatement will not result in a promotion.

So that an employee's return to work can be properly scheduled, any employee on medical leave is requested to provide Lakeland with at least two weeks advance notice of the date the employee intends to return to work. When a medical leave ends, an employee who has been released to return to work without restrictions will be reinstated to the same position, if it is available, or to an open and available equivalent position for which the employee is qualified. Where an employee has been released to return to work with some restrictions, Lakeland will accommodate the employee?s restrictions when reasonably possible. However, Lakeland cannot guarantee reinstatement in all cases.

If an employee fails to return to work on the agreed upon return date, the employee will have abandoned his/her job and forfeited any further return rights.

Lakeland will not discriminate or retaliate against any employee for requesting leave or exercising their rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Employees should report any concerns to the Administrative Services Manager, or the Director.

Policy No.  601  Issued  10/1/2002  Applicable  8/8/2002