IBEW LOCAL 2325 |

What you need if you call out sick

1) Absence Notification- Day One Through Day Seven

Call your immediate supervisor or absence administrator, as applicable for your work group. Please make this call prior to the start of your scheduled work time to let them know you will not be at work due to illness or injury.

Provide the following information when you call:

· Date of 1^st day of absence.

· Whether your absence is a new absence, or is related to a previously approved intermittent certification. (Note: Please provide the FMLA certification start date if there are multiple certifications.)

The Absence Reporting Center (ARC) will be notified of your absence by your supervisor. A letter to either confirm or deny your administrative eligibility for FMLA (worked 1250 hours in previous 12 months) will be put in the mail to your home address within two (2) business days. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE AN FMLA MEDICAL CERTIFICATION FORM WITH YOUR LETTER. You can get the form from your supervisor or on the eweb from a Verizon computer. It is imperative that you send the completed forms to the ARC within 25 days of the 1^st day of your absence.

GUIDELINES FOR FILING FMLA FORMS

· Have your healthcare provider complete the FMLA forms. The completed forms must be received by the ARC within 25 days of the 1^st day of absence.

· If the ARC determines your forms are incomplete, and you are within the 25 day period to submit the forms, the ARC will return the forms to you with the incomplete sections highlighted and instructions for what needs to be completed. The corrected forms must be received by the ARC within 25 days of the 1^st day of absence.

· If forms are incomplete and 25 day period has expired, the ARC will return the forms and send a denial letter with instructions for requesting an Administrative Review.

· You will have 14 days from the date of the denial letter to request an administrative review. All corrections must be initialed and dated by your healthcare provider. The corrected forms AND A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW must be received by the ARC within 14 days of the date of the denial letter.

To ensure your forms a sent, fax the completed forms yourself, and call the ARC at 1-877-275-8947 to verify they were received.

2) Absences Beyond Seven Calendar Days (more than 5 working days)

Call MetLife at (800) 638-4228 on or before the 8^th calendar day if your illness or injury continues for more than seven calendar days (or, you suffer a relapse within 14 calendar days of returning from a previous disability absence). This call should be made on or before the eighth calendar day of your absence. If your absence is a relapse within 14 calendar days of a previous disability, you need to call MetLife immediately. If you do not call MetLife there may be a delay in your pay.

Please be sure YOU do the following:

· You must stay in constant contact with the MetLife case manager. The best way to do this is to call MetLife at (800) 638-4228 and request a call back from your case manager. Case manager must return call within 2 hours if you call before 3 PM.

· Questions to ask:

o 1 week prior to expiration of MetLife approval, contact case manager and ask for detailed info that your doctor needs to provide to extend your short term disability claim.

o You must ask you doctor to provide all the requested info to MetLife

· If possible fax the forms to MetLife yourself, and get a confirmation sheet that has the phone number of the fax you sent it from. If not, make sure you get the fax number from your doctor’s office. Call MetLife to verify they received all of the faxes. By giving the fax number to MetLife case manager it enables verification of receipt of your fax.

YOU NEED TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR METLIFE AND YOUR DOCTOR