Military Caregiver Leave
Military caregiver leave is taken by a spouse, parent, child, or next of kin to care for a covered service member who incurred a serious injury or illness in the line of duty on active duty in the Armed Forces.
Workers can receive CT Paid Leave income replacement benefits if they are taking military family leave, either for military caregiver leave or qualifying exigency leave.
Military caregiver leave is taken by a spouse, parent, child, or next of kin to care for a covered service member who incurred a serious injury or illness in the line of duty on active duty in the Armed Forces.
Duration of benefits for Military Caregiver Leave
Pursuant to both federal FMLA and CT FMLA, up to 26 weeks of job protected leave are available for military caregivers. However, CT Paid Leave is
only available for 12 weeks total in a 12 month period.
Because proof that the serious health condition occurred in the line of duty while on active duty is a necessary part of military caregiver leave,
the documentation for military caregiver leave is different than standard caregiver leave.
Application Document Checklist
Qualifying exigency leave is leave for one of 9 specific reasons arising from the deployment of the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent on covered active duty with the Armed Forces.
To address any issue that arises from a covered service member being notified of an impending call or order to active duty 7 calendar days or less before the date of deployment.
Leave taken for this purpose can be used for a period of 7 calendar days beginning on the date the covered service member is notified of the impending call or order to covered active duty.
To attend any official ceremony, program, or event sponsored by the military that is related to the covered active duty or call to covered duty of a covered service member; and/or to attend family support or assistance programs and informational briefings sponsored or promoted by the military, military service organizations, or the American Red Cross that are related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of a covered service member.
NOTE: The child in question must be the child of the service member, not necessarily the child of the worker.
To provide care for a covered service member’s parent who is incapable of self-care on an urgent, immediate need basis when the need to provide such care arises from the covered service member’s active duty or call to active duty (but not to provide care on a routine, regular or every day basis).
Examples:
NOTE: The parent who needs care must be the parent of the service member.
To act as the covered service member’s representative before a federal, state, or local agency for purposes of obtaining, arranging, or appealing military service benefits while the covered service member is on a covered active duty and for a period of 90 days following termination of covered service member’s covered active duty.
To make or update financial or legal arrangements to address the covered service member’s absence while on covered active duty.
Examples:
To attend counseling arising from the covered active duty or call to active duty of a covered service member:
Examples:
To spend time with a covered service member who is on short-term, temporary, Rest and Recuperation leave during the period of deployment.
Leave taken for this purpose can be used for a period of 15 calendar days beginning on the date the covered service member commences each instance of the Rest and Recuperation leave.
To attend arrival ceremonies, reintegration briefings and events, and any other official ceremony or program sponsored by the military for a period of 90 days following the termination of covered servicemember’s covered active duty status; and
To address issues that arise from the death of the covered service member while on covered active duty.
Examples:
Additional activities that arise out of the covered service member’s covered active duty provided the employer and employee mutually agree that such leave shall be considered a qualifying exigency and agree to both the timing and duration of such leave.