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Need to Take a Leave of Absence?

January 31, 2020

The demands of life sometimes require that we request a leave of absence from work. Whether it’s time off to take care of a medical procedure, bond with a new addition to the family, or fulfill military obligations, following the proper leave application process is important. Penn is making an administrative change to that process.

Effective February 1, 2020, all new requests for Family Medical Leave (FML), Short-Term Disability (STD), and Paid Parental Leave (PPL) will be reviewed and approved by the FMLA Administrator within the Division of Human Resources. Broadspire, a third-party administrator, will no longer handle the review and approval process.

Here’s what this means for you:

The current application process through Workday will remain the same and you can continue to request leave through the self-service portal (see instructions below).

All paperwork will now be submitted to the FMLA Administrator, instead of Broadspire.

This change applies to new leaves beginning on or after February 1, 2020. If you are currently on an approved FML, PPL, or STD leave, there will be no changes to your approval. If your request for a FML, PPL, or STD leave is pending as of February 1, 2020, Broadspire will continue to administer your leave request until the end date of that leave. If you have any questions about a pending leave request, please contact Broadspire at 866-357-1122.

How to Apply for a Leave of Absence

To apply for FML or PPL leaves, log into Workday and follow the steps outlined in the Workday tip sheet summarized below.

  • Go to the Workday “Time Off and Leave” application
  • Click on “Request Leave of Absence”
  • Enter the “First Day of Leave” and the “Estimated Last Day of Leave”
  • Click on Leave Type “FMLA” or “PPL” and scroll down to locate the type of FMLA or PPL leave you are requesting
  • Once the request is submitted, you will receive a notification email from Workday to complete the appropriate leave request forms. You can download a Leave Request Form kit that matches your desired leave from the Requesting a Leave of Absence webpage. To complete your leave request, you must have the forms completed by your physician and return them to the FMLA Administrator at the University via fax at 215-405-2929, or you can scan and email them to fmla@hr.upenn.edu. Your leave will remain “pending” in Workday until you return all required forms for approval. If you have any questions, you may send an email to fmla@hr.upenn.edu.

For more information, visit the Requesting a Leave of Absence webpage. Check out the Policy Manual website for updated versions of the Family and Medical Leave, Short-Term Disability, and Paid Parental Leave policies.