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Policy committee keeps FMLA language intact, adds staff guidance for married employees
Summary
The Wallingford School District policy committee agreed to retain the existing FMLA policy language per counsel but will add a sentence encouraging employees and spouses to consult the personnel office about their individual leave options; the revised draft will be brought to the instructional meeting for a second read.
The Wallingford School District policy committee reviewed revisions to policy 4152.6, which implements Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions for district staff, and agreed to preserve the current statutory language while adding clarifying guidance.
Latour, who presented the changes, said the committee added both the federal and state definitions of "spouse" to the policy and that district counsel recommended keeping the paragraph structure intact while using bold type to clarify eligibility for two employees in one household. "Our legal counsel felt that maybe if we bolded those opportunities for two employees of our district to continue to take FMLA, that might be enough to clarify," Latour said.
Board members pressed for clarity on a core issue: when both spouses work for the same employer, how many weeks of leave are available for the same qualifying event. Unidentified Speaker 4 summarized the concern: "So I think that's what this is saying ... it is for the same event." Latour and others reiterated the legal constraint: the law provides a combined maximum of 12 weeks for eligible employees in the same household for the birth or placement of a child, foster care placement, or to care for a parent with a serious health condition.
Committee discussion covered practical applications and exceptions. Latour said employees who request FMLA meet with personnel to review options, accruals, and alternatives. On seniority while on leave, Latour said she would "check with Dr. Thompson" to confirm that taking leave does not stop seniority accrual. Several members voiced frustration that the law can disadvantage married couples who work for the same employer. "They're getting penalized for being married," one member said.
To address concerns about clarity and to help staff navigate options, the committee agreed to add a sentence encouraging employees and spouses to seek individualized advice from the personnel office so the board can consider exceptional requests on a case‑by‑case basis. Latour said she will make those edits and provide a clean, unmarked draft for the instructional meeting scheduled for September 3 for a second read.
The committee did not change the underlying legal limits in the draft (they cited federal and state law) but added procedural guidance and clearer formatting intended to reduce confusion among staff.
