Regional School District 13 policy committee moves to update FMLA policy to incorporate Connecticut FMLA

Kevin presented proposed revisions to Policy 4151 that would incorporate Connecticut's newer, broader Family and Medical Leave provisions into district policy. "Connecticut FMLA is a bit broader," Kevin said, noting state changes that took effect last October and urging the district to align its policy.

The policy committee heard that Connecticut FMLA differs from the federal Family and Medical Leave Act in several ways important to district practice: Connecticut's tenure requirement is shorter (a minimum of three months employment versus the federal 12 months), the state law does not impose a minimum-hours-worked threshold, and the definition of family members under Connecticut law is broader, explicitly including siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and relatives by affinity. Kevin also highlighted a Connecticut provision that can extend maternity leave by two weeks for qualifying employees.

Committee members discussed how the district and employees would combine leave sources. Kevin explained that FMLA itself provides job protection but is unpaid; employees can use accumulated sick days and may supplement with Connecticut paid leave administered through the state program (members discussed payroll deductions and an AFLAC reference in the transcript). "Our contracts allow people to use their accumulated sick days during FMLA," Kevin said, adding that once accrued sick time is exhausted, the district treats the leave as unpaid.

The committee considered a proposed technical change to how the district measures the 12-month entitlement period. Kevin recommended switching from a calendar-year measurement to a rolling 12-month period "measured backward from the date the employee uses any FMLA leave," and said the recommendation would align practice with what staff have been using for years.

Members also flagged practical recordkeeping issues: Connecticut's prior allowance for one-hour increments created software and tracking difficulties for the district, which uses half-day or full-day increments; the law's revision on increments reduced that burden. The committee confirmed the policy includes intermittent and reduced-schedule leave options.

The committee did not adopt new mandatory light-duty obligations for custodial staff, saying optional language better preserves district discretion. Kevin noted that HR staff (including Ashley Hillier) currently administer FMLA paperwork and tracking for the district.

The committee did not take a final vote on the full policy at this meeting; discussion focused on clarifications and aligning draft language with the state requirements and district practices. The committee then moved on to other policy topics.