JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL AND Health System Corporation employees submit roughly 350 leave of absence requests under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and about 40 applications for other types of leave each month, according to the Department of Human Resources.
Since Dec. 1, these requests have been administered by a third-party vendor, CareWorks Absence Management. HR had previously handled the applications.
“We believe this transition will improve and streamline communications, and ensure compliance with applicable and increasingly more complex state and federal laws,” says Bryan Farnen, senior director of wellness, benefits and retirement
for the health system. “Most important, we believe we can help employees return to work quicker.”
Benefits to employees include confidential handling of necessary medical information, 24-hour access to CareWorks representatives and professional support to get back to work with a full release from their physician, if applicable. Managers will receive more reports about FMLA requests, including the number of and time periods for staff requests. They will not receive information about the reasons for leave.
You are still required to report routine absences to your manager according to the normal attendance policy. The procedure for reporting an FMLA claim is as follows:
- Call your supervisor to report your absence.
- Call CareWorks Absence Management toll free at 1-844-263-3121.
- Complete and return the information provided to you as soon as possible.
For FAQs and information about the process, visit bit.ly/fmlajhhs.