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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.
Types of Military Family Leave
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
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.
Short Notice Deployment
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.
Military events and related activities
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.
Childcare and school activities (non-routine)
- To arrange for alternative childcare for a child of a covered service member when the covered active duty or call to covered active duty necessitates a change in the existing childcare arrangement;
- To provide childcare for a child of the covered service member on an urgent, immediate need basis when the need to provide such care is necessitated by the disruption caused by covered active duty or call to covered active duty (but not to provide child care on a routine, regular, or everyday basis);
- To enroll or transfer a covered service member’s child in a new school or day care facility when existing arrangements need to be changed due to the covered active duty; and/or
- To attend meetings with staff at school or daycare facility when such meetings are necessary due to circumstances arising out of the covered active duty (but not to attend routine meetings/functions).
NOTE: The child in question must be the child of the service member, not necessarily the child of the worker..
Parental care (non-routine)
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:
- Arranging for alternative care for a parent
- Providing care on an immediate basis
- Admitting or transferring the parent to a care facility
- Attending meetings with staff at a care facility, such as meetings with hospice or social service providers for a parent
NOTE: The parent who needs care must be the parent of the service member.
Financial and legal arrangements (before, during or after deployment)
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:
- Preparing and executing financial and healthcare powers of attorney
- Transferring bank account signature authority
- Enrolling in Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)
- Obtaining military identification cards
- Preparing or updating a will or living trust
Counseling
To attend counseling arising from the covered active duty or call to active duty of a covered service member:
- Counseling is for the worker, covered service member and/or the covered service member’s child.
- The counseling must be provided by someone other than a healthcare provider.
Examples:
- Military Chaplain
- Pastor/minister
- A non-HCP offered by the military or a military service organization
Rest and Recuperation
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.
Post-deployment activities
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:
- Meeting and recovering the deceased service member
- Making funeral arrangements
Other approved reasons
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.
