Leave of Absence

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for Medical & Maternity/Paternity Leave

What does the Family and Medical Leave Act provide?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job protected leave for immediate family and employee’s medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms as if the employee had not taken leave.

Eligible employees are entitled to:

An eligible employee is entitled to a total of twelve (12) workweeks of unpaid leave in a twelve (12) month period based on one or more of the following reasons:

  • The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
  • The placement of a child for adoption or foster care, and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;
  • To care for the employee’s immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent, but not a parent in law) who has a serious health condition;
  • The serious health condition of the employee;
  • To address a qualifying exigency as defined under FMLA arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is a covered military member on covered active duty; and/or
  • To care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness. This special leave entitlement for service member caregivers grants eligible employees a total of twenty-six (26) workweeks/960 hours of leave in a single twelve (12) month period.

Who is eligible for FMLA?

In order to be eligible take leave under the FMLA, an employee must:

  • Have worked for FIU (employer) at least 12 months prior to the event; and
  • Have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of the FMLA leave.
  • Have worked for FIU for 12 months. The 12 months of employment are not required to be consecutive in order for the employee to qualify for FMLA leave. In general, only employment within seven years is counted unless the following criteria is met:
    • The break in service is due to an employee’s fulfillment of military obligations, or
    • The break in service is governed by a collective bargaining agreement or any other written agreement.

Leave Entitlement

  • Leave may be taken on a continuous, intermittent, reduced workday/workweek basis or a combination thereof.
  • For the birth or placement of a child, the FMLA leave entitlement expires at the end of the 12 months from the date of the birth or placement of the child.
  • Spouses who are both employed by the university may be limited to a:
    • Combined total of twelve (12) weeks of leave during a twelve (12) month period if the leave is taken to care for the employee’s parent with a serious health condition, for the birth or placement of a child; or
    • Combined total of twenty-six (26) weeks of leave during a single twelve (12) month period to care for a covered military service member with a serious injury or illness.

Important FMLA Leave Facts

When is it required to report and follow the FMLA leave process?

The employee or supervisor is responsible for reporting any medical leave of absences to the Human Resources Leave Administrator. Reporting a medical Leave of Absence (LOA) in a timely manner is imperative as the university must abide by federal regulations. The employee is required to submit his/her request for a leave of absence 30 days in advance. The employee or department is required to report a leave of absence to Benefits Administration if it consists of the following:

  • Leave of four or more consecutive days, intermittent leave or a reduced work schedule.
  • Employee’s conditions requiring an overnight stay in a hospital or other medical care facility.
  • Conditions that incapacitate the employee or a family member for four consecutive days or longer.
  • Chronic conditions that cause occasional periods of absence when the employee or employee’s family member are incapacitated and require treatment by a health care provider at least twice a year (Intermittent Leave).
  • Maternity/Paternity.

Is FMLA Paid Leave?

The FMLA is unpaid leave. However, employees at FIU are required to use their accrued sick and vacation leave hours while on leave. Upon depletion of sick and vacation leave hours, employees will be placed on leave without pay status, with the option of continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms as if the employee had not taken leave.

Benefits Administration will then review the eligibility of Sick Leave Pool and Catastrophic Pool benefits, if applicable.

Helpful FMLA Links

FMLA Leave of Absence (LOA) Process

FIU, as an employer, is responsible for complying with all federal, state, and local regulations, as well as university policies. As such, we are obligated to determine an employee’s eligibility for all leave of absences including those designated as Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leaves. All medical leave types include those related to the care of the employee as well as the employee’s family.

FMLA Leave Process & Employee Responsibilities For Medical Leave:

  1. Complete the LOA Request form available at: my.fiu.edu
    • Navigate to: Human Resources Self Service> Employee Resources > Employee Forms > Benefits Forms > Leave Request Form. Note: The LOA Request form must be completed online. Benefits Administration will not accept any outdated LOA Request forms.
  2. Print out the completed LOA Request form and have your supervisor sign to acknowledge the request.
    • Faculty: supervisor’s, dean’s, and provost’s signatures are required for faculty members only. The provost’s office will submit the LOA Request form to Benefits Administration.
    • Administrative & Staff: Submit the completed form to Benefits Administration office via:
  3. Upon receipt of the LOA Request form, Benefits Administration will submit a pre-eligibility notice to the employee requesting the leave, the pre-eligibility notice will indicate the required medical documentation as applicable.
  4. Once Benefits Administration receives the required Certification of Health Care Provider for the employee, a final designation (FMLA, non-FMLA, Medical, etc.) letter is issued.
  5. An employee out on a medical leave due to their own condition (including employees who are out for four (4) or more days), is required to provide a Fitness for Duty Certificate (medical release), no longer than 15 days prior to returning to work.  Note: If the employee does not provide a medical release, the employee will not be permitted to return to work.

FMLA Leave Process & Employee Responsibilities For Maternity/Paternity Leave:

  1. Complete the LOA Request form available at: my.fiu.edu
    • Navigate to: Human Resources Self Service> Employee Resources > Employee Forms > Benefits Forms > Leave Request Form. Note: The LOA Request form must be completed online. The Benefits department will not accept any outdated LOA Request forms.
  2. Print out the completed LOA Request form and have your supervisor sign to acknowledge the request.
    • Faculty: supervisor’s, dean’s, and provost’s signatures are required for faculty members only. The provost’s office will submit the LOA Request form to Benefits Administration.
    • Administrative & Staff: Submit the completed form to Benefits Administration office via:
  3. Once Benefits Administration receives the required LOA Request form and doctor’s note confirming estimated delivery date, a final designation (FMLA, non-FMLA, Medical, etc.) letter is issued.

Timesheet Entry (PantherSoft):

  1. The employee or department must enter leave hours in the employee’s timesheet until Benefits Administration has finalized and formally designated the leave in writing (email notification and postal mail).
  2. Once the leave has been formally designated, Benefits Administration will commence entering leave hours in the employee’s timesheet. The exception is for intermittent leave designation where the employee enters his or her own time. Intermittent leave is a leave where the employee is attending to his or her medical need at irregular intervals while working.
  3. The department is responsible for approving any leave time entered by Benefits Administration in the employee’s timesheet.

FMLA Definitions

“Serious Health Condition” means an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves one of the following:

  • Inpatient Care: An overnight stay in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, including any period of incapacity or any subsequent treatment in connection with such inpatient care.
  • Continuing Treatment by a Health Care Provider: A serious health condition involving continuing treatment by a health care provider including any one or more of the following:
    • Incapacity and Treatment: A period of incapacity of four or more consecutive, full calendar days, and any subsequent treatment or period of incapacity relating to the same condition, that also involves:
    • Two or more in-person visits to a health care provider for treatment, within 30 days of the first day of incapacity, unless extenuating circumstances exist, by a health care provider; or
    • At least one in-person visit to a health care provider for treatment which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the health care provider.

“Intermittent Leave” means leave taken in separate periods of time due to a single qualifying reason.

“Immediate family member” means spouse, parent (not parent-in-law), son or daughter (under age 18, or age 18 or older) and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

“Spouse” means a husband or wife as defined or recognized under state law for purposes of marriage in the state where the employee resides, including common law marriage in states where it is recognized.

“Child” means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing “in loco parentis” by providing day-to-day care and/or financial support. For FMLA leave for adoption, foster care or a family member with a serious health condition, the child must be either under age 18, or age 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability as defined by the ADA. For FMLA leave due to birth and care of a newborn child, the child must be under 12 months of age.

“Next of kin” means nearest blood relative of that individual.

“Covered active duty” means (a) in the case of a member of a regular component of the Armed Forces, duty during the deployment of the member with the Armed Forces to a foreign country; and (b) in the case of a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, duty during the deployment of the member with the Armed Forces to a foreign country under a call or order to active duty under a provision of law referred to in section 101(a)(13)(B) of title 10, United States Code.

“Covered Servicemember” means (a) a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves) who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness: or (b) a veteran who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, for a serious injury or illness and who was a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves) at any time during the period of 5 years preceding the date on which the veteran undergoes that medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy.

“Qualifying exigencies” may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.

Military Leave

Military Employee Leave

An employee, except an employee in a temporary position, who is drafted, volunteers for active military service, or who is ordered to active duty shall be eligible for military leave.

An employee shall receive their full pay in addition to their military pay for the first 30 days of active duty. After the initial 30 days, the law allows those on active duty to receive the necessary pay to fill any gap between their military and civilian pay and continue their existing benefits. Leave payment of this type shall be made only upon military authority that 30 days of military service have been completed.

Upon separation from the military service, the employee shall be eligible to return to the former position held or a different position in the same class in the same geographic location provided the employee is honorably discharged.

Military Family Leave – Qualifying exigency leave

Eligible employees who are the spouse, son, daughter, or parent of a military member may take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave during any 12-month period to address the most common issues that arise when a military member is deployed to a foreign country, such as attending military sponsored functions, making appropriate financial and legal arrangements, and arranging for alternative childcare. This provision applies to the families of members of both the active duty and reserve components of the Armed Forces.

Military Family Leave – Military caregiver leave

Eligible employees who are the spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin of a covered service member may take up to 26 weeks of FMLA leave during a single 12-month period to care for the service member who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness incurred or aggravated in the line of duty on active duty. This provision applies to the families of members of both the active duty and reserve components of the Armed Forces.

FIU fully supports the men and women who serve our country and abides by all regulations specified under The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. For detailed information regarding USERRA, visit the following sites:

Department of Labor – USERRA
Military Family Leave Provisions
Your Rights Under USERRA

Military Leave Process & Employee Responsibilities

  1. Complete the LOA Request form available at: my.fiu.edu
    • Navigate to:Human Resources Self Service> Employee Resources > Employee Forms > Benefits Forms > Leave Request Form. Note: The LOA Request form must be completed online. Benefits Administration will not accept any outdated LOA Request forms.
  2. Print out the completed LOA form and have your supervisor sign to acknowledge the request.
    • Faculty: supervisor’s, dean’s, and provost’s signatures are required for faculty members only. The provost’s office will submit the LOA Request form to Benefits Administration.
    • Administrative & Staff: Submit the completed form to Benefits Administration office via:
  3. Submit supporting documentation and/or required medical documentation to Benefits Administration in PC-224.
  4. Once Benefits Administration receives the LOA Request form and supporting documentation, a final designation letter is issued.

Other Non-FMLA Leave

Medical Leave

Medical Leave (Non-FMLA) applies to an employee who is not eligible for FMLA and who is absent for more than four days due to his/her serious health condition, or to care for an immediate family member.

Non-FMLA Leave Eligibility

  1. An employee has not met the initial FMLA eligibility requirements (i.e. length of service or minimum hours worked).
  2. An employee has a medical condition that has exhausted the 12 weeks of FMLA entitlement either from a prior leave or from an existing ongoing condition.
  3. The medical facts presented do not support eligibility as defined under FMLA.

Non-FMLA Leave Process & Employee Responsibilities:

  1. Complete the LOA Request form available at: my.fiu.edu
    • Navigate to: Human Resources Self Service> Employee Resources > Employee Forms > Benefits Forms > Leave Request Form. Note: The LOA Request form must be completed online. Benefits Administration will not accept any outdated LOA Request forms.
  2. Print out the completed LOA Request form and have your supervisor sign to acknowledge the request.
    • Faculty: supervisor’s, dean’s, and provost’s signatures are required for faculty members only. The provost’s office will submit the LOA Request form to Benefits Administration.
    • Administrative & Staff: Submit the completed form to Benefits Administration office via:
  3. Upon receipt of the LOA Request form, Benefits Administration will submit a pre-eligibility notice to the employee requesting the leave, the pre-eligibility notice will indicate the required medical documentation as applicable.
  4. Once Benefits Administration receives the required Certification of Health Care Provider for the employee, a final designation (FMLA, non-FMLA, Medical, etc.) letter is issued.
  5. An employee out on a medical leave due to their own condition (including employees who are out for four or more days), is required to provide a Fitness for Duty Certificate (medical release), no longer than five days prior to returning to work.  Note: If the employee does not provide a medical release, the employee will not be permitted to return to work.

Timesheet Entry (PantherSoft):

  1. The employee or department must enter leave hours in the employee’s timesheet until Benefits Administration has finalized and formally designated the leave in writing (email notification and postal mail).
  2. Once the leave has been formally designated, Benefits Administration will commence entering leave hours in the employee’s timesheet. The exception is for intermittent leave designation where the employee enters his or her own time. Intermittent leave is a leave where employee is attending to his or her medical need at irregular intervals while working.
  3. The department is responsible for approving any leave time entered by Benefits Administration in the employee’s timesheet.

Personal Leave of Absence without Pay

An employee may request a personal leave of absence without pay for up to three months for personal reasons which are subject to the approval of the department head and the Division of Human Resources. The criteria in approving this leave are simply whether the interest of the employee and the university would be best served by granting this leave.

The employee must deplete all available vacation leave before a personal leave of absence without pay would be considered. He/she can elect to continue benefits coverage, as if the employee continued working, provided the insurance premiums are paid. Therefore, upon authorization of the personal leave of absence without pay, it is the employee’s responsibility to contact Benefits Administration to determine the cost of benefits to the employee during the leave period.

Personal Leave of Absence Process:

  1. Complete the LOA Request form available at: my.fiu.edu
    • Navigate to: Human Resources Self Service> Employee Resources > Employee Forms > Benefits Forms > Leave Request Form. Note: The LOA Request form must be completed online. The Benefits department will not accept any outdated LOA Request forms.
  2. Print out the completed LOA Request form and have your supervisor sign to acknowledge the request.
    • Faculty: supervisor’s, dean’s, and provost’s signatures are required for faculty members only. The provost’s office will submit the LOA Request form to Benefits Administration.
    • Administrative & Staff: Submit the completed form to Benefits Administration office via:
  3. Once Benefits Administration receives the LOA Request form, a final designation letter is issued.

Birth & Adoption

Birth

For non-bargaining unit faculty and staff, the university may grant up to 24 weeks of non-paid Maternity/Paternity leave which is designated as 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for eligible employees, and 12 weeks under FIU’s Maternity/Paternity Non-FMLA leave policy. Employees are responsible to submit the leave of absence request form and supporting documents to Benefits Administration, no less than 30 days prior to the expected due date. Please visit the Leave of Absence section for detailed leave process information. For in-unit bargaining faculty and staff please refer to the specific collective bargaining agreement.

Adoption

As a benefits earning full-time or part-time FIU (Florida State) employee (not OPS or otherwise “temporary” or casual labor), you may be eligible for the Adoption Benefit Program.

Effective July 1, 2015, the Adoption Benefit Program for qualifying state employees was re-established and will be administered by the Department of Children and Families. State employees and other eligible applicants who adopt a child from Florida’s child welfare system will receive a one-time lump sum of $10,000 for a special needs child and $5,000 for a non-special needs child. The funding for this program varies each year and the amount of the annual appropriation affects how many applicants will receive the benefit. Please contact the Adoption Information Center at 1-800-96-ADOPT, or email: StateEmployee.Adoption@myflfamilies.com for additional information regarding the State Employee Adoption Benefit Program.

To add a dependent to Medical Insurance, the enrollment must take place within the first 60 calendar days from the date of birth/adoption by calling People First at 1-866-663-4735 directly.

Helpful Links:

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act
PWFA (Healthcare Poster) (eeoc.gov)

Injuries at Work

What is the purpose of the FIU Workers’ Compensation Program?

The purpose of the FIU Workers’ Compensation Program is to provide legally mandated benefits to workers who are injured at work, or who develop a job-related illness as a result of their employment.

Benefits may include payment of medical bills, mileage, lost wages, and vocational rehabilitation.

The State of Florida’s Division of Risk Management determines eligibility for coverage based on the circumstances reported.  Eligibility is not determined by FIU.

Workers Compensation Video Overview

Workers Compensation – Broken Arm Poster – English

Workers Compensation – Broken Arm Poster – Espanol

Who is eligible for Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

All FIU employees are covered under the State of Florida Workers’ Compensation Program from their first day on the job.

Coverage is available for full-time, part-time, and temporary employees (conditions apply), whether they are faculty, staff, graduate assistants, student assistants, Federal Work Study students, or registered volunteer workers.  Coverage is not available for independent contractors or vendors who provide services to state agencies.

What is the purpose of the FIU Return-To-Work Program?

The Return-To-Work Program promotes bringing injured employees back to work who are able to perform on a modified duty or alternate duty basis within the limitations established by the authorized treating physician.

Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C): Section 60L-34.0061

Medical

Medical Emergency – Need of Emergency Room and/or Emergency Transportation:

  • The injured worker reports the injury to  the supervisor immediately.
  • The injured worker should go to the nearest emergency facility. For off campus emergency transportation call, (305) 348-5911.
  • Be sure to inform the emergency medical facility that the injury is work related.
  • The Injured worker must submit the FIU Injury Report Online.
  • Sign on to Panther Soft.
  • Click on Health & Safety Tile on the Home Page. For details on how to submit a report, check out our How-To-Guide.

Contact the FIU Workers’ Compensation Specialist at (305) 348-2181 or workerscomp@fiu.edu to schedule any medical treatment. Do not seek any medical care unless you have been authorized by our approved managed care network provider, AmeriSys, (800) 455-2079.

Seeking medical treatment for Non-Medical Emergency:

  • The injured worker reports the injury to the supervisor immediately.
  • The Injured worker must submit the FIU Injury Report Online.
  • Sign on to Panther Soft.
  • Click on Health & Safety Tile on the Home Page. For details on how to submit a report, check out our How-To-Guide.
  • The FIU Workers’ Compensation Specialist files the Workers’ Compensation claim with AmeriSys.
  • During working hours, if the Workers’ Compensation Specialist is not available, the injured worker and/or supervisor may contact AmeriSys, at (800) 455-2079 or contact the Human Resources Service Center at (305) 348-2181 for additional assistance.
  • After hours or weekends, the injured worker and/or supervisor may file the claim directly with AmeriSys.

Not Seeking Medical Treatment:

  • The injured worker reports the injury to the supervisor immediately.
  • The Injured worker completes the FIU Injury Report Online.
  • Sign on to Panther Soft.
  • Click on Health & Safety Tile on the Home Page. For details on how to submit a report, check out our How-To-Guide.
  • The FIU Workers’ Compensation Specialist files the Workers’ Compensation claim with AmeriSys.
  • If the injured worker decided to seek medical treatment, after the claim was filed with AmeriSys, he/she may call directly to our medical provider AmeriSys at (800) 455-2079 and notify Workers’ Compensation Specialist at workerscomp@fiu.edu or call (305) 348-2181.

After Injury

Medical Treatment Process:

  • The authorized medical provider coordinates the initial treatment.
  • A copy of the medical treatment form (DWC-25) must be provided immediately to the Workers’ Compensation Specialist within 24 hours after the doctor’s appointment.
  • A Workers’ Compensation Notification Letter is sent to the supervisor and injured worker after each medical appointment, providing updated information on work status and/or any follow-up medical appointments.
  • The injured worker’s supervisor reviews the restrictions and makes the decision on if the department is able to make the accommodations. The supervisor completes and returns the Workers’ Compensation Notification Letter to the Workers’ Compensation Specialist who forwards the letter to the approved managed care network provider and adjuster for their information.
  • The injured worker will continue this process until he/she reaches the Maximum Medical Improvement, or, until no further medical treatment is required.
  • If the injured worker needs to go to an emergency room and is already receiving medical treatment, contact AmeriSys at (800) 455-2079, to be authorized to receive treatment at the ER.

Out of Work:  Loss Time

If the department is unable to accommodate the injured worker’s restriction, or the physician placed the injured worker off work the following will apply:

  • The workers’ compensation wages loss benefits starts the eighth day that the injured worker is unable to work.  The first 40  hours of missed work will be paid under the Workers’ Compensation Administrative Leave, which may also be used intermittently when visiting an authorized Managed Care Network Physician.
  • After the first 40  hours, if the injured worker continues to be out of work, two-thirds of the pre-injury wages are paid by the State Workers’ Compensation wage replacement benefits.  The remaining one-third may be paid by using your available personal leave (sick, annual, or compensatory).  This combination allows the injured worker to receive a full bi-weekly paycheck.
  • Temporary employees do not receive the first 40  hours of Workers’ Compensation Administrative Leave.  On the eighth day, the temporary employee will be eligible to receive the two-thirds of the pre-injury wages paid by the State Workers’ Compensation wage replacement benefits.  If the temporary employee continues to be out of work for 21 consecutive days, they will get paid retroactively for the first eight days.

Medical Bills:

  • Medical bills need to be billed and sent directly to AmeriSys.  The Workers’ Compensation Specialist assists the injured worker in case they receive any medical bill.
  • The injured worker provides a copy of the medical bill to the Workers’ Compensation Specialist.
  • The Workers’ Compensation Specialist provides billing information to the injured worker for future billing, if requested.
  • The Workers’ Compensation Specialist sends an email to the injured worker to advise that the bill has been mailed to AmeriSys and medical facility for payment.

Return-To-Work Program

  • This is a coordination between the injured worker’s department and the Workers’ Compensation Specialist.  If further assistance is necessary, then Employee & Labor Relations (ELR), the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and Diversity (EOPD) and/or Benefits Administration will be involved to assist the department to determine if the injured worker’s restrictions can be accommodated.
  • The Workers’ Compensation Specialist receives the Medical Treatment/Status Report (DWC-25) from the physician’s office, AmeriSys, and/or the injured worker after each medical appointment providing the employee’s medical update and restrictions.
  • The Workers’ Compensation Specialist sends the Workers’ Compensation Notification Letter to the injured worker’s supervisor(s) and the injured worker via email to advise that employee has been released to return to work on modified/light duty. This memo provides any restrictions identified by the physician and also information on the next scheduled doctor’s appointment and/or any prescribed treatment for the employee.  The supervisor is asked to reply to the email within one to two days of receipt indicating if the department is able to accommodate the work restrictions/ limitations.
  • Within 24 hours of supervisor’s response, the Workers’ Compensation Specialist notifies the case manager and adjuster via email if the department is able to accommodate restrictions.  If the department is unable to accommodate restrictions, the Workers’ Compensation Specialist notifies ELR and EOPD, if necessary.

Return-To-Work Program Form (PDF)

Marital Status Change

You can update your marital status via Employee Self-Service:

  1. Login to my.fiu.edu.
  2. Navigate to Employee > Benefit Details > Life Events > Marital Status.
  3. Select the appropriate option and follow the guided steps.

Name Change

In order to process a name change in my.fiu.edu, you must submit your updated Social Security card to PC-224 at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus or HL-322 at the Biscayne Bay Campus.  As a result of a name change, employees are required to submit a new Form I-9 and W-4 form. All names must be listed exactly as they appear on the Social Security card.  The request can be submitted via Employee Self-Service:

  1. Login to my.fiu.edu.
  2. Navigate to Employee > Personal Details > Name.
  3. Complete your edits and click “save”.

Name format should always be left as “English”.

Marital Status is not automatically updated when a name change request is submitted. Employees must submit a separate request via Employee Self-Service.

Chosen First Name

FIU has implemented a Chosen First Name Policy. All Panthers now have the option to choose the first name they prefer to appear in University systems. Chosen first names will also be used to refer to them during day-to-day University business.

Staff who are also students and wish to add a chosen first name and pronoun can visit go.fiu.edu/chosenfirstname. The update of pronouns will only be available in Campus Solutions. Please note that if you enter both a Preferred Name in Human Resources and in Campus Solutions, the Preferred Name from Human Resources will supersede Campus. To access the FIU Chosen First Name and Pronoun Use Training, visit https://develop.fiu.edu and enroll in the course for 1-hour of professional development training credit.

This policy enables members of our FIU to affirm, reflect, and/or express their gender, culture, and/or other aspects of their social identity.

Chosen First Name Instructions

Address Change

You can update your address via Employee Self-Service:

  1. Login to my.fiu.edu.
  2. Navigate to Employee > Personal Details > Address.
  3. Complete your edits and click “Save”.

Employment Verification

The Work Number

The Work Number is available for FIU employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide automated employment and income verification.

The Work Number is a fast and secure way to provide proof of your employment or income; a necessary step in many of today’s life events including obtaining credit, financing a home or automobile, obtaining a housing lease or securing government benefits or services.

The Work Number complies with The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which ensures that employees can see who is requesting their data and provides a mechanism to dispute data that they believe to be inaccurate.

To log in, visit The Work Number and use your FIU AD Credentials.

CREATING AND MANAGING SALARY KEYS
The Salary Key is a single-use, six-digit code that you can provide to a verifier as consent to access your income information.

  1. Click “Prove Income to Verifiers”
  2. Click “Create Salary Key”
  3. Click “New Salary Key”
  4. The new salary key can be printed or emailed with instructions for the verifier on how to use it through The Work Number. Or the salary key itself can be provided to the verifier along with your employer name or code and your social security number.

REQUESTING YOUR EMPLOYMENT DATA REPORT (EDR)
An EDR is a report, per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to allow transparency to your information contained on The Work Number and a list of all verifiers who have attempted access to your employment records in the prior 24 months.

  1. Click “Request Instant Online Report”
  2. Select the state you are employed in
  3. Select a reason for your request
  4. Select whether to show your full SSN on the report or mask it
  5. Click “Get Instant Online Report”

COMMERCIAL VERIFICATIONS or SOCIAL SERVICE VERIFICATIONS
Commercial verifications are for mortgage lenders, pre-employment, property leasing, credit cards, etc.
Social Services verifications are for Medicaid, SSI/SSDI, SNAP, TANF, Child Support, Public Housing, etc.

  1. Please visit theworknumber.com and select “I’m a Verifier”
  2. Provide the following:
    • Employer Name: Florida International University
    • Employer Code: 19266
    • Employee’s Social Security Number

For questions or more information please contact:
The Work Number Client Service Center: 800.367.2884
TTY–hearing impaired: 800.424.0253
Monday – Friday; 7a.m. – 8p.m. (CT)

Employment Verification Letter

For an Employment Verification Letter request, the employee needs to fill out the “Employment Verification Request Form” available on Employee Self-Service:

  • Login to my.fiu.edu.
  • Navigate to Employee > Employee Resources > Employee Forms > Employee Records Forms > Employment Verification Form.
  • Enter all the corresponding information and click the “Submit” button.

Requests will be processed within 48 to 72 hours.

Death in the Family

As part of FIU’s policy, an employee shall be granted three days of leave with pay for a death in the immediate family member. In addition to bereavement leave, the employee may request approval to use reasonable amounts of accumulated sick leave, vacation leave or unpaid leave in the event of a death in the family. View the bereavement policy (PDF).

Experiencing grief and loss may lead to a challenging time in the lives of those affected. Our Office of Employee Assistance is available to assist our faculty, staff, and retirees with counseling support and resources. For assistance, please call 305-348-2469, or via e-mail oea@fiu.edu to schedule an appointment.

Coping with the death of a loved one is incredibly difficult, here is a resource to help you with this process.

In addition, the TLC Brigade is committed to demonstrating our concern for the affected FIU family members. As may be appropriate, a token of sympathy may be sent on behalf of the TLC Brigade and university community. To inform us of the loss of a faculty, staff or retiree’s immediate family member, please complete the TLC Brigade Sympathy & Support Program Form.

Preparing for Retirement

Whether you are a new hire or have been at the university for years, FIU offers great options for retirement. From the required selection of a state plan to additional voluntary retirement plans, our employees have many opportunities to save and prepare for their future. When you are ready to retire, our Benefits team provides you with the assistance you need to transition into your new life!

If you are considering retirement, take the time to review the Employee Retirement Guides our Benefits Administration team has prepared to help you navigate through the overall process. These guides are intended to provide you with the relevant information pertaining to retirement from FIU and facilitate your understanding of the retirement process as well as the benefits offered to retirees.

Review the guide of your specific retirement plan, as reflected on your paystub:

Determine if the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) is right for you. Generally, vested Pension Plan members may begin DROP participation in the month they reach their normal retirement date based upon age or the month following the month they reach their normal retirement date based upon their years of service. Contact the MyFRS Financial Guidance Line at 1-866-446-9377 to review your retirement account and estimate your income at retirement. Review the FRS Member Handbook, the DROP guide, and the Ready. Set. Retire. publications.

Note: Separation from Employment/Transfer Clearance Form is required for all employees separating employment, and it needs to be completed by the department.

Retirement Token of Appreciation and University Announcement

Leaving FIU

Separations of employment may be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary separations include resignation with notice, resignation without notice, job abandonment, and retirement. Involuntary separations include layoff, end of appointment, completion of contract, and discharge. All non-faculty involuntary separations must be processed by the department in conjunction with Employee & Labor Relations (ELR). For information regarding faculty separations, please contact Academic Affairs at (305) 348-2168.

Resignations

Employees voluntarily separating from the university should submit a minimum of two weeks notice. Certain positions may necessitate extended notice due to the complexity/operational issues associated with the position.

An employee will notify the supervisor of intent to resign in writing.  The supervisor should immediately notify the employee of their acceptance of the resignation in writing and clearly indicate that they accept the resignation and confirm the effective date. If an employee gives a verbal resignation, the supervisor should respond in writing to accept the resignation. Both the employee’s resignation and supervisor’s acceptance should be promptly sent to ELR via email at elr@fiu.edu, on the day of receipt. A resignation may not be rescinded by the employee without concurrence by the university.

Separation Process for All Departing Employees

The employee and supervisor must complete the Separation from Employment/Transfer Clearance Form on or before the effective date of separation. The form is completed online and printed, signed by the supervisor, and submitted to ELR at elr@fiu.edu for processing. An employee is required to return all university property issued during their tenure and to settle all outstanding debts and accounts with the university prior to their last day. FIU reserves the right to offset funds, if applicable, which are due to the employee at the time of separation to compensate for unreturned property or unsettled accounts. The employee is responsible for contacting the Student Financials Office if the Tuition Waiver is in effect for the semester. The employee is also responsible for contacting the FIU One Card Office regarding the balance of funds on their account.  The supervisor should notify the departing employee that funds owed to the employee at the time of separation will not be processed until the Separation from Employment/Transfer Clearance Form is completed, signed by both employee and supervisor, and forwarded to ELR for processing.

Employees should keep contact information up to date in my.fiu.edu including home/mailing address. Any future correspondence will be mailed to the address on file provided by the employee.

Upon receipt of separation/transfer documents, ELR will send an email to the employee requesting they complete an Exit Review Questionnaire and Exit Interview (see Exit Review Questionnaire information below). The employee will be directed to schedule an appointment with a representative from ELR on or before their effective separation date.

If the employee has one year of continuous employment as a benefits eligible employee at the time of separation, the employee shall be paid, in accordance with the Vacation Leave Policy (accessible via the Policies and Procedures Library), the balance of unused vacation leave as of last day worked (not to exceed the maximum accrual amount stated in the Policy).

In accordance with the Sick Leave Policy, employees will not be paid any sick leave hours upon separation with one exception: employees with ten years of consecutive service at the university as of July 1, 2005, will be paid 25% of the accrued sick leave hours as of July 1, 2005 or current balance, whichever is less, at the time of separation.

Exit Review Questionnaire

The university asks employees to complete an Exit Review Questionnaire and Exit Interview in an effort to assist with our retention and recruitment efforts. This process has been established for employees who are transferring or voluntarily separating from their employment with FIU. Upon receiving separation documents, Employee & Labor Relations (ELR) will send an email to the employee requesting they complete an Exit Review Questionnaire and Exit Interview. The employee will be directed to schedule an appointment with a representative from ELR on or before the effective separation date. The Exit Review Questionnaire is designed to elicit voluntary information about each transferring or departing employee’s experience at FIU and the reason(s) for their leaving. This data is collected, analyzed, and appropriately reported to FIU leaders to recommend improvements to policies, procedures, and practices. This information will assist with identifying work environment issues contributing to both retention and turnover, as well as providing exiting employees an opportunity to identify areas where the university does well and areas we can improve.

Transferring within FIU

An employee transferring to another department should coordinate the effective date of the transfer with the assigned recruiter and submit a resignation letter. When possible, employees transferring should provide a minimum of two weeks notice.

All employees transferring to a different department should also complete the Separation from Employment/Transfer Clearance Form to return appropriate items that belong to the department from which the employee is departing. The form is completed online and printed, signed by the supervisor, and submitted to ELR at elr@fiu.edu for processing.

Supervisors must work with their departmental technical support to update membership to any groups utilized to manage internal share drives. In the event the department does not have internal technical support, a request can be submitted via an online request directly with the Division of Information Technology.

Upon receipt of transfer/separation documents, ELR will send an email to the employee requesting they complete an Exit Review Questionnaire and Exit Interview. The employee will be directed to schedule an appointment with a representative from ELR on or before his/her effective separation date. An employee transferring from a non-exempt position to an exempt position who has accrued compensatory leave time will be paid by the departing department in which the employee earned the leave.