Stop here if your need for a leave of absence is related to a work-related accident or illness, please contact your supervisor as soon as possible to report a workers' compensation incident. Work-related illness or injury must be reported to your supervisor immediately to complete an Injury/incident report.
The City understands there may be times when you need to be away from work due to an illness or health-related condition or to care for a family member. There are several types of leaves available for City employees. The type of leave you are eligible for is dependent on several items such as, if the leave is for yourself or an eligible dependent, and if you have exhausted other leave types. View the types of leaves administered by The Standard.
Available leave types:
City Leave of Absence
Family Medical Leave
Military Leave
Short Term Disability
Long Term Disability
Bereavement
If you are expecting to be off work three days or less, you may use sick leave for your own health condition or to care for a dependent. Refer to the City's Sick Leave (PDF) policy for more information.
The City's leave of absence provider is The Standard. To set up a leave of absence claim, complete the following steps.
Step 1: Request your leave with The Standard.
Call 800-715-2308 The call intake process may take 10-20 minutes to complete. You will need your attending health provider's information, such as address, phone and fax numbers. After completion of the call, the required forms are mailed to your home address.
You can also file a leave of absence claim online at standard.com/absence. First-time users will need to create an account. The website has a step-by-step guide on how to navigate filing your claim online.
*Note: If your leave of absence is for your own health condition, you may be eligible for disability benefits. The Standard will help you determine if your leave is eligible for benefits. View more information on disability benefits.
Step 2: Submit all required forms to The Standard
You have 15 calendar days from the date you initiate your claim to submit paperwork to The Standard. Follow up with your provider to ensure the forms are completed and sent to The Standard before the 15-day deadline.
Standard Insurance Company Employee Benefits Division PO Box 3877 Portland, OR 97208
Step 3: Leave approval or denial
Once The Standard receives your paperwork, your claim will be processed. You will receive a letter in the mail indicating the approval or denial of your claim. Remember you can check the status of your claim by calling into the Standard at 800-715-2308 or by checking the status of your claim online at standard.com/absence.
Your Responsibilities While on Leave
Communication: While on leave, you must keep The Standard and your supervisor informed of any changes to your leave, such as needing additional time off work. In addition, The Standard may send a communication by mail; please take note when receiving letters from The Standard.
Required Forms: It is your responsibility to follow up with your health provider in getting forms completed for your leave of absence or return to work. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact The Standard for assistance.
City Pay: Continue to monitor your City paycheck to ensure accuracy and accrued leave balances.
Pay
While on leave, you are eligible to use accrued time, such as sick leave or vacation, to continue receiving a paycheck. If you are enrolled for benefits, you must use enough accrued time to cover you payroll deductions (use the Paycheck Simulator tool in ESS). If you exhaust all accrued leave time before returning to work, you may be eligible to receive donations. For more information regarding donations, refer to the City's Donation of Leave (PDF) policy. When you are no longer receiving a pay check you are changed to Benefits only status.
Time keeping
While on leave, your supervisor will enter your time in the time keeping system. Communicating with your supervisor is important during a leave of absence. Your health condition is private and you need only communicate to your supervisor the need for a leave of absence, the duration and a projected return to work date. Contact The Standard who will approve or deny your leave of absence period and send non-health related notifications to your supervisor regarding updates to your leave, such as initiated, approved, or return to work date.
Leave Accruals & Holiday Pay
As long as you continue to receive a paycheck from the City, you will continue to accrue vacation and leave and are eligible for Holiday pay. However, if you are on an approved FMLA during a holiday, the holiday counts as FMLA time.
Returning to Work
If your leave of absence is for your own health condition, you may be required to provide a return to work note prior to your return. In addition, some positions are required to pass a physical agility test prior to returning to work. The return to work requirements will be outlined in the communications you receive from The Standard. The Documents section below also references to the Return to Work forms needed so your doctor can complete and release you back to work.