Can I Apply for FMLA Through Kaiser?

Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest not-for-profit health insurance companies in the country. For over seven decades, this company has been providing affordable healthcare coverage to thousands of Americans.

Kaiser not only supports the health of its customers, but it also provides supportive benefits to its employees as well. If you are currently working for Kaiser, and plan on taking parental leave in the near future, DoNotPay can help to determine whether or not you are eligible and help you file Kaiser FMLA.

Family Leave Plan With Kaiser

Kaiser does not offer its own family leave plan. However, because its headquarters are located in California, employees can apply for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) and receive paid leave while they are caring for their new child.

What is FMLA?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that requires all eligible companies to provide time off of work for all eligible employees that are currently dealing with a medical issue; this includes welcoming a new child into the family.

Under FMLA law, parents (biological, adoptive, or foster) are allowed up to 12 weeks off of work to be with their child. FMLA leave does not have to start immediately after bringing the child home, but it does have to occur within the first year of welcoming the child into your family.

Does FMLA Provide Paid Leave?

FMLA just requires that the company allows you to take time off to care for your new child. It does not mandate any company to pay their employees during their time off. You can request to use your paid sick leave if you have any days available.

However, California is one of the few states in the country that does have a paid family leave program that is available to both the birthing parent and the non-birthing parent. With this program, the parent must have earned over $300 at their job in a 12-month period in order to apply. Once the application is accepted, you will receive between 60% and 70% of your weekly income. The Paid Family Leave Program lasts for six weeks but can be extended to eight weeks in certain cases.

In order for a parent to qualify for Paid Family Leave, they need to meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. Is taking care of a spouse or partner that needs assistance due to medical reasons
2. Recently gave birth to a child
3. Recently adopted a child or welcomed a foster child into the family

Who Qualifies for FMLA?

To qualify for Kaiser FMLA, employees must:

• Worked at least 1,2500 hours in the 12 months that immediately leads up to the leave date
• Worked at Kaiser for at least 12 months

Additionally, workers who file for FMLA need to make sure that the company has at least 50 employees that live within a 75-mile radius. Kaiser meets these criteria.

Easily Apply for Kaiser FMLA With DoNotPay

To file for Family Leave yourself, you will need to contact the EDD and fill out several forms. You will be asked several questions and need to provide proof of everything, including identification, child's birth certificate, etc.

With DoNotPay, applying for FMLA is fast and easy. All you need to do is follow these six simple steps:

1. Tell us which state you work in (if you work in CA, NY, NJ, MA, WA, or DC, your state has a paid family leave program).

2. Choose whether you want us to apply to the program for you or contact your employer with your leave request. If you want to apply for the program, we will walk you through the questions on the form and mail the application form for you.

3. If you want us to contact your employer, enter your leave details, including the starting date, number of weeks of leave, and how many weeks of paid leave you are requesting (for example, you may take a 12 week leave, but only request 8 weeks of paid leave to make the request reasonable).

4. Indicate whether you are the birth parent or not (birth parents have a few additional protections).

5. Enter the name of your company and the person to address this request to.

6. Select whether you want us to email the request to your employer on your behalf.

DoNotPay Can Help With Other Parental Leave-Related Issues

In addition to helping Kaiser employees file for parental leave, DoNotPay can also help other workers apply for FMLA as well. Check out DoNotPay's state guides about FMLA:

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

In addition to providing an easy and hassle-free way to apply for parental leave, DoNotPay can also help to make other aspects of your life simple. Some of the services that DoNotPay can provide include:

• Provide assistance with requesting sick leave
• Help you file a complaint against a company