Leaves of Absence
what you need to know
Our leaves of absence policies are there to support you when you need to take additional time away from work, whether you need to take time to care for yourself, bond with your new baby, grieve the loss of a loved one or serve our country.
Medical Leave
When you need to take time off to care for yourself, there are several leaves of absence that work together to give you time away while you’re out.
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks off to recover if you have a serious medical condition. During this time, your job is protected.
- California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides California employees with up to 12 weeks off.
- Hitachi Medical Leave provides up to 52 weeks off with your doctor’s approval until you qualify for long-term disability.
FMLA/CFRA
You’re eligible for FMLA/CFRA if you’ve worked at Hitachi for at least 12 months, and worked at least 1,250 hours during those 12 months. If you start a leave and have not met these eligibility criteria but meet them while on leave, your FMLA/CFRA period will start automatically at the point in your leave when you have met them.
You receive up to 12 weeks off through FMLA if you have a serious medical condition. If you live in California, your time away from work runs concurrently with CFRA.
A serious medical condition is defined as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves:
- Treatment at a hospital, hospice or residential medical care facility.
- Any incapacity that requires you to be away from work for more than 5 consecutive days.
- Continuing treatment by, or under the supervision of, a healthcare provider for a chronic or long-term health condition.
Pregnancy is another medical condition covered under FMLA.
Hitachi Medical Leave
All employees are eligible for up to 52 weeks off if you have a serious medical condition.
Is My Job Protected?
- Medical FMLA/CFRA: Your job is protected in most cases. This is compliant with federal and state law.
- Hitachi Medical Leave: While you’re out, your job is not protected if you have used all of your FMLA/CFRA leave.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
You can be eligible for pay through our disability program. You can also be able to supplement your pay with any sick pay or vacation time. While on leave, you still have access to your email and any internal network systems; however, you will not have access to myTime to request and record sick and vacation time. Please work directly with Larkin and Hitachi regarding using your sick pay or vacation time for pay when you’re out.
How Can I Apply for a Medical Leave?
Contact Larkin at 1-866-923-3336 about your medical leave request at least 30 days in advance if possible. They will be your main point of contact throughout your leave and will coordinate with Hitachi directly as needed.
What Should I Do When I’m Ready to Come Back?
During your leave, stay in touch with Larkin.
When you’re ready to come back to work, you’ll need to provide the applicable paperwork to Larkin that confirms you’re ready to return to work. Larkin will work directly with Hitachi to coordinate your return and any accommodations you can require. On your first day back, make sure to check in with your manager.
Maternity Leave
When you need to take time off for your pregnancy and to bond with your baby, several leaves of absence work together to give you time away.
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives you up to 12 weeks off for you to have your baby and recover from childbirth.
- Hitachi gives you up to 4 weeks (when certified by your physician) through our disability program before a planned delivery and six to eight weeks after, depending on the type of delivery. This can be extended if it is medically necessary.
- After six to eight weeks on disability, 12 additional weeks of your leave is paid at 80% of your salary through Paid Family Leave (PFL).
- If you live in California, you also qualify for Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), which provides up to four months of leave and runs concurrently with FMLA leave.
Who Is Eligible?
- FMLA: You’re eligible for job-protected leave if you have worked at Hitachi for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours during those 12 months.
- PDL: All female California employees are eligible for PDL, regardless of how long you’ve worked at Hitachi or for how many hours.
- PFL: All employees who enroll in short-term disability (STD).
Is My Job Protected?
With FMLA and PDL, your job is protected.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
Time away is unpaid unless you’re eligible for PFL or our disability program. Here’s a timeline of how it breaks down:
- Up to four weeks before expected delivery date (when certified by your physician) = disability.
- Six to eight weeks after delivery = disability.
- 12 weeks of bonding after disability = FMLA.
You can also supplement your pay with any sick pay or vacation time. While on leave, you still have access to your email and any internal network systems; however, you will not have access to myTime to request and record sick pay and vacation time. Please work directly with Larkin and Hitachi regarding using your sick pay or vacation time while you’re out on leave.
How Can I Apply?
Contact Larkin at 1-866-923-3336 about your maternity leave request at least 30 days in advance if possible. They will be your main point of contact throughout your leave and will coordinate with Hitachi directly as needed.
Don’t forget to add your child to benefits, if appropriate.
What Should I Do When I’m Ready to Come Back?
During your leave, stay in touch with Larkin.
When you’re ready to come back to work, you will need to provide the applicable paperwork to Larkin that confirms you’re ready for work. Larkin will work directly with Hitachi to coordinate the details on your behalf. On your first day back, make sure to check in with your manager.
Paternity Leave
Need time to enjoy and bond with your new child? Several leaves of absence work together to give you time away while you’re out.
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives you up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off to bond with your newborn or newly placed child.
- California Family Rights Act (CFRA) gives California employees up to 12 weeks off.
- Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides up to 12 weeks of paid time off at 80% of your salary.
Who Is Eligible?
- FMLA/CFRA: You’re eligible for leave if you’ve worked at Hitachi for at least 12 months, and worked at least 1,250 hours during those 12 months.
- PFL: All employees who enroll in short-term disability (STD).
Is My Job Protected?
- FMLA/CFRA: Your job is protected.
- PFL: While you’re out, your job is not protected.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
You can be eligible for pay through our disability program and PFL. You can also supplement your pay with any sick pay or vacation time. While on leave, you still have access to your email and any internal network systems; however, you will not have access to myTime to request and record sick pay and vacation time. Please work directly with Larkin and Hitachi regarding using your sick pay or vacation time for pay when you’re out.
How Can I Apply?
Contact Larkin at 1-866-923-3336 about your paternity leave request at least 30 days in advance if possible. They will be your main point of contact throughout your leave, and will coordinate with Hitachi directly as needed.
Don’t forget to add your child to benefits, if appropriate.
What Should I Do When I’m Ready to Come Back?
During your leave, stay in touch with Larkin.
When you’re ready to come back to work, you will need to provide the applicable paperwork to Larkin that confirms you’re ready for work. Larkin will work directly with Hitachi to coordinate. On your first day back, make sure to check in with your manager.
Family Leave
When you need time off to take care of your family, you have several options.
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the following:
- Birth of a son or daughter, and to bond with the newborn child within a year of birth.
- Placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care, and to bond with that child within one year of placement.
- Care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent – but not a parent in-law) with a serious health condition.
- Medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.
- Qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is on covered active duty or call to covered active duty status as a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or Regular Armed Forces.
FMLA also allows eligible employees to take up to 26 work weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness.
Who Is Eligible?
You’re eligible for family leave if you’ve worked at Hitachi for at least 12 months, and worked at least 1,250 hours during those 12 months.
Is My Job Protected?
Your job is protected.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
The time away is unpaid. You can supplement your pay with any sick pay or vacation time. While on leave, you still have access to your email and any internal network systems; however, you will not have access to myTime to request and record sick pay and vacation time. Please work directly with Larkin and Hitachi regarding using your sick pay or vacation time for pay when you’re out.
How Can I Apply?
Contact Larkin at 1-866-923-3336 about your family leave request at least 30 days in advance if possible. They will be your main point of contact throughout your leave and will coordinate with Hitachi directly as needed.
What Should I Do When I’m Ready to Come Back?
During your leave, stay in touch with Larkin.
When you’re ready to come back to work, you will need to provide the applicable paperwork to Larkin that confirms you’re ready for work. Larkin will work directly with Hitachi to coordinate. On your first day back, make sure to check in with your manager.
Bereavement Leave
You can take up to 40 hours off if an immediate family member passes away. For this leave, an immediate family member is your:
- Spouse, domestic partner, parent, stepparent, child, domestic partner’s child, sibling, grandchild or grandparent
- Spouse’s parent, stepparent, child or sibling
- Child’s spouse
If you need additional time, you can use accrued vacation or unpaid personal leave; your manager must approve additional time away.
Who Is Eligible?
All Hitachi employees are eligible or this leave.
Is My Job Protected?
Your job is protected.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
The time off is paid.
How Can I Apply?
Enter this time into myTime for your manager’s approval.
Jury Duty Leave
You can take up to 10 paid days each calendar year if you are called upon to serve as a juror.
Military Leave
You are eligible to take time away as long as needed under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
Who Is Eligible?
All those in the Armed Forces, Reserved Armed Forces and National Guard who are deployed for duty.
Is My Job Protected?
Your job is protected.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
Your Hitachi pay while you’re out is coordinated with your military pay. In order to take advantage of this coordination, you will need to provide payroll with proof of your military pay. You can supplement your pay with any sick pay or vacation time, if applicable. While on leave, you still have access to your email and any internal network systems; however, you will not have access to myTime to request and record sick pay and vacation time. Please work directly with Larkin and Hitachi regarding using your sick pay or vacation time for pay when you’re out.
How Can I Apply?
Contact Larkin at 1-866-923-3336 about your military leave request at least 30 days in advance if possible. They will be your main point of contact throughout your leave, and will coordinate with Hitachi directly as needed.
What Should I Do When I’m Ready to Come Back?
During your leave, stay in touch with Larkin. Rest assured that your same or similar job will be waiting for you when you return.
When you’re ready to come back to work, you will need to provide the applicable paperwork to Larkin that confirms you’re ready for work. Larkin will work directly with Hitachi to coordinate. On your first day back, make sure to check in with your manager.
There are some guidelines for how soon you should return to work after your deployment ends:
- Deployment of 31 days or less — your next scheduled workday.
- Deployment between 30 and 181 days — within two weeks.
- Deployment over 181 days — within 90 days.
Personal Leave
You can take up to six months of unpaid time to pursue your personal interests. You’re responsible to pay the full amount of your benefits premiums while you are on a personal leave.
Who Is Eligible?
All Hitachi employees.
Is My Job Protected?
While you’re away, your job is not protected.
Will I Get Paid While I’m Out?
The time away is unpaid. You can supplement your pay with any vacation time. While on leave, you still have access to your email and any internal network systems; however, you will not have access to myTime to request and record vacation time. Please work directly with Larkin and Hitachi regarding using your vacation time for pay when you’re out.
How Can I Apply?
Contact Larkin at 1-866-923-3336 about your personal leave request at least 30 days in advance if possible. They will be your main point of contact throughout your leave, and will coordinate with Hitachi directly as needed.
What Should I Do When I’m Ready to Come Back?
When you’re ready to come back to work, tell Larkin that you’re ready to return to work. Larkin will work directly with Hitachi to coordinate. On your first day back, make sure to check in with your manager.
Questions?
1-866-923-3336Leaves of Absence
The Larkin Company