Leave, Leave Planning, Leave Claims, Leave Administration? There are many terms related to taking a leave of absence.

This guide is designed to help you navigate and understand the basic terminology related to taking a leave of absence, from understanding your benefits, to clarifying key aspects of your LeaveLogic profile.

Have questions about Leave or LeaveLogic? See also: Leave & LeaveLogic Basics
​

Benefit – a payment or service (like job protection) provided by your employer, state and/or federal government in the form of a policy, ordinance, law, or act. 

Bonding Period – time that a parent or guardian spends with a newborn child or recently-placed adopted or foster child to build a connection through constant association. Bonding time occurs after disability ends and can be planned.

Disability – a physical and/or mental impairment resulting in the inability to perform the material and substantial duties your job requires. If you require surgery or a medical treatment, you may be able to plan the date of that surgery, but the length of the resulting recovery period will be determined by your physician and is not a personal choice.

Disability Insurance – a type of insurance that provides partial income replacement if you are unable to work and earn money due to a disability. Disability insurance can be provided to you by your employer, purchased out in the private marketplace, provided by the state, or any combination of those places.

If you are disabled as a result of a non-work-related injury, your disability insurance will work with you to determine your benefit eligibility. 

Elimination/Waiting Period – time that must pass before you can receive paid benefits.

An elimination period can also be defined as the number of days of total, partial, or residual disability that must pass before benefits become payable. Benefits are not payable, nor do they accrue, during an elimination period.

Intermittent Leave – Leave that is taken in irregular intervals. If you return to work during your leave period (e.g. for days, weeks, or months at a time), your leave is considered an intermittent leave.

Job Protection – policies that are designed to allow you to take a leave of absence for certain life events, if eligible, without having to worry about job security. Some job-protected policies may or may not provide salary reimbursement or specific monetary benefit to you. 

These protections can be federal mandates such as the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state mandates like the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), or policies your employer provides that will guarantee job protection.

Offset – deduct/subtract. Your third-party administrator will offset (or subtract) income you receive from a state benefit from your short term disability benefit, and provide you the difference.

Paid Leave – any time an employee takes from work with pay. This can include paid time off, vacation, sick time, or a leave of absence that includes paid benefits.

Third-party administrator – a company who administers insurance benefits on behalf of the insurer.

​