Hourly Leave of Absence TrainingRefresher Training for Hourly Leave ProcessWorkday Enhancements

Leave and Disability• Sedgwick, Walmart’s leave and disability administrator will continue

to handle all leave types including FMLA, personal and military

• The big changes are that HR won’t be able to activate and inactivate associates in GAIN and SMART, and PTCs and Market Assistants will no longer have access to viaOne Express and will not receive any notifications or reports from Sedgwick.

• Sedgwick will now inactivate and activate all associates in Workday when a decision has been made on leaves filed.

• The return from leave process, it will be critical to remind associates to report their RTW to Sedgwick before their return date so they can access all their systems upon returning to work and avoid a pay disruption.

What’s New

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Delegate Access Feature Instruction (found in viaOneexpress Advanced Guide)In the past PTCs have had access to viaOne express, as well as received reports and notifications from Sedgwick. With the move to Workday, associates with direct reports will now have access to viaOne express as well receive reports and notifications from Sedgwick. To assist with the leave process, your management can grant Delegate Access to viaOne express. You’ll find instructions on the Delegate Access Feature in the viaOne express Advanced Guide. These managers can also set up an auto-forwarding rule for the reports and notifications to go to MMAs and PTCs.

Support for associates taking leave

The Associate Starts the Process:• Associates submit leave and STD requests to Sedgwick online or by phone• A few exceptions :

⎯ Associates don’t need to call in Workers’ Compensation leaves⎯ STD in RI and CA: Call the leave in to Sedgwick, then apply through the state disability program⎯ STD in HI, NY, NJ: Call the leave in to Sedgwick, then apply through Liberty Mutual by calling 800-492-5678

Sedgwick’s Role: • A customer service rep gets information from the associate and submits it to a leave specialist; an auto-generated email

lets the facility and people partners know.• Sedgwick makes eligibility decision• Initial packet is mailed or emailed to the associate, including the medical certification/attending physician statement,

release of information form, return to work certification form, and notice of eligibility.

Requesting Leave

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HR’s Role:• Give them the Hourly Associate Leave of Absence Job Aid in

the Leave of Absence Toolkit• Tell them to call Sedgwick or use viaOne Express to request

their leave⎯ Tell them it’s important to submit their leave on time and

quickly respond to Sedgwick’s requests⎯ A medical certification to support the leave is due to

Sedgwick within 20 days of the leave request⎯ Associates should let Sedgwick know if they can’t make

that deadline• Help the associate find their WIN # if needed• Answer any questions they may have through this process

• Tell associates how to return medical documentation:– Fax or email to Sedgwick

– Upload a file or photo through viaOne Express

Requesting Leave

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KEY INFORMATION Your Tools:• Review the Attendance Report for associates

who have been away from work for over three consecutive days

If you have questions, review the Leave of Absence Toolkit and complete a Leave of Absence Escalation Form. The LOAQOD team will address your questions or concerns.

• Issue: Sedgwick mails or emails the initial packet within two business days of the leave request 99.8% of the time. U.S. mail can take up to 10 days.

• Resolution: Providing new ways to deliver the packet:– Make it available to print through viaOne Express within two business days days of the request– Blank medical certification forms can be printed from viaOne Express– Go to viaOne Express – Click on FAQs and General Documents – Click and print the appropriate medical

certification form– Sedgwick will now fax the Medical Certification directly to the associate’s doctor

Other Medical Certification Enhancements:• Sedgwick now accepts an emergency room note• Medical certifications completed in Spanish are now translated by a vendor• Sedgwick will contact the health care provider for clarification if needed• Medical certification forms have been reduced and simplified

Getting the Initial Packets

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What if the associate doesn’t submit the leave on time or has been out for more than three days?

It’s important to talk to the associate• Call them directly or send them a Leave Request Letter• You can find this on the WIRE in the Leave of Absence

Toolkit for Leaders

Important Reminder: If you don’t get a response from the associate, work with your facility manager, MHRM or Field People Partner (FPP) on next steps.

Associate Leave Requests

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KEY INFORMATION File a leave on behalf of the associate if the associate can’t do it for themselves• Let the family know they should expect the

initial packet• Take them a blank medical certification

if necessary• Keep in touch with the associate/family

Associate’s Role: • Respond quickly to all requests from Sedgwick

Sedgwick Leave Specialists’ role:• Approve or deny all medical, military leaves, military differentials, and non-discretionary

personal leaves• Provide all legal notifications on eligibility• Make approval/denial decisions within two days of receiving documentation• Email discretionary leave requests to facility management for approval or denial (people

partners are copied on this request)• Maintain documentation and track the leave • Send communications to the associate and facility• Process leave extension requests previously submitted to Sedgwick• Help the associate with any questions

During the Leave

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HR’s Role: • Help the supervisor with schedule modifications as needed• Make sure the facility manager responds to requests for approval of a

discretionary leave– If the facility doesn’t have a manager, escalate to the acting facility

manager, MHRM or FPP to get approval• Answer questions and address concerns from associate• Keep an eye on the leave status report and email notifications from the leave

specialist to see if it’s been approved or denied• PTCs will no longer be getting reports or notifications from Sedgwick.

Managers will need to set up an auto-forwarding rule if they wish for PTCs to receive this information.

• Reach out to Sedgwick: 800-492-5678, Option 7, if you have questions

During the Leave

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Issue: Why does it take so long to get a leave approved or denied?• Waiting for a decision can create administrative problems for the facility.• Some of the things that slow down approval time:

– Associates submitting a leave after the start date– Not getting the certification in a timely manner– Incomplete certifications, which can take an additional 12 days to clarify

Resolution: New Process• Take the associate off the schedule when you get the auto-forwarded notice

from Sedgwick that they’ve applied for leave. Once Sedgwick decides on the claim, they’ll inactivate the associate.

Leave Decision Issues

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What happens when a leave is denied?• Call the Associate or send them the Leave Denial letter

– Find out: if they’ll be returning to work; if they’ll be submitting additional information to Sedgwick for reconsideration; if they need a Job Adjustment or Accommodation; or if they’ll be terminating their employment

– If they haven’t responded after three days or contacted the facility, work with the facility manager and MHRM or FPP on appropriate employment actions

Leave Denial

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IMPORTANT CHANGEThe associate should not be held accountable via “attendance tracking” for any days missed while requesting a continuous leave of absence, even when the leave is denied. The facility should contact their MHRM or FPP before applying any type of discipline.

As always, review the associate’s RTW form before they start working again• Sedgwick gets in touch with the associate seven days before

their expected RTW. If an extension is requested, Sedgwick notifies the facility by email.

• If the leave was due to a serious health condition, Sedgwick supports the facility by:– Clarifying the restrictions with the associate and

their doctor– Discussing any Job Adjustment/Accommodation options

with the manager and the associate

– Helping the associate request an accommodation• Sedgwick will close the leave unless the associate has asked

for an extension.• If the associate returns to work before their leave ends, have

them report it to Sedgwick immediately.

Returning to Work

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KEY INFORMATION • Fill out the Facility Section of the Return to

Work Certification form (even when an associate provides another form of release) and fax it to Sedgwick

• Put the completed Job Adjustment approval form in the associate’s medical file

• Remember, don’t return an associate to work from a medical leave without a medical release or the Return to Work Certification form

HR’s Role:• Re-activate:

– Sedgwick will be responsible for re-activating all associates now. This will be done when an associate reports their return to work to Sedgwick.

• Scheduling Job Protected Leave: – If the associate returns to work before using up their job protected

time, they should go back to their previous job when available, or to a position with the same pay, status, and benefits they had before taking FMLA Leave. It’s very important to return the associate as soon as possible from an FMLA job protected leave.

• Scheduling Non-Job Protected Leave:– If a job isn’t available, make reasonable efforts to help the associate

apply for an open position they’re qualified for, based on your business needs at the time of their return. If no positions are open, the manager will need to put the associate on a 30 day job search leave in Workday while they search for a job.

Returning to Work

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KEY INFORMATION • Use Open Shifts to return associates to

work for Walmart Stores• Sedgwick will end/close their leave and

re-activate the associate• Don’t create a position for an associate• Don’t terminate an associate before

allowing them to do a job search

What happens when the leave is over but the associate hasn’t returned? • Contact them

– Ask why they haven’t returned and send them the End of Leave Letter– Find it in the Leave of Absence Toolkit for Leaders

under the Returning from Leave Section

– If the associate hasn’t responded after three days, work with the facility manager, MHRM, or FPP to decide on appropriate actions

– If the associate is nearing the end of their 12-month leave, Sedgwick will send them a letter outlining the next steps.

Failure to Return to Work

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KEY INFORMATION • Use Open Shifts to return associates to work for

Walmart Stores• Don’t create a position for an associate• Don’t terminate an associate before allowing

them to do a job search

• Associates should report their intermittent leave to Sedgwick online or by phone.– Associate will be transferred to or advised to contact the

facility to report their absence to management.• An intermittent leave report is provided daily.• Intermittent leaves are approved for 30 days when

frequency and duration aren’t given.• Absences must be reported to Sedgwick within two calendar

days or they will be denied.• If an associate exceeds the frequency and duration of the

leave, Sedgwick will ask for the leave to be recertified.

• Reduced Hours leaves should be reported to Sedgwick, as well as any time missed from that reduced schedule.

• If an associate requests a personal intermittent absence due to their own health condition, give them an ADA packet.

Intermittent Leaves

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HR’s Role:• Remind associates to contact Sedgwick and the facility for each absence.

Include all time missed due to their leave

• Review the daily report.

– Some associates may have more than one intermittent leave submitted

• Check the Intermittent Leave Report and viaOne Express to make sure the information the associate gave to Sedgwick matches the information you have:

– Review the hours/time missed on the Intermittent Leave Report

– Review the schedule reported to Sedgwick by the associate in viaOneExpress

• Correct any wrong information given to Sedgwick:

– Contact the manager/HR hotline at 800-492-5678, Option 7 to:

– Correct the hours an associate missed on a particular day

– Correct the associate’s average scheduled days per week

Intermittent Leave Report

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KEY INFORMATION • Make sure intermittent absences approved by

Sedgwick are excused• If an absence shows as pending on the report,

it means it hasn’t been approved or denied yet. • Reasons for pending status:

– New intermittent leave, no medical certification received

– Request of recertification due to excessive absences

If associates have questions or concerns about their leave, the first step is to contact their leave specialist at Sedgwick.

Discretionary Leave Decision made by Facility: • Follow the Open Door Step-by-Step process.• Let Sedgwick know if a decision is overturned.

Personal Leave Denial by Sedgwick:• Divisional HR can make exceptions to the eligibility

requirements of a discretionary personal leave.

Non-Discretionary Leave Decision by Sedgwick: • Forward the associate’s concern to the IAM team at

LOAQOD@wal-mart.com. They’ll investigate, work with Legal, and provide a resolution and talking points for a conversation between the associate and the facility/HR leadership.

Open Door

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KEY INFORMATION • Always listen and consider all facts shared by

the associate• Use all available resources to resolve the

associate’s concern• Resolve issues quickly• Information needed for an exception:

– Associate name, case number, and WIN #– Reason for the leave and exception request– Send to DHRVP and

LOAQOD@wal-mart.com– If a decision is overturned, tell Sedgwick

• Leave of Absence Toolkit

• Manager/HR Hotline: 1-800-492-5678, Option 7

• Email: LOAQOD@wal-mart.com

• viaOne®Express (Sedgwick’s Online System)

• Leave Status Report and Intermittent Report

Your Resources

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This is your one-stop resource for the leave of absence program:• Job Aids• viaOne Express link• viaOne Express training guides• FAQs• Policies• Expanded Role sections• Contacts• Wallet cards• Reporting section

Leave of Absence Toolkit

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WIRE > Me@Walmart > Time Off Center> Leave of Absence (LOA) Toolkit for Leaders

WalmartOne.com > Health > Time Off Center > Leave of Absence

• Received every Wednesday by the facility manager and people partners when associates are on leave

• Contains leave start and end dates, leave type, when FMLA/State or company policy (client) leaves runs out; and the status of the leave

• A cancelled leave and a closed leave will stay on the report for seven days

• Conditional Status means the leave has a future start date or the medical certification hasn’t been received

• New medical certification column shows whether the certification has been received

• RTW date is estimated, based on the medical certification. It won’t change until a new date is provided by the medical provider. (If the associate requests an extension to their leave, the new RTW date will be updated after receiving and reviewing the new medical certification.)

Leave Status Reports Info

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Website benefits• View and print leave status and information• Searchable by associate, leave type, date

range, and other details• More information: click on the tabs at the top

of the viaOne Express page or the tabs to the left when viewing an associate’s leave

Sedgwick’s Online LOA Tracking

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Snapshot of Walmart’s viaOne Express homepage

• Remember: associates can have their medical certification faxed directly to their doctor

• Remind associates to submit all requests as soon as possible• You can submit documentation to Sedgwick by email• An associate’s status will be updated by Sedgwick once a decision on the claim

has been made• Leave Letters• Leave Request / Leave Request Follow-up • Leave Denial • End of Leave• Always involve your MHRM or FPP in any corrective action decision• Tools to help you – Leave of Absence Toolkit, viaOne Express, Reporting,

LOAQOD@wal-mart.com; Sedgwick’s Manager/HR Hotline 1-800-492-5678, Option 7

Recap

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Thank you