Leave of Absence & Disability: Manager FAQ (U.S.)

• Encourage the employee to contact The Hartford (see question 3) to initiate the leave request or disability claim.
• Ask the employee to provide advance notice (30 days when possible).
• Complete and return any required manager forms promptly (e.g., Personal Leave approvals).
• Coordinate with your HR Business Partner and the LOA team as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality — do not ask employees to share medical details

The Hartford administers most LOA and disability claims (FMLA, STD, LTD, parental, pregnancy, personal, military, and state leaves).

NOTE: Standby Leave is not administered by The Hartford; this is handled by your HR Partner.

Managers are not responsible for approving or denying medical leaves—this is determined by The Hartford.

Employees must contact The Hartford. In an emergency situation, a family member may notify The Hartford on the employee’s behalf. Contact The Hartford by phone at 866.262.7316 or via the online portal at AbilityAdvantage.TheHartford.com.

Employees may use Paid Time Off (PTO)/Flexible Time Off (FTO) during the first five business days only. The appropriate amount may vary depending on work state. Please see the timesheet instructions found here under each leave type.

Do not approve any PTO/FTO usage beyond the first five business days of an absence. Doing so may result in an overpayment that would need to be recovered.

Timesheets should not autogenerate during a leave of absence. Please contact the LOA Team if you receive timesheet notifications for an employee on leave.

• FMLA is a Leave of Absence that is unpaid and provides job protection.
• Short Term Disability is a wage replacement.  Pay may come from:
  • Short-Term Disability (STD)
  • Paid Parental or Pregnancy Programs
  • State administered benefits (varies by state)

For questions about pay, Managers can refer employees to The Hartford or the LOA team.

• Job protection is 12 weeks of FMLA, if eligible.
• Some states offer job protection that differs from FMLA.
• Reasonable Accommodation options may apply if an employee is not eligible for FMLA or state job protection—HR will guide this process.

• When an STD claim is approved, STD benefits are paid as follows:
  • 100% of base pay for the first 6 weeks (after waiting period)
  • 66.67% of base pay after 6 weeks up to a maximum of 26 weeks.

Payments are issued by The Hartford, not AECOM .

• STD has a 7-calendar day / 5-business day waiting period.
• During this time, employees may use:
  • FTO (DCS & Corporate exempt employees)
  • PTO (nonexempt, CM, AFS employees)
• Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Oregon employees do not have a waiting period, so employees of these states are required to contact the LOA team at LOA@aecom.com to determine how much PTO/FTO is required for their waiting period.

• During the STD period (the first five business days of absence), employees may use up to 40 hours of PTO or FTO.  Exempt employees starting their leave mid-week must submit a manual timesheet for the remaining waiting period hours.
• Non-birthing parents on Parental Leave are required to submit their timesheets using the LWOP Task code 82 (Parental) to ensure that overhead hours do not auto-generate.  Payroll will reclassify these hours to the appropriate Paternity Leave coding.

• Employees should not submit a timesheet, manual, or otherwise, after the waiting period concludes. 
• This will cause an overpayment if any hours are submitted after the one-week waiting period.

No. An employee cannot work any hours during a continuous leave of absence.

Before returning:

• The employee must submit a Return-to-Work Release from their provider to their HR Business Partner and LOA team.
• If restrictions exist, HR reviews them for accommodation options.
• The employee must notify The Hartford of their return date.

Managers should not allow an employee to return until clearance is confirmed.

• LOA Team: LOA@aecom.com
• HR Business Partner: For guidance on accommodations or employee relations