Application Process

AFA recommends using the Federal Family Leave forms to initiate the FML Application Process. The reason for this recommendation is that most Health Care Providers are more familiar with the Federal FMLA forms than they are with the United FML form, leading to less confusion in completing the necessary information.These forms can be found on this page and on the AFA United MEC website, via the “Family Medical Leave" tab.

Absence Certificate Option:

Alternatively, for continuous (block) absences of 4 or more days, you could simply complete an Absence Certificate and submit that to HelpHub within 15 days of the first day of work missed.

Employers have a legal requirement to proactively designate an absence as FMLA leave once they have enough information to determine that the leave may be for an FMLA-qualifying reason, and they must do so within five business days.

If you already have an approved, current FML Certification: 

• The phone number to call to put yourself on FML (when you have an approved FML case number already) is 1-800-FLT-LINE (1.800.358.5463) to reach a FAST Representative. 

• Follow the prompts to put oneself on or off Sick Leave and advise the FAST Representative that you are using your approved Family Leave and provide the respective FML Case Number.  

• FAST will then send a notification to Scheduling (SK) that you won't be on your trip and will code the absence accordingly (and they will send that notification to your Inflight Supervisor).  

NOTE: There is no need nor reason for you to contact local Inflight Management either before or after you have contacted FAST to initiate a FML occurrence.

If you do not already have an approved, current FML Certification:

If you have to miss a trip and believe it may be a FML-eligible illness/injury, then you would do the SAME as above, however, let the FAST representative know you are placing yourself "on sick leave with FMLA -Pending"..... you then have 15 days from the first day of work missed to submit the certification paperwork via HelpHub on Flying Together (once completed, submit the form by simply accessing HelpHub and in the search box, write “Family Leave" and you will receive a list of links, one being the link to submit a FML Request form).

You should take the FMLA form to your Health Care Provider (HCP) to complete. Once completed by the HCP, the you should pick up the form and review how it was filled out prior to submitting in order to ensure the HCP completed all required questions, signed and dated.

There is no need to obtain a Family Leave Case Number prior to submitting the FML Certification paperwork.  A case number will be provided in the communication from the Employee Service Center either approving, denying, or requesting additional information for the submitted FML Certification.  

Please note, receiving a ‘Request for Additional Information’ is NOT a denial of Family Leave. Rather it is simply a request for clarification and such letter must include the specific additional information which is needed for further review of the FML Certification.