HUMAN RESOURCES

EST provides 100% of a staff member’s hourly rate or monthly salary for an approved extended illness or injury after a seven-calendar day elimination period, for up to six months.

Things such as the birth of a child, injuries, accidents, surgeries, and serious illnesses are covered under Extended Sick Time.

Yes, because FMLA leave and EST have different eligibility standards.  Among other requirements, to qualify for FMLA leave for a personal medical issue, an employee must have a serious health condition, as defined by the Department of Labor.  In contrast, to be eligible for EST benefits, an employee must, among other things, have a medically proven disabling impairment that substantially limits their ability to perform one or more of their essential job duties. In sum, FMLA has a lower eligibility standard than EST. So, it is possible to be approved for one benefit and not the other.

Staff members who are receiving Workers’ Compensation should continue to coordinate their time off work with the Office of Risk Management.  Individuals receiving Workers’ Compensation must have their time off tracked in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), so those on Workers’ Compensation must also contact The Hartford to complete the FMLA paperwork.

Under the Absence program, staff members with a personal illness or injury that prevents the staff member from coming to work between one and five days should contact their manager and report the absence as incidental sick time.

Staff members with a personal illness or injury that prevents coming to work for more than five business days should contact The Hartford Insurance Company regarding eligibility for Extended Sick Time (EST) payments. The Hartford’s hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, and they can be reached at 1-888-541-7283.  Please be prepared to provide your doctor’s contact information, including the doctor’s phone number.

• Please refer to the brochure File a Claim With Confidence.
• The Hartford:  1-888-541-7283   Monday – Friday   8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Central Time
• For a scheduled absence, you may call up to 30 days prior to your last day at work.
• For an unscheduled absence, call as soon as possible.
• You will speak with a nurse when you file your claim.

• When a decision is made on your claim you will receive a phone call and a letter from The Hartford.
• Extended Sick Time benefits will be included in your biweekly or monthly paycheck from Northwestern University.
• Resources available to you if you want to obtain information about your claim:
  • Call and speak to a representative during regular business hours (Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Central Time)
  • Call and use the automated voice system available 24/7
  • Go online to www.thehartfordatwork.com  available 24/7

• Contact The Hartford if you need to request an extension of your claim.
• Contact The Hartford if you are going to return to work earlier than expected.

• As long as these absences are related to the initial condition, occur within 90 days from the most recent return to work for a related illness, and the condition and first absence was approved by The Hartford, they are considered a recurrent disability.  This means the absence is paid as EST without having to satisfy another seven calendar day (five business days) elimination period. 
• If the absences are not within the above time frame and do not qualify, staff may use incidental sick time (IST), personal floating holidays, or accrued vacation time to cover their absence.
• If a staff member has exhausted the options above that allow for paid time away, the staff member may continue in an unpaid status.