What Does Workpartners Handle?
From December 30, 2024 through Fall of 2025, Workpartners handles requests for family and medical leave. This means that employees contact Workpartners when they need to be out of work to take care of their own serious health condition, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to bond with a new child welcomed by birth, adoption, or foster placement.
Workpartners does not handle day-to-day sick absences for illnesses that resolve in a day or two, and they don’t handle day-to-day sick absences for routine medical appointments. Employees are expected to make sure their supervisor, manager, other agency-contact knows about their day-to-day sick absence.
Here are a few examples situations:
- Calling out sick for a day or two because I have the stomach flu? Contact your agency
- Taking a few hours of sick time to go to the dentist? Contact your agency
- Need to take a few hours of intermittent leave to take care of your family member? Call Workpartners
- Need to take time off because you will have a surgery? Call Workpartners
- Need to take time off because you’re going to have a baby? Call Workpartners
Who do I contact if I have a new or open leave of absence after Fall of 2025?
You can look forward to working with dedicated family and medical leave coordinators who are fellow state employees. These coordinators will work for the Human Resources Division (HRD) and be your partners and counselors for your family and medical leave needs. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the launch of this new in-house model for family and medical leave!
Applying for a Leave with Workpartners
How can I request a leave with Workpartners?
You can either call Workpartners at 1-833-640-2800 to make your request over the phone or use the Workpartners Consumer Portal to make your request online.
I have a pending leave request with Workpartners and need to submit supporting documentation. Can I submit my documentation through the Consumer Portal?
Yes! Find the open pending leave case for which you want to submit paperwork in the “View Case Status and History” section of the Consumer Portal. Here, you will have the option to securely upload your documentation and indicate what type of documentation it is. You can find the Consumer Portal User Guide, which will have additional details on how to securely upload your supporting documentation, at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/workpartners-consumer-portal.
If I am injured while doing my job, do I need to contact Workpartners?
Contact Workpartners if you need to be absent because your injury prevents you from working. Workpartners does not handle the administration of workers’ compensation benefits for us, but they handle your leave of absence, related notification, and leave case management when you cannot work due to your work-injury. For workers’ compensation benefits, such as medical payments, continue to work with your HR department and workers’ compensation claims adjuster.
As a reminder, when Workpartners is notified of your need for leave, they request that you submit a medical certification because medical documentation/information is required to support your leave.
Please note that workers’ compensation is a payment mechanism and not a job-protected leave. The appropriate documentation will be needed by the employee to support the need for leave. If an employee experiences a work-injury AND cannot work because of that injury, workers’ compensation protects income, whereas job-protected leave (e.g., FMLA or PFML) ensures that the employee can return to the same or equivalent position if/when they are fit for duty after the period of job protected leave.
My employee has called out sick for five workdays in a row but has enough accrued sick time to cover their absences. Do I need to do anything else besides approving their timesheet?
Yes! You and your HR team need to determine if your employee is experiencing a family or medical situation that is protected by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law, or other similar job-protected leave policy. An employee using sick time for five consecutive workdays or a lot of sick time in a short period may be a sign that they need a leave of absence to take care of an illness or injury that they have or that their family member has. Your department is legally responsible for notifying Workpartners and making sure that your employee is informed about their rights to job-protected leave and related responsibilities.
Intermittent Leaves
How far in advance should an employee contact Workpartners for a scheduled medical appointment or procedure that is part of an intermittent leave of absence?
Employees should give Workpartners as much notice as possible when prescheduling time-off for medical appointments that are part of an intermittent leave. Workpartners will notify the employee’s supervisor and next-level supervisor within minutes so that the supervisor and next-level supervisor have enough time to plan for coverage while the employee is absent. In the Consumer Portal, you can easily schedule these appointments up to 60 days in advance.
I have an approved intermittent leave that I want to use. How do I use the Consumer Portal to report an absence that falls under my approved intermittent leave?
Find the open intermittent leave case that you want to use in the “View Case Status and History” section of the Consumer Portal. Here, you will have the option to submit an absence under this case. You can find the Consumer Portal User Guide, which will have additional details on how to report an absence under an intermittent leave, on our Consumer Portal Help Page.
Ending a Leave with Workpartners
Will I still need to provide fitness for duty documentation if I am out of work for more than five days? Do I submit it to Workpartners?
It depends! Generally, if you are out of work for five or more consecutive workdays due to a personal health condition and are required by your agency to submit a fitness for duty in order to resume working, documentation must be provided to your HR department or Workpartners Liaison according to current practice. Talk to your agency’s HR department or agency Workpartners Liaison to learn more about your agency’s current practice.
A copy of the medical clearance documentation is submitted to Workpartners by the Agency (either your HR department or Workpartners Liaison) only if your consecutive absences have been designated as a job-protected leave under the FMLA, PFML, or your union contract or the manager's Red Book.
I currently have an FMLA to take care of a family member with a terminal illness. Sadly, that family member passed away. What do I do now?
The loss of a loved one is never easy. When you have the chance to do so, you should notify Workpartners that you no longer need FMLA (or PFML) leave to care for your family member because the family member has passed away. You should also provide the date on which your family member passed away so that your agency’s HR department (Workpartners Liaison) has the necessary information to help you review and use any bereavement leave benefits that you might be eligible for.
Additionally, the Mass4You employee assistance program is available to all state and municipal employees and their families who are eligible for Group Insurance Commission (GIC) benefits. For more information visit the Mass4You benefits page.
Time Reporting (Employee Timesheets)
I use self-service time and attendance (SSTA) to do my timesheet, but I don’t know which payroll codes or time reporting codes (TRCs) to use for my absence(s). What do I do?
As always, your department is responsible for making sure your timesheets are completed accurately and promptly. Your department’s Workpartners Liaison will make sure that you know which TRCs to use in your timesheet when you are on a leave of absence or take sick leave.
Can Workpartners view or modify my timesheet?
No, Workpartners will not have access to your timesheets. Employees, time approvers, and agencies will continue to be responsible for entering, approving and reviewing timesheets.
Miscellaneous Questions
I don’t need FMLA or PFML leave, but what if I need an accommodation?
Workpartners handles job-protected leaves, including FMLA and PFML leaves but your department continues to handle reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees who require a reasonable accommodation under the ADA will continue to work with their Agency's ADA Coordinator for reasonable accommodations.
Will Workpartners be able to terminate my employment?
No! Workpartners has no control over any actions related to your employment. Only your HR department has the ability to take any actions related to your employment.
If I have questions or concerns about my call experience with Workpartners, who can I talk to about them?
If you have any questions or concerns about your call experience with Workpartners, please direct them to your department’s Workpartners Liaison in your HR department. The Commonwealth has provided clear guidance to Workpartners on our absence and leave policies and holds them accountable for excellent customer service. If you have feedback on the information provided by Workpartners staff or the level of customer service, your department’s Workpartners Liaison can escalate those concerns internally in the Commonwealth to make sure that our employees are receiving accurate information and excellent customer service.