When you've submitted a leave request through OLPA, an OLPA Leave Benefit Coordinator, a Commonwealth employee just like you will reach out to you from this number to schedule a virtual leave intake session. You're probably asking, "What is an intake session? What can I expect from that?" While this is a critical step in getting leave approval from your employer, and should not be skipped, we promise it's not intimidating or scary. It's actually our first step to help you directly and make sure your leave application is on the right track.
In this session, a member of our team is going to walk you through the next steps to explain what leave you're eligible for and share your pay options, which include: using your earned time off, taking unpaid leave, or applying for pay through the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML). After you choose your pay preference, your OLPA Leave Benefit Coordinator will point you in the right direction so that you are paid through the correct channel. An important side note: you will need to apply to OLPA first before applying for payment through DFML. Again, we will walk you through this all in the meeting.
After the intake session, OLPA will let your supervisor and HR department's leave liaison know if you qualify for the leave you requested, the start and end dates of your leave, and the due dates for documents you will need to submit. Remember, this leave intake session is every bit for you as it is for us. It's your chance to ask questions and get clarity on any steps in the process. Our goal with this meeting is so that you feel confident that everything is on track.