A leave request is rarely one law. FMLA, the ADA, state paid leave, and your own PTO can reach the same absence at once, and the costly mistakes come from running only one of them. The kit is a guided system: find which of FMLA, the ADA, state leave, and PTO apply, check eligibility, track the leave in hours, run the accommodation through the interactive process, and document the call.
Four files that take a request from the first conversation to a documented decision
A guided process, not a stack of forms. Read the Field Guide first, work a request through the workbook in the order it runs, from the eligibility check to the logs, and use the matching Word templates for the record at each step. Built to be used together.
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Start Here. A one-page map: read the Field Guide first, then work a request through the workbook in order, from the FMLA Eligibility Check to the leave and accommodation logs. It sets out the habit to follow before you decide, treat a request as the start of a process, not a yes-or-no question.
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The Field Guide, 14 pages. How to handle a request in twelve short sections: what the kit is for, the four systems that govern time away and how to tell which applies, FMLA from who is covered through notice, certification, designation, intermittent leave, and job restoration, the ADA interactive process and reasonable accommodation, state paid leave and sick time, how PTO stacks, documentation and privacy, and the high-risk situations to pause on.
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The Workbook. Seven working tabs: a Start Here, the FMLA Eligibility Check, the FMLA Leave Tracker that counts in hours, the Leave Case Log, the Accommodation Log, a Leave Laws by State reference, and a plain-language Definitions tab. It works in Excel or Google Sheets, and a worked example runs through every tab.
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The Templates. Eight editable Word forms that produce the record at each step: an employee leave request, a leave determination and rights summary, a medical certification request, an intermittent leave schedule and tracking form, an ADA accommodation request, an interactive process record, an accommodation agreement and follow-up, and a return to work and leave closeout.
The method in the order a request runs
Take the request in, find which laws apply, check eligibility, run the right path, and document the decision. The kit structures each step; you make the calls, and counsel covers the close ones.
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Take the request in and find the laws that apply. Treat a request for time off or an adjustment as the start of a process, not a yes-or-no question. Note what it is really about, then check each of the four systems that might reach it, FMLA, the ADA, state paid leave, and your own PTO, because more than one can apply to the same absence at once. Keep any medical detail private from the first conversation.
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Check FMLA eligibility and send the notices. Run the FMLA Eligibility Check for the covered-employer and eligible-employee tests, the months and hours worked and the fifty-employees-within-seventy-five-miles count. Where someone qualifies, send the eligibility and rights notice, request a certification if the reason needs one, and designate the leave in writing.
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Track the leave in hours where it is intermittent. Log the leave on the FMLA Leave Tracker against the twelve-week entitlement. Count intermittent and reduced-schedule leave in hours, not days, so a few hours here and there are charged correctly and the remaining balance is right. Keep the Leave Case Log current from the day a matter opens to the return.
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Run the accommodation through the interactive process. When the request is for an adjustment, recognize it even without the right words, understand the limitation, and explore the options together on the Accommodation Log. Engaging in that back-and-forth is itself part of the duty. Weigh what is workable against the difficulty or expense that would make an accommodation an undue hardship, and record the outcome with a review date.
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Document the decision and close the loop. Write down what you decided and why on the right template, the rights and determination summary for a leave, the accommodation agreement for an adjustment, and the return to work and closeout when the person comes back. Keep medical records in a separate confidential file, and confirm anything near a legal line with counsel first.
Who it is built for and where to go if that is not you
Built for
- An HR generalist, manager, or business owner who has to handle a leave request or an accommodation and wants to get the eligibility, the notices, the tracking, and the decision right, with the record to show for it.
- A lean HR team, or a small HR function, that needs one consistent process for FMLA, the ADA, and state leave across every request, instead of looking up the rules from scratch each time.
- An operations or people leader who has to be sure a leave or accommodation was handled correctly and documented, and who wants to know when a request has to go to counsel before it goes further.
If you are looking for
- A pregnancy, childbirth, or nursing accommodation, governed by its own federal rules under the PWFA and the PUMP Act. The PWFA and PUMP Accommodation Kit covers that path.
- Tracking accrued PTO and leave balances as an ongoing operations task, rather than deciding a single protected-leave request. The PTO and Leave Tracker in the HR Operations Binder handles that.
- A chronic attendance problem you are managing with an attendance policy or point system, where the absences are not protected leave. The Attendance Point System Tracker is built for that.
Before you buy
What format are the files and can I edit them?
The Field Guide and the Start Here are print-ready PDFs, the workbook is an Excel file that also works in Google Sheets, and the templates are an editable Word file. Everything is yours to keep and adapt. Save a copy of the workbook for each person on leave.
How is this different from a free FMLA or ADA checklist?
A free checklist gives you a list. This is a guided process that walks the whole request: find which of the four laws apply, check FMLA eligibility, send the right notices, track the leave in hours so intermittent absences are counted correctly, run an accommodation through the interactive process, and document the decision. It marks where you stop and get counsel and gives you the working tools, not a form to fill in alone.
Does it cover state paid leave, not just FMLA?
Yes, at the level a national kit can. The Field Guide explains how state paid family and medical leave and paid sick time fit alongside FMLA, the ADA, and your PTO, and the workbook includes a leave-laws-by-state reference tab. Because more than a dozen states and the District of Columbia run paid-leave programs and around twenty require paid sick time, with rules that differ and keep changing, the kit routes you to confirm the current requirement for your state rather than stating it as settled.
What is the refund policy?
Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.
What happens after I buy?
Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here page first, then read the Field Guide before you work a live request. Questions or want a hand getting set up? Email support@truestephr.com.
How the download works
Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer: save it, extract it (right-click and Extract All on Windows, double-click on a Mac), and open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and the editable files work in Microsoft Word and Excel or their free equivalents, including LibreOffice and Google Docs and Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.
Scope
This kit is a set of working tools and editable templates for running an HR process in a clear, consistent, and defensible way. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for qualified counsel on your specific situation. The rules in this area vary by jurisdiction, they change, and applying a template to the wrong facts can create the exact exposure you are trying to avoid. Have your policies, your notices, and any individual decision reviewed against applicable law before you act on them.
