CONFIDENTIAL – DO NOT FORWARD - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

CONFIDENTIAL – DO NOT FORWARD

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide2

Table of contentsShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSalaried Associate STD and Parental and Family Care Pay 3 Hourly Associate STD and Parental and Family Care Pay 7Salaried and Hourly Associate LTD 10Leave of Absence Process 12Associate’s RoleSedgwick’s RolePeople Partner Team’s RoleReturn-to-Work Process 30

Tools and Resources 32Slide3

Salaried A

ssociate

Short-Term Disability

and Parental and

Family Care Pay Slide4

How the salaried short-term disability plan works

Associates then receive 75 percent of their salary for up to an additional

19

weeks

through short-term disability.

This

means they are covered for

up to a total of 25 weeks.

EXAMPLE FOR SALARIED ASSOCIATES

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

When an associate contacts

Sedgwick

to make an

STD claim, a request for leave of absence will also be filed.

An associate uses FlexPTO

for seven calendar day waiting period to cover 100 percent of their income. FlexPTO begins on Feb. 1, 2018.

They then receive 100 percent of their weekly salary for the next six weeks through short-term disability.

Please

note:

Sedgwick, Walmart’s short-term disability

administrator, will

pay the first 20 days of disability while waiting to make a

determination on the claim.Slide5

Short-term disability and workers’ compensation coordination

The goal of coordinating disability and workers’ comp is to ensure salaried associates don’t

receive less compensation if they

are injured

at

work,

than they would if they were hurt at home.

Salaried

associates qualifying for worker’s comp will

receive

100 percent of their wages for the first seven weeks, with no waiting period. From week eight through week 26, short-term disability makes up the difference between the state workers' comp payment and 75 percent of the associate's wages.If workers’ comp is not yet approved, the STD top-off amount will be based on the anticipated state benefit.If the workers’ comp benefit is more than 75 percent, an STD benefit will not be paid.Premiums to continue benefits coverage will be deducted automatically from any STD payments. If the associate is not receiving STD, the associate must pay their premiums directly.Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

SALARIED ASSOCIATESSlide6

What this policy does:

Provides pay for 12 weeks per rolling 12-month period for parental pay, of which two of those weeks can be used for family care pay.

Family

care pay:

to care for a seriously ill immediate family

member,

meaning

a parent

, child or spouse/partner

Parental pay: for the birth, adoption or foster-care eventHow to use this benefit:Leave must be requested and approved through Sedgwick for an associate to receive pay through this policy.Family care pay can’t be taken intermittently.Parental pay must be taken in one-week increments.Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessParental and Family Care Pay Policy

SALARIED ASSOCIATES

The associate will also need to file

for

a leave of absence

through Sedgwick to access parental and family care pay.Slide7

Hourly Associate

Short-Term Disability

and Parental and Family Care PaySlide8

How the hourly short-term disability plan worksEXAMPLE FOR FULL-TIME HOURLY ASSOCIATES

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

When an associate contacts

Sedgwick

to make an STD claim,

a

request for leave of absence will also be filed.

An associate uses PTO

for

the

first

seven calendar days to

cover

100 percent of their income their for scheduled days. If they do not have enough PTO to cover this period, they may take the time as unpaid.

They then receive 50 or 60 percent of their average weekly wage, based on the coverage they selected, for up to 25 weeks.

Please

note: before payment, short-term disability claims must be approved by Sedgwick. In statutory states, Liberty must approve STD claims instead of Sedgwick.Slide9

What this policy does:

Provides pay for two weeks per rolling 12-month period for the birth, adoption or foster-care eventHow to use this benefit:

Leave must be requested and approved through Sedgwick

for an associate to receive pay through this policy.

Parental pay must be taken in one-week increments.

HR’s role:

Sedgwick will send you a notification when an associate’s parental

pay

has been

approved

.How to pay these associates is still TBD. We are currently working on a way to streamline this process.Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessParental Pay Policy

HOURLY ASSOCIATES (INCLUDING METRO PROFESSIONALS)

The associate will also need to file

for

a leave of absence

through Sedgwick to access parental pay.Slide10

Salaried and

Hourly Associate

Long-Term DisabilitySlide11

After short-term disability is exhausted, the associate can transition from Sedgwick to

Liberty, if they are unable to return to work due to their disabling medical condition. This process begins at week 18 of their short-term disability claim. Long-term disability coverage, if the associate has enrolled,

picks

up where that associate’s

short-term

disability coverage ends.

Depending on which

Plan

the associate

has

chosen, long-term disability provides up to 50 percent or 60 percent of their average monthly wage, up to a $15,000 monthly maximum. Other benefits or income may reduce long-term disability payments.Long-term disability (Liberty)Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

SALARIED, METRO PROFESSIONALS AND FULL-TIME HOURLY ASSOCIATESSlide12

Leave of Absence ProcessSlide13

Associate’s Role

Leave of absence requests and

s

hort-term disability claim processSlide14

Associates must submit any new requests for leave of absence,

including short-term disability claims, to Sedgwick. Here's what an associate needs to submit a request:

Walmart Identification Number (WIN)

Facility number

First day absent from work and estimated return-to-work date

Work schedule for the last three-week period (salaried) or for the last two weeks (hourly)

Type of leave requested

(medical, family care, parental, personal, etc.)

Type of leave duration (continuous

, intermittent or reduced schedule)

Name and fax number of the appropriate medical provider for Sedgwick to contactSalaried associates only:For the month of January 2018: Whether the associate chooses to use their PTO during the short-term seven-day waiting periodBeginning Feb. 1, 2018: Sedgwick will automatically pay the associate’s scheduled days during the waiting periodAssociate’s role: filing for leave and short-term disabilityShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

ALL ASSOCIATESSlide15

Complete the medical release to help Sedgwick quickly approve the request and claim.

Follow up with their medical provider to make sure the required documentation is submitted as soon as possible – no later than 20 days, or the leave will be denied.Inform Sedgwick as soon as possible of any delays in providing documentation, or if there is a change in the initial leave date.

Associate’s role: after submitting leave request and STD claim

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

ALL ASSOCIATESSlide16

Sedgwick’s Role

Leave of absence requests

short-term disability claim processSlide17

Sedgwick is Walmart's leave of absence, short-term disability, and parental and family care pay administrator for all associates.

Sedgwick will send the appropriate notices and communications directly to the associate, the associate’s manager and to HR. Their leave/disability specialists will:

Maintain documentation and track the

leave/STD/parental

and

family

care claim

Provide notification when the associate has exhausted their job protection time under FMLA

and/or

state leave

Process leave extension requests when neededMonitor for patterns regarding intermittent leavesServe as a resource to managers and HR representatives, andNotify an associate if they are nearing 11 months of leave, and additional time may be needed beyond 12 months.Sedgwick’s role and what to expectShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

For questions about an associate’s

leave

or STD claim, HR can call Sedgwick at 800-492-5678 and choose Option 7.Slide18

Leave/disability specialists will review the documentation provided by the associate, medical providers and HR representatives

, and will:Make leave and short-term disability determinations Determine if the associate is eligible for leave based on their length of service and time worked, and approve or deny all medical and military leaves, non-discretionary personal leaves and short-term disability claims

Review medical documentation

Determine if the medical documentation provided supports a disability claim

Process discretionary leave requests

Send discretionary leave requests to the associate’s manager and HR representative for approval or denial

Process military leave requests

Review military differential pay, when eligible, for military leaves

Sedgwick’s

role: the leave process

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide19

Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, associates will report absences related to an intermittent leave to Sedgwick through

viaOne® Express or by calling 800-492-5678 within two days of the absence.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2018,

salaried associates will have 14 PTO days available to receive pay for an intermittent absence, unless the intermittent leave is associated with an STD claim. Hourly associates will need to request PTO from their HR representative if they wish to be paid.

Associates

must also report the absence under the guidelines they follow today, such as to their manager or HR representative.

Sedgwick will send an intermittent leave report to the associate’s

manager

and

HR

representative the day following the reported absence.Intermittent leave is not available for personal leaves. However, an intermittent leave may be granted as an accommodation by the Accommodation Service Center when the leave is for the associate’s own health condition.HR action: If a salaried associate has no remaining PTO during an intermittent leave, HR will need to submit a negative retro so the associate is not paid during that time. (See handout.)If an associate was previously approved for an intermittent leave, Sedgwick will need documentation of this leave and HR is to send it to Sedgwick.Sedgwick’s role: intermittent leave

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide20

Once a short-term disability claim has been

approved, Sedgwick will:Update GAIN with the associate’s status (salaried associates);

Notify payroll of the associate’s appropriate

payment;

Determine the length of the

benefit

, based on the medical guidelines and

diagnosis, and

Determine the length of the associate’s leave, based on what the medical provider has indicated.

Please

note: this means the associate’s leave may be approved for a longer period of time than the short-term disability benefits are paid.Sedgwick’s role: short-term disability claimsShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide21

Sedgwick also approves any extension of a

short-term disability claim: If the associate’s additional medical information is not received, the associate’s pay will be stopped on the date the initial approval expires.

The associate will remain unpaid until the additional medical information

is

received.

Once this information is received, Sedgwick will determine approval of the request for extension of

benefits

. Once the extension is approved, pay will resume and the associate will receive back pay.

Seven

days before the end of

leave/short-term disability claim, Sedgwick will send a letter or call to notify the associate their pay is about to be stopped.Sedgwick’s role: short-term disability claimsShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

CONTINUEDSlide22

Sedgwick also creates key files for the LOA and short-term disability claim process:

Job Row (standard Sedgwick interface)This file lets Walmart know when a leave begins, when a leave is extended, when a pay status changes and when a leave ends, so that HR and Payroll systems can be updated.

Note:

hourly associates are currently not on the job row file

.

ATP – Advice To Pay (standard Sedgwick interface)

This file indicates the correct amount of disability benefits to be processed by Walmart payroll when an associate is on a disability leave

.

Military Differential File (custom interface Sedgwick created for Walmart)

This file indicates the correct amount of military differential to be processed by Walmart payroll when an associate is on qualifying military leave

.Work Schedule (new custom interface Sedgwick created for Walmart)This file provides additional information about a salaried associate’s scheduled work days during the pay period a leave begins, ends or goes to unpaid, to ensure that the associate is not over- or underpaid. It also indicates any PTO the associate needs to have paid out. Note: hourly associates are not on the work schedule file.Technology interface files from SedgwickShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide23

People Partner Team’s role

Leave of absence requests and

short-term disability claim processSlide24

Our People Partner team plays a critical role in supporting our associates when they need help the most – when taking time away from work.

A few reminders: Direct associates to leave-related resources.If the associate is in the facility, have them apply online immediately through

viaOne

®

e

xpress

.

If the associate fails to request a leave and has been out for more than

three

days, send the

Leave Request Letter.Stress the importance of applying for leave as quickly as possible.Delays in applying for a leave can delay the entire process.Associates have 20 days to submit medical documentation once they contact Sedgwick.If the associate is unable to report a claim themselves, a family member or HR may do so.Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

People

Partner’s

role: leave requests and the short-term disability claim processSlide25

Stay informed:

Check viaOne® Express to review the status of the leave and any updates or notifications. See the viaOne

®

Express

quick reference to learn more about the information you can find

on

viaOne

®

Express

.

Review the weekly leave status report that is sent every Wednesday.Review the intermittent leave report to ensure time was reported accurately.Read all email notifications sent by Sedgwick.Review the approval or denial notification:For an approvalMake a note of the estimated return to work date for future reference.An HR action is needed for hourly associates, as the GAIN process is not automated. Please place hourly associates on leave in GAIN. For salaried associates, no action is needed. For a denialRead all email notifications and complete any action items sent by Sedgwick.As directed by Sedgwick, send the associate the Leave Denial Letter and attempt to reach the associate by phone. This letter instructs the associate to contact the facility and speak to a manager and/or HR Representative within three days of receipt.Do not take any disciplinary action until all action items listed on the email from Sedgwick have been completed. Then, partner with next-level HR and legal counsel prior to considering termination.An HR action is needed for hourly associates, as the GAIN process is not automated. Please place hourly associates on leave in GAIN. For salaried associates, no action is needed.

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

People Partner’s role: after a leave request and

short-term disability claim are submittedSlide26

Support the associate:

Use your resources to assist them:Check viaOne® express to review information about the leave, payment information and more.

If you still have questions or concerns about a leave request, contact Sedgwick at

800-492-5678

and

choose option 7.

You’ll find resources on the WIRE > LOA Toolkit.

If your questions or concerns are still unresolved, contact the leave and disability team

by

emailing

LOAQOD@wal-mart.comShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

CONTINUED

People Partner’s role: after a leave request and

short-term disability claim are

submittedSlide27

If the leave request and short-term disability claim are approved, the

short-term disability benefit will begin and the associate should not see a disruption in their pay schedule. If the leave request or short-term disability claim are denied because the associate failed to submit the requested medical information, their pay will be stopped back to the

beginning

of the relevant pay period.

If

short-term disability

claim is denied, but the leave is approved, the associate will receive 14 days of FlexPTO (salaried only) paid by

Sedgwick,

and will then go to an unpaid leave, beginning

Feb. 1, 2018.

If the associates submits the requested medical information and the short-term disability claim is approved, the associate will receive retroactive short-term disability benefits to cover the unpaid period of time.Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessPeople Partner’s role: associate pay after a leave request and short-term disability claim are submittedSlide28

To support this process, a file called Job Row will be sent from Sedgwick to Walmart each day, including weekends and holidays. This file will update GAIN to list the associate on a leave of absence, and to indicate if the leave is paid or unpaid, along with the begin date and estimated end date

.For salaried associates, People Partner representatives will not be responsible for entering and approving leave information in GAIN for any leaves submitted to Sedgwick.

How will HR representatives know when the Job Row file

transfer

occurs?

Sedgwick will send an email notification to the associate’s manager

and

HR representatives when a leave has been requested.

An email notification will also be sent when the leave has been approved, after the Job Row file transfer has updated GAIN with

the

associate’s leave information. This could take up to 24 hours. This information is also available through viaOne® Express, and the Leave Status Report that HR Representatives will receive each Wednesday from Sedgwick.People Partner’s role: GAIN processShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide29

If a salaried associate fails to request a leave of absence, fails to contact their HR representative about their immediate return to

work or reports their return to Sedgwick but does not actually return, please place the associate in an “unapproved absence” status in GAIN. This stops the associate’s pay until the associate either returns to work or submits a leave request.As with other leave actions entered into GAIN, HR representatives will need to enter the begin date of when the unapproved time began and an estimate of when this action should end. We recommend two weeks.

If the associate returns to work, HR representatives should enter the

return-to-work

action for the associate with the effective date of that return.

People partner’s role

: “unapproved absence” reason code

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessSlide30

Return-to-Work

P

rocessSlide31

Sedgwick will contact the associate seven days prior to their expected return-to-work date, and send a text message two days before the end of their leave.

IMPORTANT – The associate must:Provide their manager, HR representative and Sedgwick with a Return-to-Work Certification

completed by their doctor

prior to returning to work

, when returning from their own medical

leave/short-term disability claim.

Contact Sedgwick

on the date they return to work

by calling or by entering their

return-to-work

date in viaOne® Express, or replying to Sedgwick’s text message. This ensures the associate will receive accurate and timely pay when they return.Once the associate has returned, Sedgwick will close the leave/claim.NOTE: If the associate fails to return to work, the People Partner should call the associate and send the End-of-Leave letter, which explains the options available to them including RTW, extension, accommodation and voluntary termination. Return-to-work processShort-Term Disability and Leave of Absence ProcessRemember: The associate’s Walmart leave may run concurrently with

FMLA and/or State-Protected Leave with job protection. In these cases, the associate’s position should not be

replaced while they are out.Slide32

Tools and ResourcesSlide33

Tools and resources Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

Leave of Absence Toolkit – Updated on

Jan. 1, 2018

Contains FAQs, leave process information and links to related resources such as policy documents and training guides for

viaOne

®

Express

Leave

of

Absence policies and management guidelines Updated policy and management guidelines are available on the WIREviaOne® Express Sedgwick’s online tool for submitting leave/short-term disability claims, checking claim status, submitting return-to-work dates, submitting intermittent absences and sending messages to SedgwickSlide34

Associates who have questions or concerns about their leave of absence or short-term disability claim should first contact their leave/disability specialist at Sedgwick. If concerns remain after discussing with Sedgwick, P

eople Partners should:Forward the request/concern to the Integrated Absence Management (IAM) team at LOAQOD@wal-mart.com. Complete the appropriate web form for the concern.

The IAM team will investigate the concern and provide the resolution to Sedgwick and the associate’s

People Partner.

Remind the associate that Sedgwick is the fiduciary of the short-term disability

plan, and that decisions made in accordance with

Plan

guidelines can’t be overturned.

Short-Term Disability and Leave of Absence Process

Associate short-term disability feedback:

open-door process reviewSlide35

“We’re all working together; that’s the secret.”

SAM WALTON

Thank

you

!

Please do not hesitate to send us any questions or suggestions you may have to

LOAquestionsandOpenDoor

@wal-

mart.com

.