DEVELOPMENT OF AN EMPLOYEE LEAVE GUIDE HANDBOOK AT THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE

Employee leave policies play an important role in supporting workforce well-being, organizational compliance, and retention of skilled labor, especially in medical and educational health institutions. However, employees still experience confusion when trying to make sense of complicated leave options such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), maternity and paternity leave, and military leave. The lack of clear, centralized guidance can result in delays, miscommunication, and increased workplace stress. This project was carried out as a part of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program integrative learning experience requirements at California State University, San Bernardino, and was conducted during an internship at California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) and focused on the development of an Employee Leave Guide Handbook. The handbook was intended to be a resource that would clarify the various leave options, eligibility requirements, and procedural steps for requesting and managing leave. Information was compiled from reviewing federal laws and institutional policies to create a user-friendly format intended for employee use. The project aimed at helping employees to better understand the leave policies, ensure uniformity in processes related to leave, and to support compliance with applicable regulations. By providing easier access to clear leave information not only contributes to workforce well-being but also helps with public health principles concerning the promotion of health, the development of organizational policies, and the prevention of occupational stress.