For continuous leaves that your organization adjudicates, Cocoon allows admins to record how long an employee’s Serious Health Condition (SHC) form is valid. This helps determine whether a leave extension is covered by the existing certification or requires updated documentation.
Continuous employer-adjudicated leaves also support recertification at the 12-month mark.
What does the certification validity period mean?
The certification validity period is the full date range supported by the employee’s SHC form. This may be longer than the leave the employee initially requests. For example, a medical provider may certify leave for several weeks, while the employee initially chooses to take only part of that time.
Record the full date range supported by the SHC form, rather than limiting it to the employee’s requested leave dates.
If the employee later extends their approved leave within that recorded validity period, the additional dates will be automatically approved without requiring a new SHC form or another approval from your organization.
Recording the full validity period does not change the employee’s requested leave dates. If the employee later extends their leave within that period, the additional dates are automatically approved. An extension beyond that period requires updated medical certification.
Record the medical certification’s validity period
When reviewing an employee’s SHC form, you’ll first see the Review leave step. This screen asks: “What is the validity period of this medical certification form?”
Review the SHC documentation, then select the appropriate option:
The certification supports specific dates
Select “Medical certification supports leave for the dates stated below.”
Enter the Effective start date and Effective end date supported by the medical certification. Record the full period supported by the SHC form—even if the employee’s current leave request covers a shorter period.
The certification supports a lifetime or indefinite duration
Select “Medical certification supports a leave for a lifetime or indefinite duration.”
For this option, the medical certification is valid in Cocoon for 12 months from the initial leave start date. Updated certification is needed for leave continuing beyond that period.
Review and adjudicate the leave request
After recording the certification’s validity period, select Next to continue to Adjudicate leave.
You’ll see two separate date ranges:
Requested leave dates: The dates the employee is requesting to take leave.
Certification validity dates: The dates supported by the medical documentation.
These date ranges do not need to match. A certification may support a longer period than the employee currently needs. Recording that longer validity period does not mean you are approving leave for the entire period.
Choose the appropriate outcome:
Approve leave
Send deficiency notice if the application is incomplete, contains errors, or lacks required documentation
Deny leave
If approving, review the leave start and end dates, add an internal note if needed, and select Next. Review the approval confirmation, then select Confirm.
The confirmation screen explains that a designation notice will be sent after all leave dates within the leave period have been reviewed.
When does an extension require recertification?
Compare the employee’s extended leave dates with the validity period recorded for their existing SHC form.
If the extension stays within the certification’s validity period: No recertification is needed for those dates.
If the extension goes beyond the certification’s validity period: Updated certification is needed only for the dates outside the existing certification period.
A task will then populate for the employee to complete the recertification for leave.
Example: An extension is partially covered
An employee’s SHC form supports leave from @January 1, 2027 → January 25, 2027.
The employee initially requests leave from @January 1, 2027 → January 20, 2027, then extends their leave through @January 28, 2027.
The existing SHC form already covers the additional dates from @January 21, 2027 → January 25, 2027. Recertification is needed only for @January 26, 2027 → January 28, 2027, because those dates fall outside the existing certification’s validity period.
Key takeaway
Record the full period supported by the medical certification, separately from the dates you approve for leave. This helps ensure employees only need to provide updated documentation for dates their existing certification does not cover.