Hardship Help - Cycle Extension & Leave of Absence
ABIH® offers two options to help with hardship case situations: CM Cycle Extension and a Leave of Absence.
Only one hardship help option will be granted per CM cycle with the exception that a 1 year Leave of Absence may be extended to 2 years upon written request.
| Option | Implication |
| CM Cycle Extension | An additional six months to earn CM credit to meet the recertification requirements. |
| Leave of Absence | The Diplomate is "inactive" for 1 or 2 years, thus, the recertification requirements are reduced by 20% or 40%. Also, CM credit can only be earned in Category 4 during the LOA time period. |
How To Request
To be eligible, Diplomates must be in good standing (i.e. no unresolved ethics issues, current on all fees). The Diplomate should notify ABIH as soon as the need exists. Requests, which will be held in strict confidence, must include a brief description of the circumstances and current status of CM credit that has been accumulated. Supporting documentation may be required.
Requests can be sent via email, fax or postal mail.
The CM cycle extension provides an additional six months to earn CM credit. The Diplomate will be assigned a new CM cycle end date and will follow the worksheet schedule for their new CM cycle.
Eligibility Criteria: Cycle extensions are granted for circumstances such as but not limited to:
- Personal or family catastrophic illness/disability
- Overseas military deployment
- Geographic displacement due to natural disasters (e.g., weather, earthquake)
- Maternity leave
- Involuntary unemployment
| Eligibility Criteria |
The Leave of Absence (LOA) is available in 1 year increments up to 2 years (maximum) for those who are unable to practice industrial hygiene due to circumstances such as:
Unemployment is excluded from the LOA program. |
| CM Credit Reductions |
During the LOA period, the Diplomate's minimum requirements are proportionately reduced for the total CM points and the IH CM Credit in Category 4. For example, for Diplomates on a 60 month CM cycle, a 12-month LOA will reduce the minimum requirements by 20% (12/60) to:
The IH Ethics requirement of 2 hours (0.33 points) in Cat 4 per CM cycle is not affected. |
| LOA Period |
The LOA period must be a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years. Up to two LOAs will be granted during a CM cycle as long as the sum of the two LOA periods is less than the two year maximum. A LOA of one year can be extended (during the same CM cycle) upon written request to ABIH. Additional supporting documentation may be required. |
| Terms |
During the LOA, the Diplomate:
|
| Worksheet Submission |
Diplomates must submit an acceptable CM worksheet in order to recertify. If the requested LOA period ends at or near the end of the normal CM cycle, the Diplomate has three timing options to submit a CM worksheet:
If the LOA period overlaps two CM cycles, the LOA rules will apply to both CM cycles with one exception.
The new certificate will be delivered at the end of the CM cycle, not when the CM worksheet is reviewed and approved. |