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How long does Amazon DLS take to approve leave?

Why DLS (Amazon's Disability and Leave Services) cases sit in "pending," what your UPT (Amazon's unpaid personal time) does while you wait, and when to follow up — from Certicare, where a state-licensed provider reviews your answers and completes Amazon's leave forms.

Published by Certicare — an independent paid service, not affiliated with Amazon. Amazon makes the final decision on leave requests.

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Usually within 24 hours after we have everything needed
Your DLS deadline
Certicare
usually within 24h
varies no public timeline
Case opened
Complete paperwork submitted
DLS review
Decision
UPT may be corrected if the dates are approved
Case opened
Complete paperwork submitted
Certicare · usually within 24h
Your DLS deadline
DLS review
varies · no public timeline
Decision
UPT may be corrected if the dates are approved
The short answer

There's no public timeline DLS promises, so how long approval takes varies — go by the deadline printed in your own DLS message, not by a forum thread. One federal clock does apply: for FMLA, once DLS has enough information to decide, it must tell you within five business days whether the leave is designated as FMLA, absent extenuating circumstances (29 CFR 825.300(d)(1)). That is a notice deadline, not a promise of approval. A pending case is normal, not a denial. What you control is the paperwork: Certicare usually returns a provider-completed form within 24 hours after we have everything needed.

What does each DLS case status mean?

These are labels workers commonly report seeing in A to Z. Amazon doesn't publish an official glossary, so read these as what associates observe, not a rulebook.

Pending: your case is open and waiting, usually on documents, a review, or both. It is not a no.

Provisionally approved: workers describe this as approved for now, with paperwork still expected to confirm it. Missing that paperwork is how a provisional approval slips backward.

Insufficient documentation: DLS is saying it doesn't yet have what it asked for. That one is fixable, and there's a section on it below.

Approved: the leave is granted for the dates in the decision.

Cancelled or closed: the case ended, often after a deadline passed with documents still missing. If this happens to a case you had open, save every dated message before you do anything else.

What happens to my UPT and attendance while my case is pending?

Before a case is approved, workers report UPT still dropping in A to Z. The system doesn't always pause just because a case is open. So don't assume a pending case is already protecting your balance.

Two things help while you wait. Screenshot your A to Z balance now, and save every DLS message that has a date on it. Then get your paperwork in by the deadline in that message. Missing a document deadline can affect the request; check your notice and ask about any additional time available.

A to Z balance
DLS message

Save a dated screenshot of each.

When should I follow up with DLS?

Give DLS a little time to process before you chase it, then follow up on a steady schedule instead of every few hours. A calm, dated check-in that repeats the facts tends to move a case further than a frantic one.

Two habits make follow-ups count. Do it in writing through A to Z when you can, so there's a timestamped record. And every time, ask the same two things: what is my case status, and is anything still missing from me.

How often to follow up

Submit your paperwork, give it a few business days to register, then send your first written check-in. After that, follow up every few business days until you get a status, and always the day before any deadline in your DLS message. Keep each message short, dated, and factual.

Email hello@certicare.org — replies usually come the same day, and messages after 6 pm ET usually the next morning. After you complete an authorization, Certicare can also send the completed form directly to DLS.

One fee for this request. $49 flat covers whichever DLS form you were sent (the Health Care Provider Form, Leave as an Accommodation, or a Physician Statement / RFI), with no per-form charge. A later extension, a return-to-work form, a new condition, or another additional form is a separate request with its own fee.

$49 flat — refunded if the form can't be completed

$49 covers this request: clinical review, the DLS form it needs, and any DLS verification, clarification, or corrections on that form — no additional charges. A later extension, return-to-work form, new condition, or other additional form is a separate request with its own fee.

Certicare is not affiliated with Amazon. Amazon makes the final decision on leave and accommodation requests. This page is general information about the leave process, not legal advice.

How long does DLS take to approve leave?

Nobody outside DLS can hand you a number, and DLS doesn't publish one. Timelines vary by case, by form, and by how backed up the queue is. So the date that matters is the deadline printed in your own DLS message, not a rumor from a thread.

Here's the part you can control. If DLS asked for medical certification, its review usually can't move forward until it has a complete, provider-completed form. Certicare usually returns that form within 24 hours after we have everything needed, timed to fit inside the deadlines DLS sets.

Why is my case still pending or marked "insufficient"?

"Insufficient" usually means an item is missing, an answer is vague or blank, or a generic document such as a visit summary, plain note or discharge papers was submitted instead of the specific information DLS requested.

Using the DLS form is often the clearest way to provide every item requested and reduce follow-up. An RFI, if you get one, is just a request for additional information; it can follow any form, and it isn't a rejection. Certicare completes the form to its requirements and handles DLS verification, clarification, or corrections at no additional charge.

Does my UPT come back if my leave is approved?

When leave is approved for the exact dates you missed, the UPT deducted for those dates should generally be restored. "Should" is the key word here: it's the expected correction, not something anyone can promise for you, and it doesn't always happen on its own.

That's why the screenshots matter. Keep your A to Z balance history and every dated DLS message, so if the UPT isn't corrected after an approval, you can point to the record and ask for the fix.

If your leave is approved but the UPT for those days still isn't put back, keep your records and ask DLS to correct it.

Founded by a nurse practitioner who cares about workers

Rebecca Martel, APRN, FNP-BC

Certicare was founded by Rebecca Martel, APRN, FNP-BC, a family nurse practitioner board certified in family health and licensed in New York State. She started Certicare out of a commitment to workers' rights and a belief that getting the medical documentation you need shouldn't be complicated.

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You answer a short questionnaire online — no video visit — and the completed form comes back by email. A state-licensed provider reviews your answers, then completes and signs the exact form DLS sent you.

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Certicare is not affiliated with Amazon. Amazon makes the final decision on leave and accommodation requests. This page is general information about the leave process, not legal advice. Policy details verified as of August 2026.