By: Thomas Eden
The U.S. Department of Labor,
Wage and Hour Division, has issued a new 75-page guide for employers on the Family and Medical Leave Act. It is has some cute comics, compliance road maps
and situational aids about the FMLA request and approval process.
There is also a new FMLA poster,
which is a free pdf download from the Department of Labor website. Employers
who prefer to keep using the 2013 version may do so without being in violation.
MESSAGE FROM WAGE AND HOUR
DIVISION
“Since its enactment in 1993, the
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has served as the cornerstone of the
Department of Labor’s efforts to promote work-life balance and we have worked
in support of the principle that no worker should have to choose between the
job they need and the family they love. With the FMLA, our country made it a
priority to give workers the ability to balance the demands of work and family.
It made the healthy development of babies, healthy families, and healthy
workplaces a priority. It was a remarkable accomplishment at the time and,
since its enactment, the FMLA has been used more than 100 million times to help
workers balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of their families
and their own health.”
See what’s inside:
CHAPTER 1 – COVERED EMPLOYERS
UNDER THE FMLA AND THEIR
GENERAL NOTICE REQUIREMENTS
CHAPTER 2 – WHEN AN EMPLOYEE
NEEDS FMLA LEAVE
CHAPTER 3 – QUALIFYING REASONS
FOR LEAVE
CHAPTER 4 – THE CERTIFICATION
PROCESS
CHAPTER 5 – MILITARY FAMILY LEAVE
CHAPTER 6 – DURING AN EMPLOYEE’S
FMLA LEAVE
CHAPTER 7 – FMLA PROHIBITIONS
Common Sense Counsel: having a
properly drafted FMLA policy, mandated forms and supervisory training on this
new guide is the bare minimum. Keeping a cool head when those around you do not,
is leadership and legal risk reduction as seen by my recent column holding an HR
Director individually liable for interference with FMLA rights.
Tommy Eden is a partner working
out of the Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP offices in Opelika, AL
and West Point, GA and a member of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law
and serves on the Board of Directors for the East Alabama SHRM Chapter. He can
be contacted at teden@constangy.com or 334-246-2901 with blog at
www.alabamaatwork.com with links to resources.
