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FMLA

FMLA, Workers’ Comp, ADA

02/11/2008

HR Law 101: One of the toughest problems for employers is figuring out which law applies to a particular condition: the FMLA, workers’ comp or the ADA. The relationship between the FMLA and other federal and state statutes is clear: The law that provides the greatest benefits to the employee applies …

Changes Coming to the FMLA: The Top 10 Hits … and Misses

02/11/2008

The U.S. Labor Department yesterday took a big step toward clarifying some of the most confusing aspects of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The agency issued a series of proposed changes to the law that, if finalized, could help employers administer the complex 15-year-old law and avoid lawsuits. But the proposal carries a few extra burdens for employers, too.

Labor Department’s proposed FMLA rules tackle military family leave

02/11/2008
The Labor Department’s new proposed FMLA rules address a new kind of FMLA leave—designed to assist family members of active-duty military personnel. Here are the basics of what the new leave involves.

No need to reinstate if disability leave extends past FMLA

02/01/2008

After using up their available 12 weeks’ unpaid FMLA leave, many new mothers request additional time off. If you agree to additional time off to be covered by a short-term disability policy, check to see if that policy includes job protection. If it doesn’t, you don’t have to hold her job or even reinstate her. Don’t, however, start the search for her replacement while the employee is still on FMLA leave …

Do you have a ‘No lying’ policy? It could be a legal lifesaver

02/01/2008

If you don’t have one, consider adding a general honesty or misrepresentation clause to your employee handbook. Such a clause can come in handy when you are looking for a solid reason to discharge someone who just isn’t being upfront and honest with the company, but technically may not have violated a specific work rule …

Does destination of FMLA leave matter?

02/01/2008

Q. We are an Illinois-based company and have an employee whose mother is very sick with cancer and in need of medical care at home. The employee is entitled to FMLA leave. The issue is that the mother lives in Hawaii and he has asked for leave starting next month. I don’t mean to be “cold,” but it sounds like a vacation from our bitter winter. Must we grant the leave for him to go to Hawaii? …

Must the signature of an actual doctor appear on FMLA leave certification?

02/01/2008

Q. An employee who is seeking FMLA leave has submitted the required paperwork from his doctor’s office, but the doctor’s staff assistant signed it. We asked our employee about the paperwork, and he told us that he went to his physician’s office and asked an assistant to fill out the certification. The doctor was not there when our employee took in the paperwork, and he admits that he had never seen the assistant before. Nonetheless, our employee is telling us that we have to accept the certification because someone at his doctor’s office signed it. Please tell me that at a minimum the physician has to know and approve of this certification …

How to navigate the intersection of the ADA and the FMLA

02/01/2008

When an employee needs time off due to a mental or physical impairment, he or she potentially could have rights under both the ADA and the FMLA. You must first determine whether one or both laws cover the employee. From there, you’ll know which rights the employee has. And any decision you make must take these rights into account … 

Is intermittent leave allowed to help parent move?

02/01/2008

Q. An employee takes intermittent leave to care for his parent. Do situations like helping his mother move to a new location qualify as FMLA leave? — B.D., Nevada …

Verifying FMLA leave for chronic conditions

02/01/2008

Q. An employee has a chronic condition that’s been medically certified. What information can we request to verify that his absences relate to his medical condition? — D.J., Florida …