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FMLA

Comments open on FMLA coverage for same-sex spouses

07/09/2014
Want to weigh in on the proposed regulations that would extend FMLA protections to same-sex spouses regardless of where they live? The Department of Labor is now accepting public comments.

FMLA: Need certification or is a doctor’s note OK?

07/04/2014
Q. Do employers have to request an official certification form for all FMLA situations, or can a physician’s note be enough for an employer to designate FMLA?

You can insist: Employees waiting on FMLA certification must follow call-in policy

07/02/2014
Employees who have a pending request for FMLA leave and are just waiting for their doctor to provide the required medical certification must still follow call-in rules. Have a clear policy in place so employees understand what is expected before, during and after their FMLA leave request.

OK to demand proof of full health after FMLA

07/02/2014
Qualified employees who take FMLA leave for their own serious health conditions are entitled to return to their old jobs or equivalent ones once their leave is over. But that’s only true if they are fully healed and able to do their jobs.

FMLA, 401(k)s extended to same-sex spouses

07/02/2014
Employers continue to feel the impact of last year’s key U.S. Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Windsor, which struck down a federal law that had denied federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. There have been two new developments.

Can manager ask about worker’s reason for FMLA?

06/25/2014
Q. When HR receives an employee’s completed FMLA certification form, does the employee’s supervisor have the right to see the form and know the medical reason for the FMLA leave? 

Administration to extend FMLA rights to all same-sex spouses

06/20/2014
The Labor Department’s proposed rule would affect employees nationwide.

Demand the medical info you need to set up ADA accommodations

06/18/2014

Disabled employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations, which must be decided on the basis of an interactive discussion between the employer and employee. Some employees, perhaps sensitive about their medical histories, try to limit the information their employers can see. That can compromise the interactive process.

Employee’s out of FMLA: What options are left?

06/16/2014
Q. An employee has been out on leave and has now run out of FMLA leave. It’s unclear when she will return. Can we terminate her employment?

Is it possible to apply FMLA retroactively?

06/16/2014
Q. We have 75 employees at our one facility. An employee recently took two months off for a serious operation. We did not classify this as FMLA leave, but now we think we should have. What can we do?