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FMLA

FMLA eligibility: How serious is that serious health condition?

04/06/2010
One of the trickiest parts of administering FMLA benefits is figuring out just whether an employee’s health condition qualifies for leave. Who decides, and how? Follow this five-step process for making sure an employee’s condition is FMLA-eligible.

How do we calculate the rolling FMLA year?

04/05/2010
One of the four permissible ways for an employer to calculate employees’ 12-week FMLA leave entitlement is to use a 12-month period measured backward from the date an employee uses any FMLA leave. For employers, this rolling 12-month period is the most administratively burdensome—and also the most advantageous.

How many lawyers do we need? Lawsuit names company and individual managers

04/05/2010
Q. An ex-employee who we fired just filed an FMLA lawsuit against us. In addition to our company, he also named as co-defendants the HR, benefits and plant managers, along with me, the president and CEO. We believe the employee was legally terminated. Is there any risk in having our corporate attorney represent all of the defendants in the lawsuit?

FMLA eligibility: How serious is that serious health condition?

04/05/2010
One of the trickiest parts of administering FMLA benefits is figuring out just whether an employee’s health condition qualifies for leave. Who decides, and how?

Employee is wasted at work? You don’t have to tolerate it!

04/05/2010

It’s true that the ADA and FMLA require you to accommodate employees with medical ailments—even employees recovering from alcoholism. But take note: You certainly can enforce a zero-tolerance policy that forbids employees to work while under the influence of alcohol. Employers have every right to expect workers to show up sober in the morning. Being an alcoholic is no excuse.

You have personal liability under FMLA and ERISA

03/26/2010
Here’s food for thought: HR professionals and managers who terminate an employee for trying to get the benefits he is due under the FMLA or a company benefit plan are personally liable for the resulting harm.

Terminating for attendance? Don’t make FMLA a factor

03/26/2010
Employers have every right to terminate employees who can’t come to work on time—but not for taking FMLA leave.

You’ll need a calendar and a calculator: Track past service to check FMLA eligibility

03/26/2010

Whenever you hire someone, check your records of past employees. If your new employee is a rehire and last worked for you within seven years, be ready to credit that service if FMLA eligibility ever becomes an issue. If you don’t do that, and wind up denying FMLA leave to an eligible employee, you may have to pay double damages.

Catch fishy FMLA requests with the 3 R’s

03/22/2010

Employees have learned to play the FMLA game quite well in the 17 years since the law was passed. In this new case, an “attendance-challenged” employee was denied extra vacation leave for her wedding. So she submitted an FMLA leave request for those same dates. Hmmmm … smell fishy?

How should we calculate FMLA leave entitlement for employee whose schedule varies?

03/19/2010
Q. One of our employees works different hours each week—sometimes 30 hours a week, sometimes 40. She will be going on FMLA leave soon. We’re not sure how to determine how many hours of leave she would be entitled to take under the FMLA. Are all employees permitted to take 480 hours of leave?