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5 Basic Steps To Administer FMLA

The Family And Medical Leave Act is implemented on an organization when it grows along with the number of employees. When the number of employees becomes 50 or more this law is automatically implied. This is applicable when an employee needs to take leave to attend his family’s medical leave or when he needs to get himself treated. The law is applicable to eligible employees where they can take up to three months of unpaid annual leave while taking care of their families or themselves. For properly implementing the law the HRs of the various organizations follow the following steps to administer the same.

 

Step 1: Follow Written Policies

Based on various thresholds the government requires the organizations to immediately follow the FMLA. The government wants them to be prepared, such as, to develop written policies and keep the proper forms available. It also wants them to provide information to the employees as soon as the law becomes applicable. It is also necessary for organizations to obtain information from health care providers and also determine if the FMLA applies to specific situations or not. Ignoring the above requirements may land the organizations to pay hefty damages.

 

Step 2: Watch Out For Special Circumstances

In FMLA, employees can take three months-long unpaid annual leave. But under certain circumstances, they can take unpaid annual leave for a longer period than prescribed. Such as, when an employee is attending his relative who has sustained injuries during military services then he can receive up to 26 weeks of unpaid annual leave. Airline flight crew members can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid annual leave. Every employer and employee must therefore keep a track of all the special circumstances.

 

Step 3: Understand What Is Covered And What Is Not

Not every employee is covered under the FMLA act, they need to serve the organization for a minimum prescribed hour to receive the FMLA facility. Also, not everything written in the rules and policies are applicable to all employees. FMLA does not imply every instance of family or medical leave. It is, therefore, necessary for the employees and the employers to go through the rules. 

 

Step 4: Pay Attention To Paperwork

Each case of FMLA leave requires certain paperwork. Lack of which can take the organizations into severe situations when legality shall be applied or when there shall be any complications or disagreement. Since FMLA is applicable to an organization the paperwork starts. The organizations must adhere to them and pay attention.

 

Step 5: Be Proactive Before It Is Too Late

Employees most of the time take the laws of FMLA too easily. They often take their 12-week leave initially and repent later on. Organizations must therefore educate their employees regarding the repercussions of taking the leave early and also unnecessarily and repenting later on. This is a proactive step that keeps both the parties i.e., the employees and the employers into a better situation.

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