Preventing FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) Abuse

http://blog.hr360.com/hr-blog/preventing-fmla-family-and-medical-leave-act-abuse-video-blog

Video Highlights:
00:20 Employees are eligible for FMLA leave if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months and for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and they work at a location where at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles. FMLA has been proven to have a positive effect on employee morale and absenteeism, but abuse of FMLA leave is a growing concern for employers.

01:09 FMLA abuse can be very costly to employers in terms of lost productivity. It also places additional burdens on those employees who must take on the responsibilities of the absent employee to keep up with workflow.

01:40 Conduct FMLA training on an annual basis. Managers and supervisors are typically the first line of communication for employees needing leave, so make sure managerial staff knows what types of circumstances qualify.

02:03 Carefully choose a method of determining how your company will calculate the 12-month period in which the 12 weeks of leave entitlement occurs, whether fixed such as the calendar or fiscal year, or measured backward or forward from when leave is taken. Communicate the policy to all employees and enforce it uniformly.

02:22 Apply attendance policies consistently. An employer’s regular attendance policies apply to persons out on FMLA leave in the same manner as to all other employees, absent unusual circumstances.

02:51 Ask for medical certification to support the need for leave due to an employee’s own serious health condition or that of an immediate family member. If necessary, you can also get a second opinion at your own expense.

03:03 Choose to ask for periodic recertification for longer absences, generally no more frequently than once every 30 days.

03:13 Require employees to use all paid leave, such as sick time and vacation, before taking unpaid FMLA leave, if permitted by the terms and conditions of your normal leave policy.

03:24 Be vigilant when allowing employees to take leave on an intermittent basis or to work a reduced schedule. The FMLA permits employees to take leave on an intermittent basis or to work a reduced schedule under certain circumstances.

03:58 Advise employees that you will require a fitness-for-duty certification upon returning to work from leave.

04:24 An employee who fraudulently obtains FMLA leave is not protected by the law’s job restoration or maintenance of benefits provisions, and may be subject to disciplinary action. Employers should notify employees of their FMLA policies and the fact that FMLA fraud is grounds for disciplinary action.

Видео Preventing FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) Abuse канала HR360Inc